But the marathon session didn't really start to get interesting for me until Levell Crump and Percy Miller, better known as the rappers "David Banner" and "Master P," stepped forward to testify.

Miller, the founder and CEO of No Limit Records, promised to turn over a new leaf. He acknowledged that he tailored his lyrics in the past to be more violent and degrading so that he could sell more records.

Crump, on the other hand, was more willing to challenge the lawmakers on the panel. He insisted that "hip-hop is sick because America is sick," and that gang violence affected inner-city areas long before his musical genre became popular.

Subcommittee Chairman Bobby Rush, D-Ill., said he was a fan of hip-hop. But Rush, a former Black Panther, also said Congress needs to seriously consider the "violence, hate and degradation" projected in popular culture.

Also, while we're on the subject of hip-hop, this Ron Paul-inspired ditty is worth checking out (via Andrew Sullivan at The Atlantic): -- Michael Martinez