A Hard Rap, but Far From Fatal : Time Warner move unlikely to sink sales or popularity of ‘gangsta’ music

Considering the pressure put on Time Warner Inc., its decision Wednesday to stop producing gangsta rap was probably inevitable. However, its action may do little to reduce the sales or popularity of the music--and that speaks to the larger and persistent contradictions between publicly embraced values and commercial success in the music business and indeed throughout the entertainment industry.

The company’s decision to unload its stake in Interscope Records, home to such award-winning rappers as Snoop Doggy Dog and Dr. Dre, came after months of sharp criticism of Time Warner by Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole and media watchdogs for promoting songs rife with violent and misogynistic themes. The timing of this decision is no surprise; last week Time Warner agreed to merge with Turner Broadcasting System Inc., a change that will make Time Warner the largest entertainment company in the world.

Gangsta rap, composed and performed largely by black artists but snapped up by teen-agers of all hues, has drawn criticism well beyond the small circle of presidential hopefuls. The music has divided African Americans. Many defend gangsta rap as a raw but honest expression of life in American cities, while others are offended by the music’s denigration of women and glorification of violence. In recent years, some Los Angeles-area radio stations have responded by dropping rap from their playlists.

The content of rap lyrics has also raised difficult questions for the artists themselves. Should young sons and daughters listen to the music their parents make or are the words too adult, too likely to confuse youngsters?

No less disturbing is the preoccupation with black rap artists by critics of media and popular culture. What about bands of the rock genre whose music celebrates gore and violence? A major campaign to rid the airwaves of them seems curiously lacking.

Time Warner’s decision to dump Interscope will probably have minimal impact on American entertainment culture. But perhaps it will prompt those searching for the causes of the decline of our nation’s social mores to look beyond the usual suspects.