Oprah Winfrey finally embraces Hip Hop

Over the years, Oprah Winfrey has not had many positive things to say about the hip hop community. Long before the hip hop backlash of 2007, Winfrey was among the biggest critics. For the longest time, she made it seem as if rappers were unwelcome on her show. In 2004, Ludacris appeared on the program for his role in a film and she grilled him about his lyrics.

Because of the way that she treated Ludacris, many rappers began dissing Oprah. While Oprah claims to be "black and proud," she never hesitates to shun the black community. Despite being a black television personality, her audience consists of middle aged white women. Even with the rapidly-changing demographics, middle aged white women do not care for hip hop.

Last fall, Oprah Winfrey landed an interview with Jay-Z and he changed her life. Jay-Z invited Oprah to where he grew up and introduced her to the only life he knew for a long time. Oprah gained a bit of understanding of why rappers say the things that they say and she toned down her criticisms of rap music. Recently, Oprah attended a function that included Memphis Bleek, Pharrell, and many other rappers and hip hop artists.

On her show, Oprah Winfrey no longer speaks out about rappers and their music. Aisde from Gayle King, she identifies Jay-Z as her best friend. Not even a week ago, Jay-Z introduced Oprah to a few of his closest friends and she fit right in. There are a lot of people who criticize Oprah for the things that she says and does, but she has proven that she can work and play. The pictures have flooded the internet of Oprah dancing with rappers, so there should be no need for members of the hip hop community to refer to her as uppity.