Recently I switched vehicles for a bit, and was left without my beloved bluetooth connection. I was forced to bump the radio (yes it still exists) for my driving tunes. It sufficed for my background hip hop beats just fine, as I was able to switch channels to avoid commercials. What caught my attention though was the lyrical content of a good portion of todays top 40 hip hop.

I heard a lot of this.....

I have a lot of money, I do a lot of drugs, I just (blanked) your chick, and plus I hang with thugs. 

Herein lies the problem. 

I'm a teenager, and I need to be cool. These guys are cool. These guys (blank) numerous chicks, get high (off way more than just weed), get lots of money (tough to do legally when you're on drugs and partying all the time), and hang with thugs. So I'm going to do that.

Emcees like KRS-ONE have warned about this in the past. 

KRS-ONE 

Now many kids are actually pretty smart and don't follow like sheep, but these lyrics get into our heads and subconsciously affect our thoughts and decision making whether we like it or not.

I'm not suggesting that artists compromise their visions or artistic integrity, just to be mindful of what they put out there. Let's push the boundaries lyrically, artistically, and be true artists.  

My intent is not to offend anyone, only to inspire. As a culture I believe we can do better.