This twelve-year-old boy tried to holla at me yesterday and when I looked at him as a mother would her precocious only child he told me to stop frontin’ and explained that I would be jealous when he used his kahonas on the shorty, chicken-head behind me. Jesus take the wheel. Listen, don’t get it twisted and think that I’m one of those pretentious knowledge droppers that indulges myself by deflecting my inadequacies, viciously accusing multi-conglomerate music corporations of purposely and solely corrupting the mind-sets and livelihood of our youngest citizens. No, no those types of people are revolting. But to keep it real, I just can’t help but feel like the metaphoric grumpy old Ms. Rose down everyone’s block, who doesn’t have any teeth but is still always talking, when I say, ‘chilren ain’t got no blasted-to-hell home training. Who do they think they is? Lil’ Wizzy or sum dumb shit?’

Sorry, I guess I am going hard on that little kid. It’s just that the self-perception and manifested social interaction of that boy seems remarkably clouded in very real societal misgivings and I can’t help but question beyond his family, immediate friends, neighbors, and natural inclination, where he got that from? Trick said he love the kids, Nas affirmed they could be what they wanna be, but how much responsibility and guidance outside of familial fortitude must a child be reinforced with before they realize that their twelve-year-old kahonas really shouldn’t be the immediate concern?

My momma has been a director, dean, teacher, and academic coordinator within the educational system for thirty years so you know she don’t play. She explained that educational rearing is essential during infancy and is expounded upon exponentially throughout each individual’s adult life. Her pedagogical belief is that in an ideal learning environment parental figures must take responsibility for their child’s mental and emotional development aiming to frame and work in conjunction with (but not relying on) the influences within that child’s immediate environment. I agree, ‘cause obviously these kids need to be fortified with some semblance of intellect when they turn on that embarrassment to civilization called BET (Tavis Smiley is clearly the man and that was the worst decision in the history of life, BET). Whatev. My thing is, if parents don’t know how to teach their kids independence of mind, personal progression, responsibility or the difference between expression versus exploitation, is that Cash Money’s fault? I think not. On the flip, does that mean we should ignore the obvious and natural fact that outside forces, including music, whether labeled as positive or detrimental, has a powerful and direct effect on youth? No, I’m not saying that either because if that were the case I would believe Hip-Hop has no power, which is far from the truth. What I think is it’s not just parents, friends, neighbors, media, or music that raises a child, it’s everything. I mean it really does take a village.

So do I still believe Mystikal has the right to say, “fuck a dollar girl, pick up fifty”? To be clear, that is an essay worth of offensive and I personally think he’s misguided for saying so, but as America notes, it is a free country and if these Tea Party crazies can run around with AK-47s then Mystikal is authorized to say his piece but at the same time it wouldn’t kill anybody (like the crazies would) to be a little more conscious all the way around. I guess, in some sort of way I’m starting not to hate on those pretentious finger pointers quite as much (I still think they’ve got issues they are obviously ignoring) but like my moms said, communities and individuals have to work in conjunction with one another in order to successfully gain (or at least strongly aim) at desired impact. Besides, at the end of the day I’m sure Ms. Rose wouldn’t argue with that compromise in thought, and if we can keep her grumpy mouth pleased for one God given second of the day, then it was all worth it.