As long as only one rap song is nominated in any year, Oscar is sure to avoid shootings and stabbings on the red carpet or during the Governor's Ball... or hell, the nominees luncheon for that matter!

"the actress who sang the hook in the film"

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Originally posted by PeterK:
"the actress who sang the hook in the film"

LOL. Who is AMPAS trying to impress?

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I'm not sure I understand you. Does "hook" mean something else in this case than the opening portion of a song (usually repeated before each verse) that's designed to catch your attention and "hook" you into listening to the rest of it? That term has been around for almost a century, hasn't it?

The word may be as old as a century, but it's slang that has yet to crossover into the mainstream where the Academy very much lives. "Sang the hook" and "sings the hook" are documented less than 1000 times each on Google.com.

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PeterK:
Perhaps they are right as the phrase is most used in rap and hip hop cultures, but I think it's funny.

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PeterK:
"Sang the hook" and "sings the hook" are documented less than 1000 times each on Google.com.

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• "...the wide range of sound that Elmo Weedon creates, from modern Coldplay-like anthems with driving beats and catchy hooks..."
  
• "The GLJs have refined a pop-rock sound that treads nimbly around Harrison-esque guitar hooks..."
  
• "...unlike Travis's, Coldplay's hooks are slight..."
  
• "It's big-sounding, lavish in its production, and has a hook that'll infuriate Christmas shoppers..."
  
• "...soothing but not soporific, subtly packed with hooks and catchy bits."
  
• "The chorus, while not possessing one of Coldplay's stronger hooks, definitely brings in the outer space factor..."
  
• "X&Y...finds Coldplay overdosing on pointless synthesizers in the name of 'expanding their sound' while forgetting to write anything reflecting a decent hook."
  

Sticking with Wikipedia's example, here's a clip from "Be My Baby." The hook starts at exactly 25 seconds into the clip:
Be My Baby

Coldplay's "Clocks" is almost all hook:
Clocks

Now here's a clip from our nominated song, "It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp". The portion sung by Taraji Henson begins at about 8 seconds. If we brought it back in time and played it for a pop music critic in 1956, he would still call it a hook.
It's Hard Out Here

Kirk

"That's because hooks are usually instrumental."

OK, so not only will this song be the first rap song on an Oscar telecast, it will most probably be the first "hook" that is "sung" on an Oscar telecast?

I appreciate the research and do understand the history of the word "hook." But lately I've heard the phrase "sang the hook" much more in the hip hop and rap culture (of those 1000 examples I cited on Google, most of them originate there), which may be the reason the Academy employed it above and beyond academic purpose. This "above and beyond" is what I found funny. It could be a figment of the ol' imagination, but it made me laugh. It was an enjoyably funny, honest moment.

No mention of "singing the hook" for these songs, and no suggestions about how the profanities will be dealt with on the show!

Cleaned-up rap song about pimp among Oscar nominees

Sat Feb 25,12:02 PM ET

In a departure from past Oscar shows featuring syrupy Disney tunes and soundtrack ballads, this year's telecast will give audiences country music, alternative rock and a super-sanitized version of a racy rap song.

The song, called "It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp," is from the movie "Hustle & Flow," the story of a pimp who aspires to a singing career. In the Oscars' first performance by a rap group, the group Three 6 Mafia will perform the song, one of three nominated in the best original song category, at the March 5 Academy Awards ceremony.

The pimp movie won't be the only aspect of the Oscars show that could make social conservatives cringe. The gay-themed cowboy movie "Brokeback Mountain" leads the nominee pack and the show is being hosted by Jon Stewart, who fills his news satire "Daily Show" on the Comedy Central cable channel with George W. Bush jokes.

"The Academy (of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences) is really to be commended," said Aaron Rosenberg, lawyer for Three 6 Mafia. "It's admirable that voters are recognizing the hip-hop generation and its influence on American culture."

While rapper Eminem won the best song Oscar in 2003 for "Lose Yourself" from the film "8 Mile," he skipped the ceremony and the song was not performed.

With decency concerns in high gear in the aftermath of the notorious baring of Janet Jackson's breast during the 2004 Super Bowl halftime show, Three 6 Mafia worked to make their lyrics meet ABC's broadcast standards.

"We took out all the cuss words and made it squeaky clean," rapper Paul "DJ Paul" Beauregard, who co-wrote the song with Jordan "Juicy J" Houston and Cedric "Frayser Boy" Coleman, said in a telephone interview.

The writers substituted new lyrics where necessary in the song, which portrays the life of a hustler in the inner city of their hometown, Memphis, Tennessee.

'FCC friendly'

For instance, Beauregard said they substituted "It's messed up where I live but that's just how it is," for the lyrics: "It's f---ed up where I live but that's just how it is."

"The song will be FCC friendly," Rosenberg said.

Just in case, ABC is also expected to use a five-second delay to aid network censors.

While Beauregard is thrilled with the chance to perform during the Oscars, he sees a double standard in the media.

"Some stuff should definitely not be heard by younger kids but what they're able to watch on television, like people stealing cars, is sometimes a lot worse than what we're singing about," he said.

Also competing for the original song Oscar will be Dolly Parton's country song, "Travelin' Thru," from "Transamerica," a road-trip film about a man undergoing a sex change.

Parton did not perform live when she was nominated in 1981 for her title song "Nine to Five." Instead, producers played a snippet of the tune.

The third contender is alternative rock trance song "In the Deep" from the film, "Crash," an explosive drama about racial tensions. It will be performed by Kathleen "Bird" York, who co-wrote it with Michael Becker.

Having the songwriters perform their own songs marks a change from last year, when the Academy tapped singers other than the songwriters, like Beyonce and Antonio Banderas, to perform the nominated songs.

"The great victory is that I'm going to be able to reach a lot of people with music that's very close to the bone," said York, who also is an actress with a recurring role on television's "West Wing." "I did not write an obvious crowd pleaser or a radio hit."