The Imus controversy has had a number of ripples, including the car accident that nearly killed the Governor of New Jersey. But now we see the opening of a door that just might lead to some good:
Prominent U.S. hip-hop executive Russell Simmons Monday recommended eliminating the words “b___h,” “ho” and “n____r” from the recording industry, considering them “extreme curse words.”
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Simmons, co-founder of the Def Jam label and a driving force behind hip-hop’s huge commercial success, called for voluntary restrictions on the words and setting up an industry watchdog to recommend guidelines for lyrical and visual standards.
Good for Russell Simmons, one of the few people with enough clout and enough credibility to make something like this happen.
* – YMMV as to whether this story was an imbroglio, a kerfuffle or a brouhaha.