DMX, Eminem, Ja Rule, Jay-Z and 50 Cent.
While each of these artists is popular among Penn students, what many don't know is that they are also known for their use of homophobic lyrics.
Yesterday at the Rotunda, QPenn held an event discussing the use of homophobic lyrics in the hip hop industry.
Three panelists spoke, including Ingrid Rivera, an accomplished poet and leader of the first pride march in Lawrence, Mass.; Keith Boykin, a writer and James Peterson, the event moderator, who taught the first hip hop class at Penn.
The event attracted not only Penn students, but also many adults from the local Philadelphia area. Jerome Ragsdel -- a 2000 Temple University graduate -- attended the event because "the combination of hip hop and homophobia is so taboo. It is rarely talked about, so I am glad issues other than violence are being discussed in the hip hop industry."
As the panel progressed, Boykin and Rivera provided their opinions on a variety of topics and questions Peterson prompted.
Boykin explained that "most of society has embraced hip hop today," but it is the embracing of hip hop that has led to the improper use of words such as gay, faggot and queer by many rap artists.
Boykin added that the use of such words "has nothing to do with sexual orientation," and so
"we are using terms without knowing what they mean, or in an ahistorical context."
In addition, Boykin noted that hip hop and media see different types of people in only one way and thus, promote stereotypes.
"I want to see different images of different types of people," Boykin said. "We need a lot more representatives of people" in today's society.
Rivera agreed, stressing that "media and hip hop make it seem like all gay people are white, [so] people of color need to come out."
The panel ended with the appearance of Caushun -- an openly gay rapper. According to Caushun, "I'm gay, I'm Caushun, I rap."
Caushun, who has recently been signed by Baby Phat, a subdivision of Def Jam Records, said that the gay community "supports hip hop music, and we need to be heard. The industry is infiltrated with homos -- we do the makeup, the hair, the set and the clothing."
The event proved to be a success, and each of the panelists received a standing ovation. The event, according to QPenn planning committee member and 34th Street editor Paul Farber, truly enabled "Penn and neighbors to celebrate gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgenders," in hope of making a difference in society.
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