New awards out to prove rap gives back

Pioneering rappers Run-DMC are planning a new set of awards meant to show the positive contributions of rap music.

The J.A.M. Awards, to be held Nov. 29 in New York, will also honour Jam Master Jay Mizell, the Run-DMC DJ who was shot in his studio in 2002.

"This unprecedented event is not designed merely for music fans, but also for people who want to see hip hop answer its critics with a resounding voice of hope and inspiration," said Run-DMC star Darryl McDaniels ina statement announcing the awards last Friday.

So far, Snoop Dogg, Marley Marl, Mobb Deep, Talib Kweli, Dead Prez, Papoose, Raekwon, Q-Tip, De La Soul and DMC are scheduled to perform.

McDaniels defended the choice of Snoop Dog, whose pimp and gangster rapper image doesn't seem to fit with an event billed as chance to "let the world know that hip hop is alive and well and ... relevant."

"It's OK to make a record about a gun, but if you make a record about a gun, you gotta make a record about not using a gun," McDaniels, also called DMC,said.

"It's not about censorship. You can rap and talk about whatever you want. This is about responsibility."

The awards at the event will be given based on contributions by hip-hop artists in the fields of social justice, the arts and music.

"We're putting the focus back on the positive creative influence of the culture," said McDaniels.

The event will help address the concerns of black leaders such as Rev. Al Sharpton who have appealed to the rap music industry to stop glorifying a gangster lifestyle, he said.

DMCis set to co-host the event with Mizell's widow, Terri Corley-Mizell.

Run-DMC, a New York trio that began rapping in the 1980s, has closed down since the shooting in New Yorkof Jam Master Jay, a shooting which remains unsolved.