Thursday, December 22, 2005

Sex and Hip Hop

**Not to be confused with a Let's Be Real post.**

I'm not sure who all saw Cousin Jeff's Chronicles on BET the other night, but for those of you who did, let me just say (the bit that didn't repeat) was excellent. He made several valid points and interviewed a few rappers who gave insight into their lyrics and more important-their way of life.

Now the people he interviewed (Lil Scrappy, Chamillionaire, Twista and Remy Ma, the former two I don't consider real rappers) discussed why it is they think hip hop is blamed for everything from the hole in the Ozone to Watergate. As we all know when all else fails hip hop has always been and always will be the scapegoat for every problem known to mankind. Jeff mentioned that an extremely high percentage of teenagers (black and latino) will become sexually active and some, parents before their time. He showed concern that such youngsters would be exposed to the harsh reality in the sad world of STD's.
Do I think hip hop is the reason our children are having sex and making babies at such a young age? No I do not. And I will tell you why.
As was mentioned in the program, sex sells. This is a fact everyone is well aware of. From apparel to accessories to appliances, sex is used to sell every product. Children these days are exposed to more sex watching a simple TV commerical than they are spending a day in a whore house. How many kids do you know watched Sex and the City? A movie is not complete without a sex scene. And all the latest magazines are blasting those tips: How to make your man scream your name! Ten easy tips! If we're going to go after hip hop, let's go after everyone.
Now I will say this, hip hop in no way helps. With abrasive and sexually charged lyrics, plenty of kids want to reenact what they hear and see. A woman I know has a four year old who knows the words and the dances to Petey Pablo's Freek-A-Leek. Her mother enourages her whole heartedly exclaiming, "Ain't she cute?" No, honey, she's not.
Young boys are taught that the only way to be accepted and/or be considered a man is to tally up the amount of women they've had sex with. Respecting a woman? What? There are no such thing as women. There are only bitches, tricks, hoes, chickenheads, and jumpoffs. Depending on whether or not you're a player or a pimp, you decide. They only care about how fresh their outfits are, how crisp their fitted is and the latest footwear. Who cares that the most challenging thing they can read is the name of the designer.
Young women are taught that shaking their asses is to their credit. They embrace their bitch-hood, wearing it as a badge of honor. Instead of looking to better themselves, they watch the girls in the videos and say hey, if she can get a man like that, so can I. They depend on a man to take care of them and as long as she sexes him just right, she can keep him.
The parents are also to blame. When I was coming up (which wasn't all that long ago) my mother heavily censored what we did and did not watch and what we did and did not listen to. We only watched videos on the weekeneds and that was for an hour. We didn't watch BET during the week and there was no rap when we did homework. We knew how to pick up a book in a hurry. Things aren't like that anymore. These days parents dance with their children and they talk to them the same way rappers do. As long as the kids are out of their hair, they have nothing to say.
Gone are the days when parents asked their kids about school, knew who their friends were and all the neighborhood mothers were friends. Now its every man for himself.
Don't blame hip hop. This was not what the founding fathers had in mind. Kool Mo Dee and Dougie Fresh and Slick Rick. Hip hop is no longer about the struggle, or breaking out, or freestyling in the park, breakdancing on a piece of cardboard. Now its about pimpin, makin money and my favorite, I got that snow, man. Blame the big time companies whose job is no longer to look for real talent, but to look for money makers. Tony Yayo? I don't love hoes. I'm pimpin em. Yep, sure your mama loves to hear that. Bun B? Webbie? Girl give me that. Bad bitch. Oh yes, those are powerful lyrics my brother. Thanks for supporting the struggle. Lil Flip? D4L? When I first heard Laffy Taffy, I shook my head. The only thought running through my mind was Man I wish 'Pac was still alive.

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