Speaker and Christian rapper, Joseph Sojourner, sits down with host, Carlos Whittaker, to talk about what hip-hop culture is, what it’s not, and why it’s important for parents to understand it in today’s episode of the Parent Cue Live podcast.

Voices In This Episode

YOUR CUE

  • Be curious about hip-hop culture. There’s a reason why hip-hop has more and more fans every day. Our kids were born in a generation that loves and appreciates justice, and many of hip-hop’s messages are centered around that very fact. If you’re new to the genre, ask your kids who their favorite artists are and why. This will show your engagement and also help you to get to know your kids better (Remember, no judgement!).
  • Acknowledge the culture is growing and embrace it. Be open to your child’s likes as they are now. Don’t resist them —  the more you do, the more you stand the chance of pushing them away and jeopardizing your influence with them.

EPISODE RECAP

As a general rule, people tend to be uncomfortable about things they don’t understand. For some parents, one of those things is hip-hop culture. You don’t get the draw to the music — if you’re not into that type of genre, the bassline may seem intrusive, and the lyrics are less than suitable for your own ears, let alone your kids’ impressionable ones.

Think of it this way: Today’s hip-hop is yesteryear’s rock ‘n roll. Hip-hop has nearly replaced rock culture in the United States, leaving some music awards shows to slowly remove the category altogether. Because of its rapid growth, hip-hop culture permeates nearly everything: commercial jingles, Top 40 hits, and, as you may have noticed, your kids’ musical taste and language.

It’s easy for us as parents to diminish the impact hip-hop is having on our child’s life because we don’t agree with it. But as Joseph Sojourner challenges us in today’s podcast, it’s imperative for parents to not only listen to the music (it’s not all sexually suggestive nor does it all have questionable content), but to try to understand it for the sake of having a deeper understanding of our kids. You may be pleasantly surprised what you learn: That hip-hop can be a lyrically-rich story that has the opportunity to help grow your child’s empathy.

Hip-hop isn’t going away anytime soon, Joseph says. In fact, it’s only going to get bigger and it’s time for parents to embrace it.

In today’s episode, you’ll learn the meaning behind the hip-hop movement, the difference between rap and hip-hop, and why your kids are so drawn to the culture.Got a particular question about parenthood that’s been particularly mind boggling? We want to hear it! Click here.

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

QUOTES IN THIS EPISODE