Cursing in my village ain't good for my image

I read this morning that Chamillionaire does't curse on his new album Ultimate Victory (although a title that ambitious can be a curse in itself).

It reminded me that he isn't the first artist to clean things up.

In July of 1991, Heavy D and The Boyz released their third album, 'Peaceful Journey,' which contains the best self-consciously profanity-free rap of all time, "Don't Curse". It was perfectly timed, given that hip-hop was then at the center of a major controversy over obscene, violent, and sexist lyrics.

Just a year earlier, in 1990, the "Parental Advisory: Explicit Lyrics" label had become the industry standard to warn parents and children of offensive content thanks to the efforts of activists like Tipper Gore and groups like the Parents' Music Resource Council. 2 Live Crew had stoked the furor over racy lyrics to new heights when they released 'As Nasty As They Wanna Be' in 1989, and in 1992, Ice-T would bring things to a head with his song "Cop Killer" (which he was already playing on tour in the summer of 1991).

Faced with all this outrage, Heavy D got together with what might be the best all-around collection of lyricists to grace one track until Nas' mind-boggling where are they now megamix to record "Don't Curse"- a lighthearted, clever, playful take on the controversy over a typically brilliant beat by Pete Rock, based on a sample Otis Redding's "Tramp". It's one of my all-time favorite party jams, made even better by Big Daddy Kane's uber-suave purple ensemble, and the "In Living Color" inspired set and fly girl dancers. Check it out.