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Your kid is probably listening to the Andre Nickatina song "Ayo for Yayo." It's not a bad song. I'd say not to worry about it. We're all entitled to our own musical taste.
Its a matter of perspective. I became concerned about my little cousin since he started listening to a lot of heavy metal. But my aunt at the same time made me understand that music had subconciously affected me too that actually troubled myself once I thought of it carefully.
First of all, everyone's definition of what is decent varies. I believe I listen to the most wholesome music (80% of my collection is contemporary country) which mostly deals with love, family, everyday life though there's a good share of fun party songs.
Its actually really weird cause I'm Asian American and not many Asians are country fans, at least not in this area.
My mom and my aunt had a problem with some of the lyrics and themes though. Like my mom really hated these two songs I would always play repeatedly around 9-11 annivesaries or July 4th, one is sung from the perspective of a soldier who died in Iraq and claims he's proud to be buried in Arlington National Cementary as one of the chosen ones. Another one is about a young boy who is proud of his father who died in Iraq. My mom also pointed out that in the modern country I listen to, the most commonly featured and certainly the most romanticized occupation for women is the stay-at-home mom.
I also started to hate people from the Northeast and California and talked a lot about how liberals and Democrats don't ahve good values without even realizing it. I can't say that the time I spent listening to country music and watching CMT had nothing to do with it. My mom's like why are you always talking about how you hate people from Boston and New York. partly because of the music and because of friends who grew up in smaller towns in Maryland (I'm from the DC-Baltimore area) I would say things like I hate people from Jersey moving here, that I wish my family never left Louisiana 15 years ago and during Virginia Tech I went on and on blaming the tragedy on liberals, Northeasterners, Californians, Yankees and their values for corrupting America (and taking away our guns so we can't defend ourselves).
Then I realized how disturbing that was, like why do I think small towns and red states are perfect places, the real America where everyone is family-oriented and churchgoing and have good moral values? Just because thats the way its presented on CMT? I had also accussed my cousins of not being American enough because they don't like country as much and through the years I've come to see the genre as the soundtrack of middle America. The songs that first attracted me to country were Toby Keith and Darryl Worley singing about going to war in Iraq and Afghanistan in revenge for 9-11 and that really resonated with me. I also discover that as a minority, once I tell people I listen to a lot of country they never seem to question my Americanness and assimilation anymore.
Sorry for the long speel but music, in my case country has really played a part in my psyche, especially since its like the only genre I've listened to basically since September 11th. Country music has both reflected but then furhter reinforced my psyche. I don't like to admit it, but it reflected how I've become a less accepting, open-minded or tolerant person since the 9-11 tragedy and I found myself taking comfort in the good downhome all-American that country represented and being nostalgic for a time I never knew but heard my parents talk about.
Every genre has its values and what its artists and producers believe in. I will still vouch for country. For all the drinking and cheating songs (though they don't dominate the genre like some people think), at least noboyd sings about pimping hoes or shooting up the hood or smoking weed in the park or shooting cops. Or about cutting themselves up or committing murder and suicide. And I prefer clean-cut men and women over people with Goth clothing, metla chains, do rags, black eyeliner like in rap and heavy metal.
What's important for your son is enjoy that movie but not limit himself to it. Know that media doesn't reflect reality and what is described in the lyrics do not happen commonly in everyday life. But perhaps there's something in his psyche that draws him to that music. Trust me, its never just liking the sound. I love the sound of contemporary country for sure, but especially nowadays with Nashville increasingly like Hollywood on the surface (Carrie Underwood and Kellie Pickler got their thru American Idol), the values and lyrics do have something to do with its appeal.
i want to know has anyone ever heard of Andre Nickatina????? my kids listening to this god awful music about cocaine should i be worried.
my favorite source for banning my kids music is www.lyrics.com
I can go there and find out the words to the songs
If I don't like them
they ain't listening to it
oh and
PS I do computer checks
and CD checks
and MP3 checks
also when there is a questionable song (mind you I have already looked up the words)
I ask my child to tell me his/her interpretation of the song
then I tell them by what the words say MY interpretation of the song
believe it or not
once they here my interpretation they usually don't like the song as much
eg MY HUMPS
my daughter just loved that song until I told her it was about a chick who basically flaunted her girls out there for attention
how degrading
My worry would be that your child is so interested in keeping with the fashion that the content would not matter. Is your child white or black? If white, then I would ask what he likes about the music. What part of it touches him. Rap is essentially music evolving from the black urban experience, so what draws white kids to it? It usually comes down to a popularity thing- not the music. I wouldn't be too worried about the lyrics unless particular terminology and attitude starts slipping into his daily life. In that case I would come down hard and "ground" him from it: he/she is not mature enough.
My worry would be that your child is so interested in keeping with the fashion that the content would not matter. Is your child white or black? If white, then I would ask what he likes about the music. What part of it touches him. Rap is essentially music evolving from the black urban experience, so what draws white kids to it? It usually comes down to a popularity thing- not the music. I wouldn't be too worried about the lyrics unless particular terminology and attitude starts slipping into his daily life. In that case I would come down hard and "ground" him from it: he/she is not mature enough.
This is basically how I always handled it, too.
I think a lot of white kids, whether suburban or not, are attracted to hip hop, rap all that stuff because it feels exotic, it challenges authority, and it has a good beat--not necessarily in that order.
andre nicky is good ****, i'm 17 years old and listen to hip-hop you don't catch me beating up ho's or puffing on coke joints in the back of the lexus.
As long as you provide a foundation of what is right and wrong for your children, then I don't see it being a problem, depending on his/her age of course. I think all music is not geared for all ages
My nephew and nieces come visit all the time and they like rappers like Young Jeezy and Trick Daddy. They are high school age, but I don't allow them to listen to the cd's nor watch BET in my house while my 8 year old is present. My 8 yr old knows these rappers only because I have done and still do a lot of business with them - so she's been exposed to them as people however, as stated before, all music is not for all ages.
Also note that many of the mainstream rappers have clean versions which are available, so this way they can play the music in the confines of their home.
It's only when children are lacking the foundation at home and they want to be a part of something, do you find them actually acting out what they hear in music.
Whiskey Bar- the Doors....Cocaine- JJ Cale....need I say more?
My 13YO likes Christian metal music...OMG, don't know how in the he!! you can even tell it's Christian music, because you can't make out any words. (In his defense, he can name the bands playing songs from the 70s faster than I can...)
I've become an alta kocker....
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