WOW - Sorry, someday I'll have access to my music library again. Thanks for the links AnnaS.

Although now familiar with the context in which Ebonics had "surfaced" then and some of the issues, I know first hand that the language they are speaking of is not African-American specific. Here I hear the same "useages" from Latin-Americans as well as Euro-Americans, with the exception of some Slavic-American groups who isolate themselves geographically as well as allow their language to continue to do so.