This is difficult for me to say. You know I try to keep it real with the readers so I feel compelled to share this piece of personal information: My son can sing Usher’s Love in This Club Part II and (this is a darn shame) Plies’ Bust it Baby Part II featuring Ne-yo from beginning to end.
I don’t know what happened that we got to this point. OK, I kind of do. At some point we started listening to Hip-Hop radio again, just to see what was new, and we didn’t turn it off. Our casual foray back into popular rap and R & B was supposed to be a momentary shift in gears, a reprieve?from the other crap we started listening to. But we obviously loitered in the urban areas of the radio dial for too long.
We were really well behaved for some time – whatever that means. The local lite station was oh so our thing – I’m talkin’ lots of John frickin’ Mayer here (not to say his lyrics are so harmless because he has his moments as?does Mr. Dave “Crash Into Me” Matthews, et al.).?I’m not?convinced there is a way to get away from suggestive music. It seems like there is music for the nursery set and for the teenie bopper set, but not for the in betweens, especially boys.
The reality is that Dev can sing?certain songs?but he has no clue what the lyrics mean, and he has no point of reference to ask questions, yet. At this point we’re testing out a dance station but they remix all the pop music out there?so it may not last long. I’m tempted to?dust off?my Nas, Jay Z, Biggie,?Wu Tang and other discs and throw caution to the wind. But that wouldn’t be right. Right??
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A Tidbit:
This morning?I was in the shower, soap in my eyes,?when Dev knocked on the door…
“Daddy!”
“Whaaat?”
“It’s not ‘what’ it’s yes. Now let’s try this again. Daddy!”
“Yes Dev.”
“You’re in the shower.”
For goodness sake.?
Say what you will, the kid runs a tight ship.
Did he really tell you to try it again – that’s classic!
My feelings on suggestive Hip Hop are this: if it’s well-written and well put together then I’ll let my daughter listen to it. If it’s shallow and not unique then I’d rather censor that than the more profane stuff. I figure I’d rather have a child who respects good art and things said with feeling than stuff that’s just more trash- albeit safe. Shakespeare and Greek theater is pretty bawdy and violent- but it’s not shallow and stupid.
I may change my views as she grows of course. We’re allowed to do that right?
Luv those moments…
Bust it Baby?????????????????????????????????????
*speechless*
i’ve never even heard the song all the way thru it was so appalling to me!!