Hip Hop Raised My Kids

I was watching my youngest child yesterday as he did his toddler dance to the music in a television commercial and I realized at that very moment that hip hop had raised all my kids. I began reminiscing and that’s when it all suddenly made sense. My kids were conceived to the drum patterns of R&B tunes, beatboxed and rapped to while in the womb, then sang to sleep after they completed their great journey to this thing we call life. I shook my head in disbelief because now I had to figure out exactly where I went wrong and lost control of personally molding their ever so impressionable minds. How did hip hop replace me in the upbringing of my children?
It’s really quite simple when you think about it. Most people would probably say it’s because I let them watch television and all the programming is over saturated with hip hop imaging and cultural marketing. Others might say it’s because the books I read to them were all rhymes so the patterns just took on that “rap” feel. Then again, some people might simply believe it’s all because I didn’t want to shoulder the responsibility of fatherhood so I let the music and the artists be their role models and instill all the values of the industry into their heads. Whatever you think the case may be, I came to the conclusion that hip hop raised my kids because hip hop raised me.
I can remember growing up as a young boy walking down the sidewalk with my cardboard in one hand and my boombox on my shoulder. I remember watching movies like Breakin’ and Crush Groove then emulating every move I saw in the mirror until I had perfected it. I can even recall writing raps in my elementary school folder with the wide lines and the dashes through the middle that was supposed to be used for practicing writing my A-B-Cs and 1-2-3s. Even to this day, 20 something years later, I find myself quoting some of the songs that I listened to as a child. But the greatest part of all those memories is this- when I picture doing that backspin or practicing that human beatbox, my father was right there. When my favorite song was blasting on the radio as I practiced doing my basketball drills, my father was passing me the ball. In all my memories the one thing that remains constant is I was never alone.
What the children of today are missing is balance. I was able to appreciate music and artistry because my father was always right there to tell me what was and wasn’t acceptable in what I was listening to. He used the passion that I had for hip hop to help teach me what respect for self and others was all about while at the same time giving me that quality time I needed without me even knowing it. So as I watch my children do their dance and recite lyrics to their favorite songs, I become very proud of the fact that I am right there too. To hear them say “Daddy look” or tell other kids “My Daddy said,” reassures me that I am on the right path and giving them the guidance they need. My sons know what not to call women and my daughters know how not carry themselves. My children are comfortable with being who they are because I have been right there to answer every question and explain where true value and worth is hidden. My kids know that all the jewelry, cars and money isn’t hip hop, it’s just the individual. I love the fact that even as a rap artist on the rise in the industry, my children only see me as one thing, there “Daddy.”
Because of my family I now realize that hip hop cannot be defined by some general explanation because it is more than just a song or a video, it is a way of life. Hip hop is so many different things to so many different people that it doesn’t define a person, each person defines it. From the way we walk to the way we talk, everything we do is a living example of who we are or who we’re trying to be. Everything in life is worthless until we give it worth so it is important that we be careful in what we choose to empower. I know now that I haven’t gone wrong or lost control in rearing my children because yes, hip hop has raised my kids- but I am hip hop.