Rap’s critics have been complaining for years, only to watch the music become even more profane—and more popular. But four months after outrage over radio host Don Imus’ sexist and racial comments—when he called the Rutgers University women’s basketball team “nappy-headed hos” on his broadcast—there’s been intense scrutiny of rap’s negative lyrical imagery. And the genre’s sales have been plummeting as a result—an eye-opening 33 percent from 2006, double the decline of the overall music industry.

So some artists are publicly abandoning offensive language. The platinum-seller Chamillionaire recently announced that his new album, Ultimate Victory, would be cuss- and N-word free. Numerous lesser-known rappers are promoting themselves as alternatives to misogynistic gangsta rap. The handlers behind 17-year-old sensation Sean Kingston are touting him as PG-rated. And the veteran gangsta Master P also declared that he would make clean music.

Others remain defiant amid increasing pressure from the public and corporations, vowing to remain, in the words of rap’s raunch king Uncle Luke (of 2 Live Crew fame), as nasty as they wanna be. “It would have to pay something real strong to make me change the way I do my music,” said Twista, whose explicit lyrics got him dropped from a McDonald’s-sponsored concert recently. “I’m gonna keep saying it because I know I’m just making good music.”

Verizon dropped its sponsorship of Gwen Stefani’s tour when a videotape surfaced of opening act Akon simulating sex onstage at a separate concert with a fan later revealed to be 14. (Akon says he didn’t know the girl was underage.) And while McDonald’s Corp. signed Twista for its free summer concert series, they quickly dropped him after public pressure mounted due to his lyrics. Twista’s replacement? Sean Kingston.