Art and Rap Lyrics

In Chuck Philips’ March 25 article, Luther Campbell (a.k.a. Luke Skyywalker of the rap group 2 Live Crew) says: “When people see a sculpture in a museum of a naked man with his penis hanging down, do they say that the guy who created the statue is a sex fiend? No, they call it art. . . . 2 Live Crew is no different from sculptors who carve naked statues. . . . In our minds, we’re artists.” In my mind, that’s the only place this group can be considered artists.

The sculptor who boldly included the penis did not give lewd suggestions on how the organ could be used as a weapon, and most likely that artist was celebrating the entire human body. It takes a juvenile mentality such as Campbell’s and his adolescent fans’ to focus on a statue’s penis.

By Campbell’s definition of art, John Holmes would rank right up there with Leonardo da Vinci.

FREDERICK CLEVELAND

Hollywood