Get Rid of Imus – and Sexist Rap, Too

By Rochelle Riley
Columnist for the Detroit Free Press, April 10, 2007

(Note: We print excerpts from this Detroit column because the writer has a message for Oakland.)

Yes, we are angry over radio host Don Imus losing his mind on his nationally syndicated show and calling members of the Rutgers University women's basketball team "nappy-headed hos."

But step away from the anger for a minute. Imus may have done us two favors.

Rochelle Riley

First, his comments were incendiary. If they incite haters to do harm, then he will have aided and abetted hate crimes, which has to make law enforcement consider hate speech as a motivation for crime.

And Imus may have finally cast a large enough spotlight on the social crimes of black rappers, who aided and abetted his comments. Every rapper who uses the language of the genre makes it easier for racists and sad, inexplicably popular stars such as Imus to do so, too. It is rappers who have made those words part of our culture, part of the inescapable cloud of noise outside our homes, in our kids' schools and in most public places.

Sexist rap, and that's what I call any rap that includes the words "bitches and hos," has become prevalent and acceptable. But it remains as hurtful as the first time Ice-T called for cops to be killed two decades ago.

Imus' apology was silly and inadequate. I don't want it. And I don't want an apology from Ludacris or 50 Cent or The Game. What I want is for them and others like them to stop. [Meanwhile, in Oakland, sexist rapper Too Short is actually welcomed at the publicly funded agency Youth UpRising – ORPN]

Don Imus didn't do anything new last week. He just went too far. If we ignore it, as we've ignored the rising tide of hatred and sexism in rap, it will be at our own peril.

(Ms. Riley's full column is here)