Attorney Lauren P. Raysor Seeks Record Companies to Impose Morality Clause in Contracts

Aug. 27, 2009 - PRLog -- Following the second anniversary of the shooting of her client, Makeda Barnes-Joseph, by rap and hip-hop artist Remy Ma, attorney Lauren P. Raysor announced on August 24 that she is asking all record companies to include a “morality clause” in their contracts with new artists. Ms. Raysor says this will act as an incentive for these artists not to engage in violent or criminal activity and also provides protection for these artists from other people who may intend to inflict great harm on them.

At the press conference, Ms. Raysor displayed a chart detailing what the clause would entail. Under the proposed clause, any artist who violates the morality clause would be in breach of their contract and subject to any and all appropriate legal action, including the termination of their contract. Ms. Raysor noted that Ms. Ma — who is still being listed on the Universal Music Group’s Web site as one of its current artists — has a violent history prior to being signed by her label.

“This morality clause falls in line with certain codes of conduct that the National Football League and the National Basketball Association impose on their players,” Ms. Raysor said. According to The NFL’s Personal Conduct Policy, those who take part in criminal activity will be fined, suspended without pay and/or banished from the league. Ms. Raysor cited the recent one-year suspension of Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick after being convicted of animal cruelty charges.

Similarly, Ms. Raysor added, the NBA’s policy protects the league’s image by penalizing players who violate the league’s code of conduct. In addition, they are expected to conform to a dress code — wearing a suit and tie when entering and leaving the arena.

Ms. Raysor also provided a 12-foot-long timeline showing a history of violence in the rap and hip-hop music industry. “The violence continues. These young, talented performers must be mindful of the fact that, by not policing themselves, they may be presiding over the death of their own music,” she said. While pointing about the senseless acts of violence among the rap and hip-hop artists, Ms. Raysor emphasized that the morality clause should be imposed on all artists, regardless of musical genre.

On July 14, 2007, Ms. Ma shot Ms. Barnes-Joseph twice in the abdomen. As a result of her injuries, Ms. Barnes-Joseph required three surgeries and has still experienced numbness in her legs. Ms. Ma was convicted on federal charges of first-degree assault and weapons possession. Two months earlier — in May 2007 — Reverends Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson and other community activists met with record company executives, including those from Universal Music Group.

“This shows that the record companies — Universal Music Group included — have done nothing to stop the violence in this industry,” Ms. Raysor said. “If a morality clause is needed in the NFL and the NBA, then certainly no other industry is in more need of a morality clause than the rap and hip-hop music industry, which, it can be argued, has benefited from publicity connected with acts of violence through its increased record sales.”

Kyra D. Gaunt, Ph.D., an ethnomusicologist at Baruch College-CUNY and winner of the 2007 Alan Merriam Prize for her book, "The Games Black Girls Play: Learning The Ropes From Double-Dutch to Hip-Hop" (NYU Press, 2006), added, “Because the [rap and hip-hop] genre plays on reality, a lot of commercial artists and consumers can get lost in it. All of a sudden, the line between representation of reality and reality is no longer clear. The lack of media literacy in rap not only confuses teens and children, but also adds to the disempowering position the industry puts young, impressionable artists in. Commercial culture eats its young, and young consumers fail to recognize that what comes out of the mouths of artists who are not yet fully developed adults contributes to ego-driven behavior, irrational thinking, and too often violence against women and men. The commitment to something bigger than a record deal or the mighty dollar signs that hang around their necks is urgently needed.”

Dr. Gaunt added, “In the amplified, highly commodified, globally distributed industry of rap and hip-hop, people who control the music industry have no interest in the growth and well-being of their black and Latino consumers. Our youth are disproportionately impoverished, dropping out of high school, and unemployed. The bravado, bling, gun talk, and appearance of wealth in rap videos dissuades artists and youth from the values that really matter to our community — their livelihood. The industry owes these young artists a commitment to their individual growth and development and to the communities to whom they sell their products. Selling violent and sexist media to kids at the bottom of the well is not enough. They need to be responsible for sustaining the community from which its golden eggs come.”

Ms. Raysor has made numerous attempts to reach out to Universal Music Group to discuss ways to deter violence. “I cannot believe socially responsible shareholders need to profit from this type of senseless violence,” she said. “Artists and corporate participants have a social responsibility, just like any other corporation. They should hear the cries of mothers and families who have lost their children. My goal is to make sure that these artists continue to perform and share their talent without the risk of death. We want to save rap and hip-hop from dying.”

Ms. Raysor argued that this is not a First Amendment issue, but rather an issue about violence that is not only surrounding the culture, but is being condoned. She also pointed out the greed of the record companies as they cash in on their artists' violent behavior. “I suspect money is the major motivation as to why the record labels continue to do nothing while the artists themselves engage in such violence,” she said. “How many young people will have to die or get hurt before we make systematic changes?”

For more information, visit www.laurenraysor.com.