Wanted: Kid-friendly hip-hop role model
Wanted: Kid-friendly hip-hop role model
My 8-year-old niece has discovered the Pussycat Dolls.
My sweet, innocent Anna Claire has taken a liking to these slinky, fishnet-wearing women - not exactly the type of female role models I want for my niece. But somehow, they found her.
Anna Claire is at an age where she's starting to make personal choices about the music she listens to. And inevitably, her parents won't be able to shield her from all the bad music in the world, just like my mother wasn't able to shield me from hearing Andrew Dice Clay on the school bus when I was in the fourth grade. But when I was Anna Claire's age, pop music was much tamer. My mother didn't have to worry about screening my Whitney Houston and Tiffany tapes. They sang about love, heartbreak and how they just "wanna dance with somebody" -- hardly controversial stuff.
For Anna Claire, it's a whole other story. She isn't into Hannah Montana or the Jonas Brothers. No, Lil' Wayne is more her speed. She prefers hip-hop; music with fast, driving beats. "Songs she can do jumping jacks to," her mother, Laura, tells me. We both laugh, but then her tone shifts as she says, "I need your help with something."
There's a hint of curiosity in her voice, as if she were asking me to join her in a covert operation. Could I introduce Anna Claire to some new music? I quickly imagine my niece watching the Pussycat Dolls twist their bodies around a stripper pole, a move they sometimes incorporate into their choreography, if you want to call it that. This horrifies me. So without hesitation, I accept the mission.
Before I began my quest to create Anna Claire's mix CD, I thought I'd get more acquainted with Lil' Wayne and the kind of music Anna Claire likes. I went to Lil' Wayne's MySpace page and played the first song, "Prom Queen." It starts out with a hard-driving beat, not bad, almost like a heavy metal song. But once he starts singing about a girl wearing "fancy underwear," everything goes downhill. I skip to the next song, "Lollipop," whose title has already convinced me that Lil' Wayne won't be able to redeem himself with this one either. And I'm right; way too many sexual innuendos, especially for an 8-year-old.
On to plan B. I browse my iTunes library, trying to find a marriage between Anna Claire's taste and my criteria of clean lyrics and positive messages.
I come across Gwen Stefani's, "Hollaback Girl," a personal favorite. I hit play. Not even one second into the song she's already said an expletive. No dice. Ah ha! Here's a hit from back in the day, Salt 'n' Pepa's "Push It." On second thought, maybe not. Or how about OutKast's "Hey Ya!?" or is the phrase "shake it like a Polaroid picture" inappropriate for an 8- year-old? Probably so.
This goes on for at least an hour. I play a song only to find out I can't possibly let my niece listen to this. And now I understand Laura's frustration. Where are the positive role models for my niece? It's definitely not Lil' Wayne. And it's definitely not the Pussycat Dolls. It's too sexy, too raunchy, not to mention it's just really bad music.
On to plan C. I go back to my arsenal of my favorite hits from the '80s, the songs I grew up with and loved (and still love, actually).
Bananarama's "Cruel Summer," Adam Ant's "Goody Two Shoes," Toni Basil's "Mickey," Prince's "Let's Go Crazy" -- all fabulous songs and essential tunes for any '80s lover. This eventually leads me to The Ramones and The Clash, and I throw in some modern-day Mary J. Blige, whose songs carry positive messages about confidence and embracing who you are: "So I like what I see when I'm lookin' at me when I'm walkin' past the mirror." Perfect.
Contact Carla Kucinski Seward at 373-7319 or carla@gotriad.com
Carla Kucinski Seward/Go Triad Editor
