[
A week ago, back when “shit was all good,” Lethal reached out to the public to see if there was any interest in contributing to this site… and from the depths of that, I came. My name is… well, none of your damn business, but you can call me Buhizzle. I hope to bring to this website some cleverness, some wit, some humor, and a penchant for saying the same thing three times, each time using different words. I’m appreciative of any and all feedback, so feel free to hit up the Comments section. And now, as I proceed… ML, motherfuckers…]
In the mad scramble to clean up rap music (which is certainly taking its sweet-ass time, isn’t it?) and Russell Simmons’ desire to remove the N-word, “bitch,” and “ho” from all rappers’ vocabularies, all in the wake of ex-shock jock/Golden Girl Don Imus’ now-infamous Rutgers women’s basketball team comments, everyone appears to be overlooking a couple of important factors.
For one thing, a change to the image of hip hop music may be long overdue, depending on who you ask, but using the Imus incident as a catalyst for this change is crucially misleading. All of the news coverage of Imus and his comments have focused on the specific words he used — say it along with me: “nappy-headed hoes” — but not the discussion with which those words came about (scroll down here for a transcript). He’s referred to the Tennessee players (Rutgers’ opponents) as “cute,” and the Rutgers players as “rough” “nappy-headed hoes,” with his producer adding that they were “hardcore.” Looking at Tennessee’s ’06-’07 roster, you’ll notice 4 of the 11 players pictured are white, in addition to their star player Candace Parker, who is pretty light-skinned. Looking at the Rutgers’ ’06-’07 roster, you’ll notice that 2 of the 10 players are white, and of the 8 remaining black players, most of them are rather dark in complexion (at least in comparison to Parker).
I think — or, at least, I hope — that I’m not offending anyone by saying that, in today’s society, light skin is often looked upon as being “more attractive” than dark skin. You don’t have to walk too far past a newsstand to see a magazine cover with shot of Beyonce or Halle Berry or Tyra Banks being praised for their beauty. It’s a stereotype, plain and simple, and that’s why major news outlets like Fox News and CNN never brought it up in the midst of their Imus coverage. I mean, when Mel Gibson went off in a drunken delirium about how the Jews “own” Hollywood, there was no CNN Special Report entitled “DO The Jews Own Hollywood?” (Although, that would have made for some compelling television.) It seemed as if everyone got mad at Don Imus for his comments, and rightfully so, but never really thought about why they were mad. As offensive as the phrase “nappy-headed” is, there’s far worse things that could be said about African-Americans (and Don Imus has said such things in the past). And as far as the word “ho” goes, I’m a follower of J-Zone’s school of thought — “If you’re getting offended by it, then I must be talking about you!”
It seems like the mere use of the word “ho” has brought hip hop into the spotlight, and the so-called need to clean up the lyrics and the use of foul language. But if you ask any stuck-up old person who hates rap music what they would rather do without — the violence and perceived negative messages in the music, or the use of foul language — they’d likely choose the former over the latter. And, truth be told, these two things are not necessarily tied together. Exhibit A: Vanilla Ice’s “Ice Ice Baby.” (I’d YouTube it, but this is my first post here and I don’t want everybody to hate me.) I know you remember it, because I know I remember it, and I’ve tried SO hard to forget it. Here are some choice lyrics from the song that, in 1990, was simply unavoidable:
“Jealous ’cause I’m out getting mine/
Shay with a gauge and Vanilla with a nine/
Ready for the chumps on the wall/
The chumps acting ill because they’re full of Eight Ball/
Gunshots ranged out like a bell/
I grabbed my nine — All I heard were shells/
Falling on the concrete real fast/
Jumped in my car, slammed on the gas/
Bumper to bumper the avenue’s packed/
I’m trying to get away before the jackers jack/
Police on the scene, You know what I mean/
They passed me up, confronted all the dope fiends”
Shootouts, police chases, dope fiends — all in language that’s PG-13 at best. You can disrespect women without calling ’em “bitches” and “hoes.” You can be a killer (on wax, at least) without screaming “Die motherfucker! Die motherfucker! Die!” (which, in German, would translate to “Thee motherfucker! Thee motherfucker! Thee!”) And even if the N-word somehow got “outlawed” and no rapper ever uttered it again, would that really significantly alter the music that’s coming out nowadays? Perhaps I’m in the minority here, but I don’t think it would.
But don’t get me wrong here — I commend Chamillionaire for “stepping up to the challenge” and making his upcoming album profanity-free. And I also (reluctantly) commend Master P for doing the same thing, although I have to agree with 50 Cent’s statement that Master P isn’t selling records anymore, and I personally am not buying Master P “taking a stand” against explicit lyrics — if anything, Master P is taking a stand against the fact that no one cares about Master P anymore. All I’m saying here is that there is no “solution” to how to “fix” hip hop — simply put, it is what it is. And if there is a solution, it sure as hell isn’t the removal of three words from all rap records from this point on.
Oh, and Don Imus is a prick, but that should go without saying.
Sphere: Related Content 
After over a month of rumors, speculation, and allegation, Atlanta Falcons’ QB Michael “Ron ‘Ookie’ Mexico” Vick — that’s right, now his nickname has a nickname — has been indicted for his role in a dogfighting ring that’s stretched throughout much of the eastern United States. The Smoking Gun has the court documents available for reading, because, well, that’s what they do. The most gruesome of details includes Vick’s alleged involvement in the execution of dogs, by methods such as hanging, drowning, and electrocution, on the Virginia property that he claimed to have never been at. Hopefully, Vick performs better in court than he does in the pocket.
The next time you go out magazine shopping, or you find yourself near a newsstand with time to kill, be sure to check out the latest issue of Complex for a joint interview with Wu-Tang mastermind The RZA and all-around funny guy Seth Rogen. Complex‘s website offers a 
Looking at it now, getting these guys together seems like a no-brainer. For those who watched 40 Year Old Virgin with a keen eye, you may have noticed Seth’s character “Cal” sporting a t-shirt with the cover to The GZA’s classic album Liquid Swords screened on the front, and if you’ve gotten around to seeing Knocked Up as well (which I suggest you do if you haven’t yet), then you surely recall what song was playing during the opening credits — something about liking things “raw” or something. Meanwhile, the Wu have often flexed their skills in the realm of comedic acting, with real-life cousins RZA and GZA proving to be quite the formidable tag-team. Below, check out their classic “Wu-Tang Financial” sketch from Chappelle’s Show, as well as their scene with Bill Murray in Coffee & Cigarettes.
Apparently, before you get to stand under 
That’s what Eminem did… and to Michael Jackson, no less. [Pause for the customary “no homo”]
