“They have put together this great resource in order to help children and parents learn about the other side of Hip Hop; the positive side….”
Anita S. Lane
Editor in Chief
www.keepingfamilfirst.org
Mold Their Music, Mold Their Minds!
by Maurice and Dornique Lynch
Warning: This article has graphic content that may be offensive to some.
Parents, do you want your children thinking the only way for them to have fun is to get drunk or high? Do you want your daughters thinking the only way to get a man is by dressing scantily clad or spreading their legs? Do you want your sons thinking their manhood is defined by how many chics they have sex with?
Of course not! This is why you spend so much time trying to teach them right from wrong! You take them to church to learn spiritual and moral lessons. You send them to school to get a proper education so they may succeed in life. You spend quality time with them in order to be a good influence. You even practice what you preach! Yet, all the while, they grow up listening to music that completely contradicts what you try so hard to instill in them.
Let’s face it! A huge part of our culture is defined by music. The lyrics of a song reflect a way of life, an attitude, and a “culture.” More specifically, rap music has inspired the Hip Hop culture, which has become a way of life for our children. Unfortunately, the majority of the messages in rap music talk about poverty, sex, drugs, alcohol, and money. Its message has had a huge impact on this generation, including their choice in clothing fashion, hairstyles, dialect, and actions.
For example, one currently popular song uses the term “Superman.” Its popularity has spread from beyond the radio and televisions to a song school marching bands are now playing in their performances. The song even has a corresponding dance. Children as young as three years old, and of all races and nationalities, can be seen on the internet dancing to this song. However, according to the lyrics of the song and the Urban Dictionary (http://www.urbandictionary.com) the term “Superman” is defined as:
“Superman is when a guy ejaculates on a girl’s back and puts a sheet on her back. When she wakes in the morning and the sheet is stuck to her back and she has a cape like Superman.”
Many parents do not know the true meaning of this song. But many of their children do! They’re just not sharing this information with their parents! One reason such degrading songs are so popular is because parents do not know what their children are really singing and dancing to. Unfortunately, some parents assume that songs such as Superman are innocent because they’re associated with popular action heroes or other things that are known to be innocent and child friendly. This song and many others just like it are anything but innocent!
How do we remedy this problem? Simple! We give our children choices! Mold their Music, Mold their Minds is a simple concept: Seed – Time – Harvest.
Whatever is sowed into a child’s mind, given enough time, will produce a harvest. The question is, what type of harvest do you want your children to reap? If sex, drugs, and hate are the seeds sown into their minds now, then in time, sex, drugs, and hate will ultimately be the harvest reaped through their lives. However, if you sow positive seeds, messages that are delivered in the Hip Hop style they love, then you can reap the love, encouragement, and success you want most for their lives.
Unlike many parents believe, you do not have to be extreme and ban all Hip Hop music from your children’s life. If your children love Hip Hop, they can still listen to it! Just find songs with better messages that reinforce your teachings. Maurice and Dornique Lynch, founders of Righteous Entertainment are the masterminds behind the film “Blaze: The Truth Through Hip Hop.” They have put together this great resource in order to help children and parents learn about the other side of Hip Hop; the positive side. The film showcases Hip Hop artists who have positive messages in their lyrics. It examines the differences between the heart of these artists and those you typically hear in mainstream media. The film also provides various locations where you can find this positive music, because unfortunately it’s often hard to locate.
Parents, it is worth the small investment in your children’s future to learn about and expose them to positive Hip Hop music. The younger they are when exposed to positive Hip Hop, the easier it will be to mold their minds for a better future. Your children will become leaders and not followers. No longer will you have to fight the contradicting messages of mainstream media. Given enough time, this is one harvest you will be happy to reap!
Copyright 2008 Maurice and Dornique Lynch
To learn more about the movie “Blaze: The Truth Through Hip Hop”, which is now available on DVD, please visit www.righteousent.com
For more information on various Hip Hop artists with positive messages check out our weekly blog “Dope Artist of the Week” at www.myspace.com/righteousentertainment
