I want to complain about ignorant racism such as Terry Alan Hall's. Briefly, rap is talking over beats and sounds. It has its roots in dub toasting if I can rely on pop music history books, like Subcultures by Dick Hebdige, and the general knowledge of my once teenage self. The content is the expression of the individual artist, the tradition, community and of course commercial considerations come inot it. I find Hip Hop music to be some of the most exciting and musically interesting that there is. I find masses of energy and creativity there as well as social and political awareness. It makes me dance and simultaneously informs me about black people's struggles. I call that good. I don't know what Mr Hall got hold of but I recommend he check out (off the top of my head, I'm no expert or big fan or anything, just a Scottish boy) Boogie Down Productions - for example the tracks Stop the Violence, Illegal Business - and A Tribe Called Quest. Has he never heard of Lauryn Hill either? My God there are German 'girl' bands who rap (Tic Tac Toe anyone.) But even to dismiss the stuff that is about guns and rape and drugs is to turn a heartless unchristian eye to the sufferring of our fellow human beings by denying the reality of the present situation. Mr Hall how many of your friends have been shot? How many take drugs? How many are in gangs? If they were, if you and they had been born into that kind of an environment how positive do you think you would all be? What kind of music would you have been listening to as a child and a teenager? If you want to improve the world you should try to empty your heart of some of that hatred. Let love in. Perhaps you should reconsider your blanket condemnation of rap on the basis of these points.