He doesn't decapitate Kenny, torch his farts or flout modern civilization via a glazed donut. Nevertheless, Eddie Murphy -- television's newest animation powerhouse -- is raising a stink of Mr. Hankey proportions with his mid-season series, The PJs. |

Even before its Jan. 10 debut on Fox, the cartoon sitcom drew ire from Southern California's Project Islamic H.O.P.E., which claims The PJs endorses negative stereotypes of the black community through insulting portrayals of Haitians, Rastafarians and residents of public housing in general. Late last month, acclaimed director Spike Lee joined the protest march, calling the sitcom "really hateful" and "very demeaning."

Regardless of the well-publicized dissent, a team of hip-hop, funk and R&B artists has stepped forward to support Murphy's most recent undertaking -- the satirical story of building superintendent Thurgood Stubbs and his tenants. Due out next month on Hollywood Records, The PJs soundtrack includes a roster of the nation's top urban music performers, like Snoop Dogg, George Clinton, Krayzie and Bizzy Bone, Timbaland, Raekwon, Wyclef Jean and Da Brat, among others.

"I don't find anything offensive about the show at all," says Da Brat, who collaborated with Jermaine Dupri for a new track titled "It's Nothing." "Most black entertainers were less fortunate, and experienced public aid. I did. A lot of my friends did. And some of my family members still do ... I can relate to a lot of the things I saw [on The PJs]. Every character reminded me of someone I knew."

Likewise, funk forefather George Clinton, himself a former public housing resident, believes, if anything, the show depicts a very real segment of the population and the media should neither ignore ghetto life nor soften its harsh edges.

"I can't see nobody protesting reality. The situation is real and denying it won't make it any less real," says Clinton, who composed the cartoon's "cardboard condo" theme song with Quincy Jones, Jr. "It's the same way with bad words. The only way to get rid of bad words is to say them. Then they get overexposed ... by not saying them you are giving them power."

As for the strong words spewing out of protesters -- and the scores of feisty viewers logged on to the Fox Web site -- Clinton says public discussion of taboo subjects should be encouraged at all costs. "I'm just surprised that anyone is saying anything about [The PJs] when it is so easy to use that energy to talk about people that are in real trouble," he says. "There's a whole lotta people living in cardboard boxes -- that's what I think the protest should be about. But you won't see anything about the homeless in a television show."

The Jan. 10 episode of The PJs attracted nearly twenty-two million viewers, making it Fox's second-most-watched series premiere in history. Whether they love it, hate it or love to hate it, intrigued viewers are tuning in by the millions every Tuesday night to see what all the fuss is about.

"I think it's all balanced because you have shows like King of the Hill and The Simpsons that show low-budget white families going through the same ordeal," says Rashawnna of the new rap duo Infamous Syndicate, who contributed "Here I Go" from their self-titled debut album due out March 16. "We say just hold on, and stay with your values under God. Even if you see all these worldly things going on, it's still okay."

ANNI LAYNE (February 8, 1999)