>If your child had to LEARN
>some rap music/hip hop lyrics,
>whose would you want them
>to be?????
When a kid is five, six years old, they're too young to really learn and understand any hip-hop lyrics (both understanding the concepts of the songs and the techincal skills required to write them), so I wouldn't teach it to them like that regardless. When they get older, I'd want them to learn whatever is the best. (And no, that doesn't mean Juvenile, but that's just because his writing is pretty simple. If it's a misogynous MC who's also a brilliant writer like pre-92 Ice Cube or Jay-Z, then they must learn). But y'all falling back on the "what about the kids" excuse is some silly guilt-tripping when you don't have much else left. It's not that important. (A) art should not be restricted by "can we play this for your six year old?". If you really belive that, then go consult with the writers of Barney The Purple Dinasour on how to make music. Never mind that many of them are doing pornographic cartoons on the net to fullfill another side of their creative needs (that's a true story, I knew a guy who wrote for kids shows who did that). (B) if the community the child is growing up has certain values, the music is secondary to it. The kid could know some offensive lyrics by heart and understand how to process them. The kid could grow up with discerning taste. And who's lyrics would I want my kids memormizing? Well, not some "conscious" rapper who preaches his ass off on records and then goes and particapates in all types of evils behind the scenes. I don't want my kids to grow up thinking some good entertainer is a good replacement for a good politican.

"I'm every MC by the name of Jay Dee" - Jay Dee