The Impact News

Issue date: 11/21/07 Section: Entertainment

Media Credit: Erin Burns

Mercy College came together with Victims Assistance Services (a non-profit organization that provides services to victims of crime) during Domestic Violence Awareness Month. A hip-hop documentary film ("Hip-Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes"), produced and directed Byron Hurt, takes an in-depth look at manhood in rap music and hip-hop culture, where creative genius, poetic beauty and mad beats collide with misogyny, violence and homophobia.

The objective of this documentary was to inform and educate young people about the issues that arise in hip-hop today and engage them in conversation about the causes and effects of sexism and violence within the hip-hop culture.

"The information was very interesting," said Marish Craig, President of the No Mercy Step Team and Co-Captain of Intensified Image Dance Team, who was in attendance for the seminar. "I learned so much, no only about the hip-hop culture but about myself as well, just from watching the documentary and listening to the panel," she added.

In addition to the documentary there was panelist of experts on hip-hop including, Abdul Rahmaan I. Muhammad (Mira), Eric Carver, Davon Chance, and Karen Carroll. They all shared their opinions and ideas about the violence in the hip-hop videos and in the lyrics that portrays African-Americans and Latinos in a negative way. They all agreed that the meaning of hip-hop drastically changed and no longer sends a positive message.

"I really enjoyed both the documentary and the panel; the open discussion gave many of us who attended a chance to express our knowledge and opinions as well," stated Craig.

Hip-hop is considered to have originated in New York (notably the Bronx) in the 1970s when DJs such as Kool Herc and Grandmaster Flash would isolate certain parts of songs with the intent of non-stop dancing by using strategies such as "break-beating" and "cutting". Kool, from Jamaica, also introduced Americans to "toasting", which was speaking poetry or lyrics to the crowd while the music played, which is regarded as the inspiration of rap music. Hip-hop influence rapidly grew and also inspired DJing, MCing, break dancing and graffiti.

The documentary has been shown at several film festivals, including Sundance. Hurt has also made "I Am A Man: Black Masculinity in America" and "Moving Memories: The Black Senior Video Yearbook." Hurt stated that he was a hip-hop addict, and he used to enjoy listening to it and partying to it when he was a quarterback for Northeastern University. But his attitude about the direction of the industry changed when he saw videos with scantily clad women and "thugged out" rappers promoting a "gangsta lifestyle."

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