actic : ▁Tow ard ▁A ▁Gre ater ▁African ▁America , ▁combined ▁interests ▁in ▁music , ▁literature ▁and ▁culture ▁in ▁writing ▁about ▁The ▁Nation ▁of ▁Islam ▁and ▁the ▁Sun ▁Ra ▁Ark estra ▁as ▁efforts ▁to ▁trans c end ▁opp ression ▁in ▁the ▁African - American ▁experience ▁with ▁des ires ▁to ▁travel ▁into ▁outer ▁space . ▁ ▁Career ▁San neh ▁gar ner ed ▁considerable ▁public ity ▁for ▁an ▁article ▁he ▁wrote ▁in ▁the ▁October ▁ 3 1 , ▁ 2 0 0 4 , ▁edition ▁of ▁The ▁New ▁York ▁Times ▁titled ▁" The ▁Rap ▁against ▁Rock ism ". ▁The ▁article ▁brought ▁to ▁light ▁to ▁the ▁general ▁public ▁a ▁debate ▁among ▁American ▁and ▁British ▁music ▁critics ▁about ▁rock ism , ▁a ▁term ▁San neh ▁defined ▁to ▁mean ▁" id ol izing ▁the ▁authentic ▁old ▁legend ▁( or ▁under ground ▁hero ) ▁while ▁mock ing ▁the ▁latest ▁pop ▁star ; ▁l ion izing ▁punk ▁while ▁bare ly ▁toler ating ▁disco ; ▁lov ing ▁the ▁live ▁show ▁and ▁h ating ▁the ▁music ▁video ; ▁ext ol ling ▁the ▁grow ling ▁perform er ▁while ▁h ating ▁the ▁lip - syn cher ." ▁In ▁the ▁ess ay , ▁San neh ▁further ▁asks ▁music ▁listen ers ▁to ▁" stop ▁pret ending ▁that ▁serious ▁rock ▁songs ▁will ▁last ▁forever , ▁as ▁if ▁anything ▁could , ▁and ▁that ▁sh iny ▁pop ▁songs ▁are ▁inher ently ▁dispos able , ▁as ▁if ▁that ▁were ▁necessarily ▁a ▁bad ▁thing . ▁Van ▁Mor r ison ' s ▁' In to ▁the ▁Music ' ▁was ▁released ▁the ▁same