Issue date: 11/5/09 Section: Campus News

Media Credit: Leslie Ballantine

Posted: 11/08/09

Rappers are trapped in their own stereotyped image of what a man should be and don't have the courage to change it because they fear they would be less popular, an anti-sexist activist said.

"We (men) are like in this box," Byron Hurt said in his movie, Hip-Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes. "In order to be in that box you have to be strong, you have to be tough, you have to have a lot of girls, (and) you have got to have money."

Byron Hurt, an award-winning filmmaker, presented his movie Thursday at Zorn Arena to an audience of more than 250.

In his movie, Hurt examined the issues of violence, sexism, homophobia, misogyny and racism in hip-hop culture. To examine these issues he interviewed famous rappers such as Fat Joe, Jadakiss and Busta Rhymes.

Hurt said he thinks some rappers are violent because it is what they know and what they have experienced in their communities. Other rappers just try to be violent and tough because they know it is popular, he said.

"A lot of rappers make music to make money," he said.

Hurt worked for Mentors in Violence Prevention, a program that educates young men and women on gender issues. In Hurt's film, co-founder of MVP Jackson Katz said if a young man doesn't have a lot of power, he uses his body image to portray violence.

"The culture is telling you that being a man means being powerful, dominant and in control," he said.

The music industry also influence the way rappers act, Hurt added.

"White men in suits make the decision about what people see," Katz said. "They are deciding, 'this makes money, I am going to sell it, and I don't care if it hurts people.' It is a business decision."

Kelli Basa, UAC special event co-chairperson, said the committee that organized the event is mainly female, and they thought it would be interesting to have a presentation about gender issues.

"We don't do that many programs on campus that deal with these kind of issues all at once," she said. "It deals with so much in one documentary."

Basa said she enjoys listening to rap and hip-hop music, but sometimes she doesn't understand the lyrics and thinks they are not appropriate.

"It made me realize that it is not a weird thing to think. It is not normal," she said.

Staff director of WAGE Paula Stuettgen said Hurt was invited to speak at UW-Eau Claire because he is an expert and has a large understanding on these issues.

"The UAC, the Forum and WAGE are all committed to bringing speakers to the campus that provoke thoughtful discussion about important topics," Stuettgen said. "Mr. Hurt certainly fulfills that requirement."

Senior Trevor Peterson, who attended the presentation, said he will pay more attention to these issues, and especially how males interact with each other and with women.

"It was very representational of the industry," he said.

At the end of the presentation, Hurt reminded the audience that everyone's voice matters.

"You have the power to speak out when you know something is wrong."

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