Russell Simmons will be holding a ‘closed door’ meeting with artists and executives from the Hip-Hop/urban community for a discussion on the future of Hip-Hop and how the genre can be moved forward in a positive direction.
Sources told AllHipHop.com that the invitation only meeting took place Wednesday (Apr.18) at Lyor Cohen’s Manhattan residence.
The meeting comes shortly after the ousting of talk show host Don Imus and the heightened criticism of Hip-Hop’s representation of women.
A number of activists are now shifting their focus to Hip-Hop, including Reverend Al Sharpton.
Sharpton said his National Action Network wants to also meet with performers in the industry about lyrics that he claims are racist and demeaning to women.
Sharpton may have many followers on his side, but some activists aren’t quite receptive of Sharpton’s stance on Hip-Hop.
“Language can be a powerful tool. That is why one’s intention, when using the power of language, should be made clear,” said Dr. Benjamin Chavis, president of the Hip-Hop Summit Action Network and Russell Simmons in a joint statement released on Friday (Apr. 13). “Comparing Don Imus’ language with Hip-Hop artists’ poetic expression is misguided and inaccurate and feeds into a mindset that can be a catalyst for unwarranted, rampant censorship.”