Bay Sunday: Rap Music's Impact on Mainstream Culture

KPIX Bay Sunday segment with Barbara Rodgers which aired on June 9, 1990, featuring a discussion about the impact of rap music on mainstream culture in America, with producer/director Akili Buchanan and journalist/historian David "Davey D" Cook. They made the documentary film 'Rap City Rhapsody', which first aired on KQED Ch.9 on June 14, 1990 at 9:00pm and point out that as rap music has crosses over to the mainstream, it causes people in the middle class to question their value systems. They contend that the recent controversy surrounding rap artists such as 2 Live Crew is generated by white-owned media corporations, who need to sensationalize an issue in order to boost ratings, rather than focus on what's most important to the public. Buchanan comments, "You're looking at censorship and you're looking at the state, a judge, a federal judge dictating to people their tastes, what they should hear and what they shouldn't hear."  They also discuss Afrocentrism, censorship and hip hop culture. Includes an extract from rap artist KRS-One's music video 'You Must Learn', produced by Boogie Down Productions in 1989. This segment opens with brief views of people on the street in downtown San Francisco, sharing their opinions about rap music. Supporting text and metadata updated for the web in April 2020 by Lisa Ann Nikkel. Opening graphic designed by Carrie Hawks.