break-dancing and graffiti-writing, has become so popular that it has entered mainstream fashion

and modern language.

It doesn't stop there. The culture permeates everything from TV commercials to toys to video

games. Currently, there is even a hip-hop exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum of Art. You name it,

and hip hop is there representing.

However, hip hop's most potent form is its rap music--embraced by urban Blacks and suburban

Whites alike. It is raw self-expression that sometimes features profane lyrics, misogyny and

violence.

The music, along with rap videos that often present a disturbing mix of rap, hip-hop dance

styles, fashion and language, leave many people asking: Is hip-hop culture harming our youth"

"The hip-hop culture is just like electricity," civil rights leader the Rev. Al Sharpton told JET. "It

can be used negatively or positively. The same...