“Hip-Hop vs. America II”

“Hip Hop vs. America” is back for Part II, and this time the ladies want to know, “where did the love go?” In this second installment of the critically acclaimed town hall series, BET takes a candid look at sexism and misogyny within hip-hop culture – from the music and videos produced by its practitioners to the mindset of its fans.

Part 1 premieres Wednesday, June 25 at 8 p.m. (ET/PT).
Part 2 airs Thursday, June 26 at 8 p.m. (ET/PT).

Panelists include hip-hop entertainers Luke, David Banner, Lyfe Jennings, Talib Kweli, Little X and DJ Beverly Bond; author Michael Eric Dyson, Joan Morgan, Nelson George and Moya Bailey; BET’s Kim Osorio; activists such as the Rev. Al Sharpton, the Rev. Eugene Rivers and Kevin Powell; educators such as Prof. Harris Lacewell, Dr. Marc Lamont Hill and Prof. Beverly Guy-Sheftall; video girl Angel Lola Luv and TV personality Deelishis; Michaela Angela Davis of ESSENCE magazine; and others!

We will also broaden our search for understanding, a search that will cross lines of generation and class, and stretch back for historical context, as we uncover the cause and effect of the pained relationship between Black men and women.

Today, rap music embodies the most painful, poignant and powerful evidence of this relationship, where songs about partying and celebrating contain commands like “drop down,” “crawl” and “swallow.” Every video features a lineup of half-naked, female body parts, and at its half-hearted best, the music is filled with ambivalence and distrust toward women; at its worst, it is nothing short of pure hatred.

So where can the love go from here? Most contemporary rap music is created by and for young males, and the majority of songs display misogyny so blatant that it borders on absurd. But only the most jaded can laugh at the contemporary Black woman’s “ni**as ain’t shit” philosophy as her best defense against the onslaught, and there’s absolutely nothing funny about young girls now adopting the same mantra. As for love, well, call it a casualty of war, as even the most thorough search of any rap music database will yield more odes to “the homies,” “the block” or even “the game” than anything remotely resembling a healthy, romantic relationship. For far too many men and boys, women and girls are nothing more than receptacles for their sexual urges, and by extension, a way to assert their manhood. For far too many of their sisters, males are just a means to get money.

This two-night special tackles many sensitive issues, including video misogyny; the sins of sexism; are we our sisters’ keeper?; race vs. gender; and the media’s role in contributing to the misperceptions of Black women.