RUSSELL SIMMONS - SIMMONS CALLS FOR BAN ON RAP CURSE WORDS

Music mogul RUSSELL SIMMONS has called upon the recording and broadcast industries to completely ban "extreme curse words" like "bitch", "ho", and "n**ger". The Def Jam founder - who held a Hip-Hop Summit Action Network last week (18Apr07) to discuss the sexist and misogynistic lyrics found in some rap music - believes those in the hip-hop industry need to take immediate action to prevent the "growing public outrage" surrounding the casual use of such offensive words. He says, "We recommend (they're) always out. This is a first step. It's a clear message and a consistency that we want the industry to accept for more corporate social responsibility." Simmons' recommendations come two weeks after US radio DJ Don Imus was fired from his CBS Radio job for referring to a team of female basketball players "nappy-headed hos" during a morning broadcast.