Hip-hop for kids: one journalist's ideas for introducing young children to the music and culture--without the sex.As a 35-year-old parent, I have seen many changes in rap music rap music or hip-hop, genre originating in the mid-1970s among black and Hispanic performers in New York City, at first associated with an athletic style of dancing, known as breakdancing. and hip-hop. When I first started listening, hip-hop was new and exciting. The music was intoxicating in·tox·i·catev. in·tox·i·cat·ed, in·tox·i·cat·ing, in·tox·i·cates v.tr. 1. To stupefy or excite by the action of a chemical substance such as alcohol. 2. . Now as a father of a 7-year-old son and a 4-year-old daughter, I take a pro-active approach. I recognize the dangers of songs like "How Many Licks" by Lil' Kim, talking about men having "hurricane tongues." But I also see the beauty of Talib Kweli's "Africa Dream," where he warns young people to beware of stereotypes through these clever lines: "These cats drink champagne and toast to death and pain/Like slaves on a ship talking about who got the flyest chain." [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] So here are the things I do with my kids to help them appreciate hip-hop. 1. Make sure the record came out before 1988. Arguably, the best rap came out between 1987 and 1993. But before 1988, there was hardly any cursing or violence. Most of the early rap was a lot about partying and having a good time. 2. Play the old soul and funk records that are the roots of hip-hop. The first records DJs spun at hip-hop parties and the first records sampled by the early artists were the soul groups. James Brown
James Joseph Brown (May 3 1933[1][2] – December 25 2006), commonly referred to as "The Godfather of Soul" and " , Lynn Collins This article is about Lynn Collins the actress. For the soul singer, see Lyn Collins. Lynn Collins (born June 1 1979) is an American actress. She has been romantically linked to actor Keanu Reeves. and Bob James Bob James can refer to different people:
3. Turn off the music video channel and play footage of B-boy battles instead of the dry-hump MTV MTV in full Music Television U.S. cable television network, established in 1980 to present videos of musicians and singers performing new rock music. MTV won a wide following among rock-music fans worldwide and greatly affected the popular-music business. action. What is commonly called "break dancing" in mainstream America is called "b-boying" or "b-girling." It is beautiful, athletic, fun to do and, most of all, there's no hyper-sexualization in the dance. You can find b-boy battle footage at tons of websites online, including www.b-boys.com and www.rocksteadycrew.com. An added bonus is that b-boy battles are all-age events where you can take your kids without fear of violence breaking out. 4. If you are going to play a lot of today's rap, make sure it's the instrumental version. Nobody wants to be the killjoy kill·joy n. One who spoils the enthusiasm or fun of others. killjoy Noun a person who spoils other people's pleasure Noun 1. parent when it comes to music. One way I've kept my children in tune with today's rap music is the instrumentals I get online. The Cash Money Millionaires The Cash Money Millionaires is an alliance of rappers from New Orleans, Louisiana, and N.Y that gained fame in the late 1990s. It basically included anyone that was signed or affiliated with Cash Money Records. have a CD of their platinum instrumentals. This makes it possible for your kids to have today's music played in the house, and they won't feel like you're keeping them locked in a 1980s time zone. Adisa Banjoko is a pioneer hip-hop journalist and author of Lyrical Swords Vol. 2: Westside Rebellion. He can be contacted at www.lyricalswords.com. By Adisa Banjoko, The Bishop of Hip-Hop RELATED ARTICLE: Top 6 records to play for your kids 1. Run D.M.C. first LP -- self-titled 2. Fat Boys -- self-titled 3. Mantronix -- The Album 4. Breakestra -- The Live Mix Pt.2 5. Dr. Dre -- Chronic 2001 Inst. 6. Tommy Boy -- Greatest Hits RELATED ARTICLE: Top 4 must-see DVDs 1. The Freshest Kids -- The best documentary on hip-hop dance ever 2. Beat Street -- One of the first films focusing on urban dance 3. Breakin' -- Another early film on urban dance (kinda corny corn·y adj. corn·i·er, corn·i·est Trite, dated, melodramatic, or mawkishly sentimental. [From corn1. but still fun to watch) 4. Style Wars -- My favorite My Favorite is an independent synthpop band from Long Island, New York. They released two CDs: Love at Absolute Zero and Happiest Days of Our Lives. My Favorite broke up on September 14, 2005, when singer Andrea Vaughn left the band. hip-hop documentary (high focus on graffiti art) RELATED ARTICLE: Top 3 books to buy for yourself and your kids 1. Yes Yes Y'all by Charlie Ahearn and Jim Frike: a book about hip-hop told by those who lived it first hand. 2. Can't Stop Won't Stop by Jeff Chang: one of the greatest books on hip-hop and its social impact ever written. 3. A Time Before Crack by Jamel Shabazz: a photo book of the early days of hip-hop with a few small essays. A must-have! |
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