Rap mogul Russell Simmons proposes ban of three words from rap songs.

Submitted April 25,2007

Russell Simmons proposes a ban on three offensive words from all rap songs.

"We recommend that the recording and broadcast industries voluntarily remove/bleep/delete the misogynistic words 'bitch' and 'ho' and the racially offensive word 'nigger,'" said Def Jam Cofounder Russell Simmons and Hip-Hop Summit Action Network Executive Director Benjamin Chavis in a joint statement given Monday.

The two deny any claims that the ban is intended to censor the work of rap artists. The ban is intended to encourage “corporate social responsibility of the industry to voluntarily show respect to African-Americans and other people of color”, they said.

Reactions to the proposal have varied throughout the community.

Christopher Suer, a 22 year old aspiring rapper from Brooklyn said, “As a rapper, I don’t really think the ban really impact our artistic expression. If a rapper really has something to say he should be able to say it without cursing.”

Shelly Burnett, a divorced mother of two from Silver Spring, Md. was “relieved that someone is finally trying to clean those vulgar lyrics up”.

The statement from Russell Simons comes less than a month after radio personality Don Imus’ faced public scorn and was subsequently fired from his radio program with CBS for referring to the Rutgers basketball players as "nappy-headed hos."

The controversy surrounding Don Imus’ statements drew public attention to the use of certain potentially offensive language in broadcast.

Rap pioneer and businessman Russell Simmons also recommended that forums be organized to help discuss and promote “better understanding and positive change."