If you had the misfortune of watching what might have been the most frustrating thing on the Internet since Charles Hamilton, go get another Advil. You know you need one.

Yesterday, Intelligence Squared took to Google+ for a global, courtroom-style debate. Professors, lawyers, politicians and even a few rappers tackled the argument that seems to be as old as the music itself: Hip-hop doesn’t enhance society, it degrades it.

Let’s be clear: this was not a friendly exchange of opinions, it was a full-fledged attack on hip-hop culture, and a rather poorly argued one at that. Belizean attorney Eamon Courtenay led the charge against hip-hop, with Shaun Bailey, an advisor to the London Prime Minister, championing his every motion with tired clichés. “Rappers use the word ‘bitch’ to keep women down,” was a popular phrase torpedoed throughout the three-hour trial.

When they were allowed to speak, however briefly, the artists supporting musical expression made the obvious points that were being swept under the rug. Estelle, in response to one panelist’s disgust over her daughter being subjected to a raunchy Ludacris concert, asked if the panelist had bothered doing her research on Luda before allowing her daughter to attend the concert. “Parent your children,” would be the overlying rebuttal on the artists’ side.

The problem with scattered debates arguments such as these is that no one walks away with anything. Minds enter the debate closed and remain that way. Joe Budden crystallized this problem before storming off in frustration. “Everything ain’t for everybody,” Budden said. Tired of being constantly interrupted, he paused and simply asked, “Are you going to let me talk? You can’t speak and take in information at the same time.”

The other key problem here was that the panelists arguing against the culture were simply uninformed. One panelist asked ?uestlove if he thought The Roots would be more successful if they promoted a positive image. Because, as well all know, The Roots give the coke and gun rappers a run for their money…right?

One audience member pointed out that she had never been called a “bitch” or “nigga” in her life and had spent a lot of time around the hip-hop scene. Therefore, is misogyny a hip-hop problem or is it a cultural problem? Does hip-hop reflect society or shape it? (Shit, does music evoke or invoke emotion?) This may have fostered a much more productive debate, however, along with many other good points, it was brushed under the rug for more stereotypes.

Hip-hop is must stop being treated as the scapegoat for society’s problems. If your son is disrespecting women, maybe instead of throwing out his Kanye West collection you should sit and and instill better morals. If you were to remove “bitch” and “nigga” from the rap lexicon, the world around you would not suddenly be cleared of sexism and racism. That problem is bigger than music.

Hip-hop is responsible for giving the voiceless a voice. RESPECT it.

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