Does Hip Hop Harm African-American Community?

I recently watched an episode of Tony Brown's Journal. He had a guest on who was talking about the dangers of hip hop music to African American community.

The guest (I don't remember his name) made some very poignant and succinct arguments, I thought. His answer was yes: hip hop does have a negative effect on black culture.

This caused me to think about this issue more in depth. I have pondered the issue of the relationship between a people's music and their community well-being on many occasions. And I agree wholeheartedly with the interviewee's argument.

When I think of the negative messages of hip-hop, rap, gangsta rap, etc., I can't help but think of somebody like 50-cent. Although I like listening to "fitty" (especially in moments when I want to be "bad" or feel like a bad ass) I can't help but think that his lyrics are just so...nasty!

Now, I realize I'm being hypocritical here: judging an artist's music to whom I listen. However, I will say that artist's like 50-cent do grieve my spirit when I listen to them. Not to mention the outright, unabashed misogyny, glamorization of drugs and violence, and hypersexualism. I'm sorry, but I just can't see how these vices can uplift a culture or benefit a community.

Nevertheless, to Fitty's defense, once could argue that it's not an artist's job to uplift society. I agree with also.

But I do think that music like Fitty's is inauthentic. That is: Fitty, you're not going to have me believe that you actually do all those things you say in your songs, or that you believe in all the outright sexism, violence and drug-use that you sing about so recklessly in your music.