Oprah Responds to Rappers Criticism

Winfrey went on Ed Lover's Power 105.1 radio show Thursday to clear up misconceptions about her stance on Hip-Hop.

Rappers 50 Cent and Ludacris have both criticized Winfrey as being anti-hip-hop. In an interview with GQ magazine, Ludacris said his experience on her show to promote his film “Crash” was uncomfortable and was grilled over his use of the N-word in his lyrics. He said he wasn't invited to appear on the show initially and that Winfrey edited out some of his answers and felt that her questioning was way out of line because he was appearing on the show as an actor, not a rapper.

Winfrey said, "I listen to some Hip-Hop. I've been accused of not liking Hip-Hop and that's just not true," she said. "I got a little 50 [Cent] in my iPod. I really do. I like 'In Da Club.' Have you heard the beat to 'In Da Club'? Love that, love Jay-Z, love Kanye, love Mary J. Mary J. is one of my friends."

Winfrey said she attempted to explain her position to Ludacris during a post-show conversation backstage.      

"I said 'Look Ludacris, you are so smart. You are one of the brilliant guys. I used to have the Klan on and the skinheads on and I looked out in the audience and I saw contact being made between the guys in the audience and the stage and they were like, 'Yeah get her, get her, get her, Bud,'" she said. "At that moment, I was doing nobody any good [by] putting those people on because I realized that that platform was being seen and heard by a lot of people who weren't as smart as I am.”      

"My idea was, I want y'all to know that this is what's going on," Winfrey continued. "And I said to Ludacris, 'A lot of people who listen to your music aren't as smart as you are. So they take some of that stuff literally when you are just writing it for entertainment purposes."