COUNTERPUNCH LETTERS

First let me say it is too bad that Nelson Mandela has to see this--groups like 2 Live Crew singing about degrading women, women being unequal to men and “an eye for an eye” violence.

If Ice Cube thinks 2 Live Crew’s music or N.W.A songs about killing cops represent black culture, he needs to look again.

Let’s look at the cover of a 2 Live Crew album: four women in G-string bathing suits, bending over for the enjoyment of the band. Such creativity.

Ice Cube’s picture itself represents negative images: the gang-look cap, the T-shirt with a backward LAPD badge on it in a show of disrespect to the police, his advocation of crime in his song lyrics about robbing people.

Rap music is a very powerful medium to express positive ideas to young people, and many rap artists do this. But it is groups such as 2 Live Crew that are going to drag the entire rap industry through the gutter before it gets the chance to make that positive impact.

D. EDWARDS

Saugus