Jazz star Wynton Marsalis has launched a scathing attack on some of the biggest names in hip-hop - claiming the musical genre debases African-American culture. Using rap mogul 50 Cent and Ludacris as an example, Marsalis - widely regarded as one of the best jazz musicians of modern times - claims rappers insult their own people with the language they use, the clothes they wear and the message they give out.

He says, "I call it ghetto minstrelsy. Old school minstrels used to say they were 'real darkies from the real plantation'. Hip-hop substitutes the
plantation for the streets. Now you have to say you're from the streets, you shot some brothers, you went to jail. Rap has become a safari for people who get their thrills from watching African-American people debase themselves, men dressing in gold, calling themselves stupid names like Ludacris and 50 Cent, spending money on expensive fluff, using language like 'b-' and 'ho' and 'n-'."

(This news article provided by World Entertainment News Network)