The wife and I were discussing this earlier. She said this is getting out of hand. I agree with her. I thought it was worth mentioning…
Over the last couple of years there has been a proliferation of rap songs featuring “that white girl,” which is slang for the highly addictive drug cocaine. I will refrain from giving the names of the rappers that have decided to stoop this low because I don’t think it matters who they are. What matters is that there are songs being played on mainstream radio that are discussing the joys of “that white girl.” Of course rapping about cocaine is not new, but when Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five were singing about “White Lines” back in 1983 they were making a stand AGAINST drugs. It’s pretty much been down hill since then.
Sadly, kids are singing about popping champagne bottles when they are still young enough to get a sugar rush from Kool-Aid. Marijuana (one of the evilest drug out there because young people really believe that it’s harmless) is so prevalent that one legendary rapper named his most successful album after one of the many street names for the plant. Now rappers are openly rhyming about pulling out their razors and breaking up the “white girl,” and powdering their faces.
This seems insane to me. Not just because I’m a father, but also because I’m a rational human being. I’ll admit that I’m not one for censorship. As a writer and an advocate for healthy, strong families I still believe in our freedom of speech, but there should be limits. What I’m proposing is a compromise of sorts. We have to get this stuff off of the radio and adults over 21 should have to show ID to purchase this kind of material. (Though if you’re anything like me you simply will not buy music that makes light of something as horrible as hardcore drugs.)
I’ll posit that the real long term solution is to raise our kids from young to understand that such musical topics are not cool. That way that they’ll actually not want to listen to or buy into blatant negativity. And so they won’t want to use their talents to make music about it.
I agree Keith and believe all of these blatant attempts to make even the most base activities acceptable is another ploy to de-sensitize a society and lull us to sleep while the matters of most importance are being left by the wayside. It will take very responsible parents to guide children in this leg of the race because we have reached an age where fortitude will have to reign over lethargy in a real way. Our children, in general are being sacrificed because of all the things being shoved down our throats as acceptable. As we are being pelted with fallacies and exerting our energies to distance ourselves from the lies, the children are in the other room unfortunately listening behind the door like we used to do when grown up were talking.
I will posit that the real long term solution to raising children is to “train a child in the he should go and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” I say to you keep doing what you’re doing.
I agree, although I’m not sure marijuana’s so much more dangerous than cigarettes and alcohol.
Well said. However what you are asking is that every parent out there actually be involved in what their kids listen to and, unfortunately, there are a lot of parents out there that don’t want to put that much effort into parenting.
I’m also wondering about the racial undertones of “that white girl”. If some country singer started referencing a drug by referring to it as “that black girl” or “that brown girl” how quickly there would be a backlash.
Oh, where to begin? I have just as much of a problem with rappers/artists glorifying cocaine -or any other drug – as I do with all of these songs encouraging young girls (women?) to pop it/drop it/lock it/back it up/etc. etc. I turned the radio on the other day, and heard some man singing “spread your legs . . . ” I didn’t stick around for the rest.
There are days when I can write this stuff off as the foolishness of youth – I think back to some of the music I listened to, and have to admit that sometimes my choices weren’t much better. And then there are days when it very nearly brings me to tears.
I think it is just a matter of strong parenting. Artists aren’t going to stop putting this stuff out, people aren’t going to stop buying it. Parents must teach their children what is acceptable and what’s not. The end.
@ Matthew, I think it’s already happened.
Wasn’t the Rolling Stones’ song “Brown Sugar” actually about heroin, not women?
Not to mention ‘Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds’. I think that for some problems there really are no solutions.
So, I love how you think. This is a great post. We need more fathers out there like you. I’m young still – can you be my father? Seriously though, I don’t know how people can continue to make crazy music and it’s a success – funny thing is though, we still listen to it.
I am in complete agreement with you Keith. Fact is, the Music industry needs to rate rated X stuff as RATED X and it should not be played on radio or video with no more or less controls as pornographic movies.
I remember as song that Snoop and the Dogg Pound did that was straight porn called “Bomb A$$ P—–“, and I heard it (edited) on the air, that song should not have been available. Fact is, I don’t know why no one calls it like it is, but sure you have freedom to SAY waht you want, but there should be an age requirement to buy what these fools say and further it should not be on regular radio or prime time television.
I agree but if we stop buying it, then they will stop making it. Sounds simple, but we have to prove to out kids that talk like that is un-acceptable and save our children.
My husband had a fight with his son the other week because he couldn’t understand why he couldn’t watch BET around his 4 year old sister…mind you they (my husband & his son) do not live with me & the girls primarly because of the young man’s stupidity (among other issues). He didn’t understand that half covered tits and ass is not something a 4 year-old needs to see and you couldn’t convince him otherwise…
Last year I went to this girls house to get my hair done..I was being cheap and couldn’t afford the $80 the beauty salons were asking for this particular hair style so I went the cheap ghetto route..I hated the hair style…but learned a valuable lesson on teen parents and the horrors of teen parents. In the house are 14-18 year old girls…all with babies..I was there for 12 hours getting my hair done & the most the kids ate was Cake…CAKE…the whole day! The mothers were out at the store stealing clothes (baby phat, fubu, pelle pelle…they were bragging about it when they returned). What do these girls and my stepson have in common…brainwashing!! All of them have been brainwashed to believe that this lifestyle they see on t.v. is the ultimate…the end all…Kimora Lee Simons screaming out anthems of “FABULOSITY” PLEASE…who would she be without RUSSELL??!!
I don’t know how to fight the waves of negative images crowding our childrens minds..its exhuasting at 4…I am not looking forward to when the girls turn 14!!!
Another important step is to make sure that your kids hear the news when said musicians die of overdoses, or ruin their lives and end up in court or jail. Heck, just let them watch a few reruns of the “Surreal Life” featuring Flava Flav, and that ought to leave enough of an impression of the effects of longterm rap-star drug abuse to keep them straight and clean.
yea man its foul, thats why we have to keep our sons close, and our daughters closer
I play zero hip hop stations in my house or in the car and I never thought it’d be that way. My kids have never seen any of the current rap videos either. My sister who has two teens, has had to put a block on BET and MTV but she still found out that my 15 year old nephew is file sharing songs that feature some of the lyrics you’re talking about. He thinks it’s no big deal and that it’s just music. But it normalizes drug use, it normalizes promiscuity.