Welcome to Kara's blog, my first here at nbc 15.  But certainly not my first
work.  I produce the 11 and 4 o'clock news.  While we produce a lot of news
each day.. here is one issue I'm passionate about.  Love to hear your
thoughts!

HIP HOP.  It's been a big controversy in town, in many towns, for years.

And for many music venues, the question remains, to play or not to play. Hip
hop has gotten a bad rap (no pun intended) for causing violence at many bars
and clubs.

Club Seven, King Club and the Majestic Theatre were just some of the places
playing hip hop before they closed down.

But, is the music really to blame?

The Majestic on King Street probably got the most media attention. Police
were constantly called to bar-time brawls.  Brawls, that eventually led to
the rewriting of the club's liquor license and eventually it's closure.

It reopened last September under new ownership with no problems reported
since.

"We became much more focused on live music and way less on being a club.
DJ's are used to fill in gaps in the calendar only, and DJ nights are
always branded as a special event, such as Soundlab or IQ Discotech.  We
are focused on becoming event driven and providing our patrons with a
fun experience that is always safe.  If our customers didn't feel safe,
we wouldn't be in business still," says Scott Leslie, co-owner of
Majestic Theatre.

Helping provide safety, has been Madison Police.

Lester Moore has worked in law enforcement for twelve years and currently
works as a gang officer.  While he is sometimes on the scene for his job, he
believes Hip-Hop isn't all bad.  He can actually be a fan.

"Hip Hop is a culture, says Moore.  Hip-Hop is a lifestyle.  KRS ONE
said, ‘Rapping is something we do.  Hip-Hop is what we live.’  Not all
hip-hop music is negative.  There are some artists out there that are
sending out a positive message to their fans.  Unfortunately these
artists do not get much airplay."

Moore doesn't believe hip hop is to blame for violence, but says parts of
the culture may be a factor.

"The problem with hip-hop in Madison is that it has gotten a bad name
because of issues with violence that has occurred in an around many
venues that feature hip-hop.  Not all nightclubs have problems with
hip-hop.  I would suspect that much of the problem lies in the
management of some of the events." says Moore.

There is a focus on changing the reputation hip hop has in our community.

Brent Hoffmann is President of North Coast Entertainment and he's
helping plan the 2008 Industry Meltdown.  The Midwest Music Summit is
scheduled for September, 20th at The Monona Terrace and Inn on the Park.

It's an educational event for artists, DJ's, managers, and label
executives to learn directly from industry veterans on how to succeed in
the music industry.

One of the topics at the conference is "Music In Your Community" - what
works and what doesn't. 

  "We will be working with artists from all over the Midwest and finding
out what obstacles they face and what has worked for them in the past,
Hoffmann says.  We can then take this information and put it to work in
Madison."

When asked about hip hop's reputation in Madison, Hoffmann says he
believes it's a problem across the nation.

"It's not just a "hip hop" problem it is a problem with any music that
is not understood and not accepted by that city's decision makers.  It
is basic human psychology; you tear down and/or shut down what you don't
understand.  Every single person can relate that experience with something
in their own lives either today or growing up as a child.  It takes
patience, understanding and a willingness to step outside your own comfort
zone to educate yourself on what is happening," says Hoffmann.

What are your thoughts on the issue?  Thanks for taking the time to read -and look forward to your comments.