Messages and Signals From the World of Rap

Rapper Chuck D. asks the question: “Is white America ready to deal with the rise of black male intellectualism?” Like so many other rappers, he seems to be ignorant of the fact that there are millions of black female intellectuals in this country as well.

Much of rap music’s potential to educate is lost in the flood of near-rabid woman-hate indulged in by popular male rappers. You’d think anyone with class would get sick of hearing the word bitch a thousand times on one album, but judging from the current popularity of rappers such as Run D.M.C. and N.W.A, that is not the case.

For the information of Chuck D. and the rest of his ilk: We black female intellectuals do exist. We are more than a little weary of hearing women run into the ground in rap lyrics. Before rappers can concern themselves with acceptance by white Americans, they ought to get it together on the home front.

C.K. FAIRWEATHER

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