As most know, America’s most-viewed news network and one of its most popular musical forms have had a long, contentious, and quite frankly at times ugly relationship.
Coverage on Fox of the hip-hop culture has been consistently and profoundly negative. In particular, Fox pundit Bill O’ Reilly has been a vocal critic of rap culture – and has been accused of painting with a more broad and racist brush as well. We examine the controversy.
What’s The Beef?
Fox has been around since 1996; hip hop since the 1970’s. The beef between the Fox nation and the hip-hop nation has been mostly instigated by prominent pundit Bill O’Reilly, whose disagreements with rap started in 2002, when rapper Ludacris was endorsed by Pepsi. O’Reilly’s on-air rant against Luda’s lyrics about drinking and fighting cost the rapper a substantial endorsement by the next day. In return, an angry Luda recorded “Number One Spot”, a vicious anti-O’Reilly diss.
LINK: O’Relly versus Ludacris: http://www.foxnews.com/story/2002/08/28/challenging-pepsi/
Ludacris’ “Number One Spot” was a vicious dig at Bill O’Reilly after O’Reilly cost Luda his Pepsi deal.
O’Reilly On The Warpath
O’Reilly would go on to have major spats with a number of industry figures, and be pilloried in several more videos.
- Cam’ron and Dame Dash in 2003, leading to Cam’rons famous “You mad?” meme after O’Reilly tried to censor Dame
- Jadakiss – who famously implied to O’Reilly that the 9/11 attacks were an inside job with complete calmness as O’Reilly went into a furious angry rant – in 2004
- Snoop Dogg for a period of years which culminated in an interview in 2007 in which Snoop threatened O’Reilly, O’Reilly called him “Snoopy” made a racist slur against African-Americans using the phrase “pool boy” in response, and Snoop told O’Reilly to “Suck. [His]. Dick.”
- Nas, also in 2007, which led to Nas eventually recording “Sly Fox” during the 2008 campaign cycle in response about what he viewed as hypocrisy at the network
- Mos Def and Immortal Technique in 2007 over their song “Bin Laden (Bush Knocked Down The Towers)” in an interview that rehashed Jadakiss’ earlier 2004 points
- Jay-Z and Young Jeezy in 2008, over the song “My President Is Black”. O’Reilly teamed with Dennis Miller for an anti-Obama diatribe.
- Kanye West in 2008 (over Kanye’s “Bush doesn’t care about black people” line from 2005 and Katrina)
- Eminem in 2009 over, oddly enough, the rapper’s no-profanity-at-home-rule when contrasted with the rapper’s more profane tracks. Several compilations of profanity, censorship, and the loss of on-air temper are available on popular video media of O’Reilly’s own news segments.
- Common in 2011, bizarrely, over the White House’s decision to allow the famously conscious and more upbeat rapper access to the White House. O’Reilly accused Common of “sympathizing with cop killers”. Jon Stewart famously joined the debate, accusing Fox of hypocrisy and selective outrage.
- Lupe Fiasco in 2011 over, again, oddly enough, the rapper’s criticism of Barack Obama. In possibly the only known defense of Barack Obama by Bill O’ Reilly to date, O’Reilly accused Fiasco of taking criticism of the President too far when Lupe alleged that the United States government was itself guilty of terrorist acts.
- 50 Cent in 2011 over 50’s support for Chris Brown after Brown was arrested for domestic violence against Rihanna.
Complex Magazine has a good rundown of the issues and recordings of most of the interviews here:
http://www.complex.com/music/2012/11/bill-oreillys-all-time-wackest-hip-hop-rants/
Nas’ “Sly Fox” took aim at O’Reilly and the hypocrisy of accusing Nas of violence while simultaneously supporting Bush and Halliburton.
Chamillionaire showed his support for industry colleagues in “Evening News”, the adjunct to his hit “Hip Hop Police” with Slick Rick
The anti-rap attitudes at Fox have since spread over to the mainstream, with Business Insider recently reporting that Fox used the 50th anniversary of the civil rights march on Washington as a condemnation of rap in general.
http://www.businessinsider.com/fox-news-says-rap-music-is-key-civil-rights-issue-2013-8
A Fox With Hidden Claws?
In particular Fox’s stated anti-violence, protect-the-children policy seems quite at odds with the internals of its organization. The network was a consistent supporter of Bush-era foreign war policy, for instance, including the use of drones against children and without a 90% confidence rule, and of torture as well.
However, even darker allegations against Fox exist on some sites. For instance, the Daily Kos and New York Magazine reported on the way Fox News literally wiretapped American phones in violation of the Fourth Amendment, as well as how its founder, Roger Ailes, made a death threat against a former employee turned whistleblower – as early as 1996, the founding year of the network.
”I’m frightened right now,” said a former Fox employee, noting the vast array of powerful connections Ailes maintains throughout the political and media worlds. “I’ve been told that if Ailes figures out I talked to you, he’ll hunt me down and kill me.”
Negotiating the ground rules for an off-the-record meeting, Ailes came on like an Edward G. Robinson character in a B movie. “Three people in the world hate me,” he blustered. “You’re not going to get to them, and everyone else is too scared…. Take your best shot at me, and I’ll have the rest of my life to go after you.”
–New York Magazine, 1996
Link: Americans’ Phones Wiretapped By Fox News on the Daily Kos
Another serious accusation recently leveled against Fox was made by former British ambassador Craig Murray, who accused Rupert Murdoch – head of News Corporation and Ailes’ boss – of attempting to profit from oil rights in contested territory in Syria through investments in Genie Oil and Gas.
And the darkest quote of all comes from a site called “Alex Constantine’s Blacklist”, which alleges that Murdoch was a former heroin trafficker in Australia before being tapped by Central Intelligence Agency operative Ted “The Blonde Ghost” Shackley to create a worldwide propaganda empire designed to foment wars and traffic in drugs for the CIA.in conjunction with the Mafia. Interestingly, any link of this article on Facebook is immediately Captcha’ed.
Murdoch’s partner, Peter Abeles, a Mafia kingpin, was the schemer behind Australia’s Nugan Hand Bank, the CIA’s money laundering front.
–Alex Constantine’s Blacklist
Ted Shackley’s Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theodore_Shackley
What’s Really Going On?
So is Fox’s attitude towards hip-hop based on violence – or race and simply not being part of the “correct” violent club?
O’Reilly has also been consistently accused of racism, particularly over a 2007 broadcast where he ate at a black-owned restaurant on Harlem called Sylvia’s and went on air to express his “surprise” that it was clean and friendly and well operated. He’s called Al Sharpton a “race hustler” whose “time is done”. He’s also been accused of racism against Asians over remarks on Hawaii, as well as of sexual harassment by former employees.
What do you think, readers? Why is Fox so profoundly negative on hip-hop? Do the criticisms have merit, or are they simply code for prejudiced and older attitudes? Is Fox engaging in what it condemns, quietly, behind the scenes? Has hip-hop discussed the issue fully enough? Weigh in below!
(Featured image from PublicDomainPictures.net)
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