It's great that hip-hop is getting good looks in Hollywood, period. However, when the publicity reinforces the stereotype that hip-hop is all about pimping or glorified violence, it can do more harm than good. It's disappointing (but not surprising) that the types of hip-hop movies that get the most attention are the ones that reinforce same ol’ tired hip-hop thug mentality.

Last night, the Oscars featured a song about pimping for the first hip hop performance. Is that the kind of image we as the hip-hop community want to present to the mainstream public? Hip-Hop = pimps and ho’s? Or Hip-Hop = 50 Cent holding a baby and a gun? Watching that performance last night made me cringe. People who don't normally listen to hip-hop music because they think it's full of misogyny and violence watch a performance piece on “pimping ain’t easy” on the Oscars and it just re-enforces their negative image on hip-hop.

I don't blame people for not liking hip-hop when everywhere they turn they see video ho’s, glorified violence, drinking and rubbing at the clubs, etc on BET, MTV. The press makes it hard for folks to find hip-hop music that goes beyond the stereotypical themes. I love a lot of different kinds of music but sometimes I sometimes get tired of defending hip-hop. I’m always offering to point “non-believers” to lesser-known, more conscious artists. At the same time, I not saying that not all negative hip-hop music should be squashed; I’m the first to admit that some of my favorite songs are ultra-violent and misogynistic. I just wish there was more of a balance of positive and negative images of hip-hop in the mainstream press. Unfortunately, the bottom line for a lot of media outlets is this: shock value drives ratings and ratings equal advert dollars.