INSIGHTS: Jay-Z and Other Artists Need To Step Up Against Dog Fighting

By John Goodwin

WASHINGTON, DC, October 13, 2004 (ENS) - Hip-hop mogul Jay-Z looks to be on top these days, with a potential deal to become president of Def Jam Recordings, a Reebok lifestyle line, a place on Fortune's list of the wealthiest 40 Americans under 40, and a music video, "99 Problems," that recently earned four MTV awards, including rap video of the year.

But with his video's celebration of dog fighting, a vicious pursuit with no positive social value, Jay- Z's just another rapper caught up in the blood rapture.

A rapper from Brooklyn, Jay-Z has had a string of hits from 1996 that he spun into a successful record label Roc-a-Fella, a lucrative clothing line, Roca Wear; arena-jamming cross-country tours; and big-budget Hollywood films (Paid in Full, State Property). (Photo credit unknown)

In some ways, it's just a bad remix. A few years ago, DMX admitted that he named his album "Grand Champion" in homage to top-notch fighting dogs, and in 2002 he pled guilty to animal cruelty for having 13 neglected pit bulls in his possession.

Shamefully, one major record label has even gone so far as to market its own line of dog food - "Game Dog Professional" - complete with a picture of a well-muscled, fearsome pit bull on the bag.

Of course, there's nothing new about criticizing rap music for glamorizing gang violence, the mistreatment of women and other social evils, and some might say that dog fighting is undeserving of mention within this constellation of ills.

But it's a form of animal cruelty that's illegal in all 50 states for a reason. A closer look reveals its crucial links to the more common forms of violence and misconduct deplored by hip-hop's critics.

At one level, the glorification of this gratuitously cruel form of animal abuse serves as simply one more symbolic marker of hip-hop's outlaw appeal for the millions of Americans who listen to the music.

A pit bull is bloodied in a dog fight in Boston (Photo courtesy City of Boston)

Dog fighting also threatens the lives of the human residents in every community where it thrives. If they aren't shot outright, losing dogs that fail to show "gameness" are released on the streets to fend for themselves. These dogs become an immediate menace to all who encounter them.

A look at pit-bull mauling cases shows that most involve dogs abused in order to make them "mean," and hence, better fighters. Once these dogs lose their natural inclination to see people as friends, they are more prone to attack, often with horrible results.

Some apologists for the violence in hip-hop videos argue that the imagery only reflects the harsh truth of the streets. But in this case, pop culture has helped to structure a grim reality.

The glorification of fierce pit bulls and organized dog fighting by hip-hop artists coincides with a dramatic increase in dog fighting nationwide, despite a spate of newly enacted state and federal laws.

And there's another reality to confront. Young people often mirror the actions of the celebrities they idolize. Artists who insist on spreading these images through their work must accept their roles in perpetuating community violence.

Where are the compassionate voices within the hip-hop world, those who despise dog fighting and the harm it brings to both the animals and the greater community? It's these artists, and not Jay-Z, who now need to be heard.

{John Goodwin is an investigator with The Humane Society of the United States.}