Gangsta Rap Kids And Respect

Too many of us are ignoring the influence that music has on young kids. Children pick up lyrics as fast as any language, mainly due to the rhyming and the rhythm. When very young, (2-5yrs old), children do not worry about the meanings of words held together in a string, and tend only to ask what particular words mean as and when they want to make sense of it. Any shock value coming from certain words makes them more inclined to use them in order to get a reaction. Only later as their vocabulary grows, do they start to piece the words and the meanings together. Most children love singing and will happily belt out songs where ever they go. This is not great for an encore when the lyrics come from Gangsta Rap and the audience is school teachers, other young children and their parents. But should any child be exposed to such music in the first place? Young children who live on a diet of Gangsta rap, take it for granted that it is quite fine to refer to women as 'bitches' and blacks as 'nigga'. Believe me that does not go down if you are both white, male and your kid is angelically rapping pornography and mayhem to a wider audience. And take note that these two particular words are tame compared to some of the other 'good' stuff in gangsta rap. Children will accept any language used as a norm' when exposed to it day after day. And as they grow up, they will accept the stories behind the lyrics as being normal too.

Example of Gangsta Rap lyrics:

Hey yo, I smoke dust and shoot cops, sold guns to Tupac Smoked blunts with Biggie Smalls and sold drugs on newlots I was too young, couldnt get up in clubs back in the old days We used rob and terrorize kids in front of homebase If Funkmaster Flex was inside, rockin the whole place We was outside, smacking kids and snatchin gold chains Baggin mad pigeons, catchin mad digits, bad bitches And when they husbands came around we had to blast bisquits A bunch of bad Brooklyn kids that always had pistols Broken dreams and broken homes, we always had issues And mad problems worshippin gangstas and bankrobbers 111 Bill

Punk rock in its' day was shocking to a lot of people and I personally refused to buy any music by groups such as the 'Slits' etc, as I found it demeaning to women. Also being, that I tend to believe there is a tad bit more to us than that. Nuff said. Be that as it may, it seems rather tame when compared to todays Gangsta Rap which encourages violent sex acts in lyrics that would shame some un-nameable porno' magazines. And to top that, death by shiny weapons and over dose is romanticised!

To truly know if music, rap, gangsta rap, or any type of music, influences kids later on in life, when they are heading into their teens, we only need to look at what they are doing, what they are wearing, what language they use, how they treat people, friends and rivals, and how they treat women to know what music influences them. Are we finding any respect from the combination of, Gangsta Rap on Kids?

We cannot bemoan the distinct lack of respect that some children and teenagers have for themselves and others if we are not prepared to own the problem. Young children are impressionable, they have to be in order to learn, so by not filtering what our gang listens to, plays and reads we cannot be surprised when suddenly at the age of 14 and 15yrs we find our little darlings have turned into knuckle dragging hoodies, with pants around their knees and the bathroom plug hanging from one ear. Nor can we be shocked at their crude knowledge of sex, intimate knowledge of drugs, guns and the bottom of a vodka bottle.

We need to take more than a passing interest in what our gangs are listening to. This is not interference, it is good policy and by doing this we learn which rap artists are the real deal and which are playing for shock value, Gang banga racketeers and the greenback.

Of one thing I am certain, if Gangsta Rap musicians, have any blood in their veins and do grow up, they won't be allowing their young kids to listen to their type of music. Don't mix Gangsta Rap & Kids!

Perhaps some parents that are reluctant in supervising what their kids Rap music is all about, might like to know that their hard earned money may be funding murderers and drug dealers & traders who are using their own big labels in the music industry to launder drug money. Click on the link below for a more in depth article on Gangsta Rap music, the artists and record labels involved.

Believe me I don't knock music, it has always played a huge part in my life both as a child and as an adult so I am not preaching no music, in fact I am all for it. I am merely a reminder to parents to take note of WHAT their kids are listening to at an early age.

Gangs Rap and Kids

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