Seminar: Does Hip Hop Hate Women?

WXIA-TV Video Report

By Keith Whitney WXIA-TV Atlanta

ATLANTA, GA -- Does hip hop hate women? That's the question being asked on Tuesday night on the campus of Spelman College.

The school is hosting its annual national town hall meeting on the effect of negative images of women in the rap music industry.

Also in town is one of the original gangster rappers, Ice Cube, whose own image has mellowed over the years.

He said that hip hop lyrics may be offensive, but it is not likely they are going to change any time soon.

"Hip hop, you know, it is what it is. What appeals to people -- what people like about hip hop and what they don't like about hip hop is hip hop deals with the good the bad and the ugly of our society. It's kind of raw," said Ice Cube.

Spelman professor William Jelani Cobb didn't let Ice Cube and other rappers off the hook easily.

"We're not trying to be puritanical but we want people to be responsible to be mindful about what it is they're doing and what it is they're saying," Cobb said.

Ice Cube is in Atlanta promoting his new movie, "Are We Done Yet?" He took time to work with Home Depot on a project to help fix up the Nicholas House -- a family shelter in southeast Atlanta.

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