Nanci O Is Hip Hop

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Nanci O Is Hip Hop
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Lady Gaga isn’t hip hop but just ride with my point for a minute.

A few years ago HIV/AIDS awareness in the hip hop community was everywhere you turned. Killer Mike and Big Boi’s "A.D.I.D.A.S." was in heavy rotation, BET’s Rap It Up campaignwas all over the network, Salt ‘N Pepa’s "I’ve Got AIDS" made some noise and Juney Boomdata was in the ATL streets giving away condoms to go along with his single "What’s Up With The P*ssy".

With more rappers promoting threesomes, foursomes, and orgies it seems that safe sex and HIV/AIDS awareness through hip hop music and culture has been forgotten about on the mainstream like OJ Tha Juiceman.

Earlier this week Lady Gaga appeared on ABC’s Good Morning America wearing a condom-inspired outfit. It was made of latex and her reasoning behind it was to promote HIV/AIDS awareness, safe sex and to push the MAC Viva Glam product, which 100% of the proceeds go to the MAC AIDS fund.

 
I used to think Lady Gaga was just another crazy pop chick but now finally get her (a little bit). Just like with her meat dress, Lady Gaga (or her team) knows how to take a cultural issue and through her actions, make the general public more socially aware.
 
So what happened to rappers making culturally impactful records to raise awareness? African-Americans still make up a disproportionate amount of new HIV and AIDS diagnosis.
 
With hip hop being one of the more popular forms of music one would think, simply based on these facts, that there would be more new music that promotes protecting yourself against unsafe sex, to at least give everything some balance.

I mean, if Cee Lo can perform on the Grammy’s dressed up like the NBC peacock, surely some other popular rapper could be bold enough to dress up like a condomn. I’d even go for a dental dam inspired outfit.

 
What do you think? Do you feel rappers have an obligation to promote social issues and raise awareness?