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Farrakhan defended rap music’s controversial lyrics and images, saying the music is a reflection of society itself, but also urged artists and music executives to use the rap culture’s power as a more expansive teaching tool.

THE LAST WORD—UP

Hip-Hop Summit Press Conference Summarizes Goals And Planned Initiatives

by Kenya Yarbrough

After two days of meetings, conferencing and self-congratulatin', the Hip-Hop Summit, held in New York City, wrapped up Wednesday evening (6/13) with a sermon-like keynote address from Minister Louis Farrakhan and a few additional closed-door sessions. The summit hosted a number of meetings covering marketing, government intervention, conflict resolution, media and images, among other issues in reference to the hip-hop community, and maintained its main theme of taking responsibility within the hip-hop culture.

This morning, the Summit's main organizers, rap mogul Russell Simmons, activist Ben Muhammad and other rap luminaries, held a media session, announcing the plans of action, which resulted from the meetings and roundtables. These initiatives include creating a voluntary parental advisory standard for marketing albums, adopting a hip-hop mentoring program and creating lobbying organizations for political empowerment. Hey, sounds like a job for Suge Knight when he gets out of prison later this month.

Simmons was pleased by the outcome and input of the hundreds of guests from the music industry, government, and rap community, who came to discuss ways to better the hip-hop genre and culture, including Sean "P. Diddy" Combs," LL Cool J, NAACP’s Kweisi Mfume and RIAA’s Hilary Rosen.

In speaking on the theme yesterday morning, Farrakhan defended rap music’s controversial lyrics and images, saying the music is a reflection of society itself, but also urged artists and music executives to use the rap culture’s power as a more expansive teaching tool. Of course, Louis' speech could barely be heard over the sound of our own Ricky Leigh Mensh's snoring, but that's a whole 'nother story.

Simmons and Mfume also addressed the more than 500 attendees, summing up the days' events, and reiterating the global influence of hip-hop along with its political and economic power. Though under attack from Congress and critics, artists and industry-ites made no pledge to tone down rap lyrics and content, but vowed to police themselves before someone else does.

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