With the firing of Don Imus for racial slurs and accumulated bigotry on the air, the issue of contemporary Hip Hop and Ganster Rap lyrics re-emerged.

It was sort of a White backlash that posed the question: "If Imus is fired for calling black women hos, what about black rappers who consistently denigrate black women and promote violence?"

Of course, Imus's firing was long past due -- and it's illogical to oppose
Imus's dismissal because there are other vehicles in the entertainment industry for demeaning people based on race and gender. Two wrongs, as we know, don't make a right.

But the question of misogyny, derogatory language, and violence in today's rap is a good one.

"Hip Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes" is a solid and compelling exploration into the controversy surrounding "supermasculine" rap music.

Directed and narrated by former star college football player Byron Hurt, the DVD reveals the complexity behind the emergence of exploitative rap. It's a fascinating exploration into the cultural and financial forces behind the glorification of sexual demeaning and death deifying music.

A good documentary provides a new prism at which to look at an issue, and "Hip Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes" accomplishes just that.