Ashley Judd
“As far as I’m concerned, most rap and hip-hop music — with its rape culture and insanely abusive lyrics and depictions of girls and women as ‘ho’s’ — is the contemporary soundtrack of misogyny,” Judd wrote in her recent memoir.
(AP Photo/NBC, Peter Kramer)
Bill Cosby
This entertainment icon has been a harsh critic of the violent and profane content of rap music for years. He even released his own squeaky clean hip-hop album in 2009 in an effort to buck the trend.
(AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
Dan Quayle
In the early 90s, then Vice President Quayle made campaigning against rap lyrics one of his signature causes. He singled out Ice-T’s “Cop Killer” in particular and that single was later successfully censored.
(CHRIS WILKINS/AFP/Getty Images)
Oprah Winfrey
The talk show queen started a minor firestorm when she lamented the constant use of the n-word in rap back in 2005. This prompted several rap artists to lash out at her. In her defense Oprah said, “I’m not opposed to rap. I’m opposed to being marginalized as a woman.”
(AP Photo/Chris Carlson)
Bill O’Reilly
At his height, O’Reilly used his considerable influence to bash rap artists whose music he didn’t approve. His attacks on Ludacris (O’Reilly called him “extremely vial”) cost the rap star an endorsement but also made O’Reilly the subject of attacks on Luda’s album Chicken and Beer.
(Photo by Jeffrey Ufberg/WireImage)
C. Delores Tucker
The late Tucker was arguably the most outspoken opponent of offensive rap lyrics in the last couple decades. Her controversial campaigns got her mentioned in diss tracks by Tupac Shakur and Eminem. “I’m not complaining about hip-hop,” said Tucker. “I’m complaining about gangster, porno rap. Rap that glorifies murder, rape, drugs, guns, and is very misogynistic towards women. Not hip-hop and not rap in its purest form.”
(AP Photo/Dennis Cook)
Lynne Cheney
While her husband served as vice president, Lynne Cheney went on the attack when it came to rap lyrics. Her views won her a vehement f-you from Eminem on record.
(Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
Tipper Gore
The former wife of Vice President Al Gore was for a long time the leading proponent of warning labels on albums. Naturally, rap was a big target of her calls for reform.
(Photo by Jemal Countess/WireImage)
Elisabeth Hasselbeck
The outspoken conservative View co-host sparked a heated debate with Whoopi Goldberg in 2008 over use of the n-word in hip-hop culture and music.
(Photo by Charles Eshelman/WireImage)
Rep. Ed Markey
This Democratic congressman got himself into hot water in 2007 after clashing with rapper David Banner about lyrical content and for calling BET programming “cheap and tawdry.”
(SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images)
As controversy swirls around actress Ashley Judd’s comments about hip-hop and how she feels it perpetuates a culture of “rape” — the Grio takes a look back on high profile figures who have slammed rap artists and their lyrics. These prominent people have all expressed serious problems with the lyrical content and culture of rap music.
