It's really at the Parent's discretion , whether they want their kids to hear something or not. My Mom let us listen to Cheech and Chong , because A) You'd have to wait 10 minutes to hear "Fuck " or "Shit" , and B) She thought they were funny , too , the parts she understood. Rap and Hip Hop , well , you know , at least people like Grandmaster Flash were trying to use that medium to SAY something , WAAAAAAAAY back when. I was'nt crazy about it , but , I found it tolerable , in small doses. But , when someone combines NO musical instruments , just headache - inducing drum machines , and someone going "FUCKA MUTHAFUCKA MUTHAFUCKFUCK FUCK" , IT'S MORE ANNOYING THAN OFFENSIVE. Rudy Ray Moore cussed a lot , and described some truly filthy situations , but , when he said those words , they had an impact. Plus , when he rapped , there was an actual rhythmic pattern to it , like Beat Poetry and street corner jive, and , the cat could sing , too , when he wanted to. But , as he said , "When it comes down to rappin' , I was THROUGH with it before they learned what to DO with it.". Sometimes , I feel I've become so desensitized , I have to hear something TRULY filty , like LaWanda Page , before I can really start laughing. But , I don't MAKE people listen to that , or to Garage Rock , or anything I like , but , If I only have two Rap SONGS FORCED ON ME IN A DAY , it's been a slow day......
swt said:
As for the children, I have two grown kids and I let them listen to anything they wanted. Both turned out to be fine citizens.
Here's the one act of "censorship" I engaged in. Back in the '90s my daughter, then a teen, wanted a copy of the Liz Phair album Exile on Guyville or whatever it was called. (Didn't think much of it then -- still don't) I told her no. If she wanted to go out and buy her own copy, I wouldn't stop her. I just didn't think it was proper to a father to give his daughter a record with lyrics like "I want to be your blowjob queen."
So call me a prude.
When my son was in high school he'd play these crappy rap songs on his ipod in my car. I'd make sarcastic comments like, "My, he certainly seems angry about something" or, after the 3rd or 4th "motherfucker" I'd say "Why does he always feel compelled to resort to profanity?"
Drove the kid nuts.