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Editor’s note: The debate for censorship of Hip-Hop music is quickly spinning into a circus for lies and propaganda. While we here at DP Dot Com support the rights of artists to use any means and mediums for their expressions we understand there is a need to temper the images and ideas that proliferate mainstream media with a balanced perspective on life, love and learning. Supporting us and other artists is photographer ERNIE PANICCIOLI who has been a documentarian of Hip-Hop since it’s inception. ERNIE gets it. The war over words has become a distraction from the real noise rumbling under our feet. There are less media outlets available for artisitc expression and because of this cultural norms are being skewed towards the lowest common denominator. Brother ERNIE takes a few minutes to tell us how to direct our energy and focus if we are to ever regain our balance…

A Warning To Hip-Hop
Watch out. Now that the processed haired nasty man has flexed against another paper tiger and the IMUSHARPTON beast is still simmering if you listen to the chatter you will hear two things loudly as background noise.

Censorship and Hip Hop.

Those things cannot co-exist. Even before I was born censorship had a chilling effect on art. In the 30’s and 40’s Hollywood was hit with censorship and had to meet a code to get a movie released. It resulted in the stifling of creativity. Then they went after comic books and that watered down creative output. Then down South the religious right lashed out at Rock and Roll and forced Little Richard underground and left us with Pat Boone.

Calvin Butts, C. Delores Tucker are just a couple of folks that have made moves against Rap artists to no avail. But if you scan thru the talk shows all of the talking heads (Black and White) are all saying Imus was influenced by Rap Music and now once again Rap Music is a big Black Boogieman. Missing in the dialogue (and seemingly in the recent documentary “Beyond Hip Hop by Byron Hurt” also full of talking heads) is the colonization factor in Rap Music. Yes, the artists that promote garbage, hate, and all of the poison they spout are guilty of having no class, self hate, lack of respect for women, life and their people but it is the CORPORATE RECORD COMPANY EXECUTIVES AND THEIR CORPORATE DISTRIBUTORS AND VIDEO OUTLETS all figure-headed by Black Women like Sylvia Rhone and Debra Lee that trade, profit and merchandise from this climate of hate.

It is also these same corporate moguls that block any attempt by conscious artists to get signed, widely exposed or get media attention or love by the magazines. We, the Zulu Nation and Federation and Turn Off Channel Zero amongst many other grass root organizations with the help of a few non-cowards in the media like Brother Davey D (www.daveyd.com) and Sister Rosa Clemente (WBAI.org) are pushing and supporting a nationwide Balance Campaign to not censor anyone, but rather to push to allow access to Mos Def, dead prez, Marvin Gaye, Sly Stone, James Brown, Gil Scott Heron, George Clinton, Prince, Chaka Khan and Aretha Franklin and not just have the radio waves blocked, gagged and over exposed with non-talent, payola bought, corporate drivel that plays the same 20 songs and videos 24 hours a day, seven days a week on all music media outlets.

Stay tuned and watch the fallout to see who gets burned and how once again the invisible colonizers who sit in the smoke filled rooms and make decisions that affect our lives, economics and art forms remain hidden and safe from public scrutiny.

Peace, Bro. Ernie