Though Alicia Keyes received some bad press regarding her recent statements about “Gangsta Rap”, her comments were not new or should not surprise anyone who has been keeping up with the history and how this genre of music began, and where it is going. You may think that it does not affect you because you don’t listen to or care about it. But as they say, “Knowledge is Power”, and we need as much power regarding this issue as possible – why? because what you don’t know can hurt your kids – the ones who do listen to it.
My four children have grown to have their own – mostly mature – eclectic taste in music and to my happy surprise have denounced Gangsta Rap or Rap music in any form as the music of “media whores” – those who allow themselves to be prostituted by taking what is given them just because it is popular, instead of insisting on what they really want. My children have been exposed since birth to music – literally. When I was pregnant, I would play music to them through my belly by way of a headset wrapped around my stomach mostly spiritual songs, jazz and some of the music of the day. The imprint of that decision is still with them today – My oldest son, Adam walks around humming a tune all the time; my son Loren has on his I-Pod (I mean the one that he “borrowed” from me) a library of the most diverse music I have ever heard – from opera to easy listening to Hip Hop – which makes me proud; my son Trevor has a library of over 100 songs that he has written using digital hardware and internet software – again – eclectic and diverse and created with heart; my daughter Chelsea follows suit with her own specific taste in music, and enjoys listening to Japanese instrumentals that she finds online. So the obligation that I felt to educate my children about what they listened to – then leave the choice to them – but to talk to them about it and question them as to why and what they listen to on a regular basis. Understanding that we can be intensely influenced – in word and action – by what we allow to enter our bodies – is why this topic – should not be relegated to a 15 minute media hype about innocent comments made by an artist like Alicia Keys, who has proven through her music where she stands regarding the integrity of what she creates. I hope you enjoy my journey for today. This article will be followed up by its “B-Side” later this afternoon. My day job is calling me 
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Peace )
