A hip hop mixtape for my niece
So the other day my brother-in-law and I were trying to entertain his 1 year old daughter (my niece) with various hip hop rhymes. Unfortunately, the only songs we could remember weren’t exactly the kinds of things you want a kid growing up saying. All my hip hop parents and educators know what I’m talking about…
SO.
I want to make a hip hop mix CD of dope, classic, hip-hop with lyrics that are meaningful, inspirational, fresh, creative, educational, revolutionary, representative of many voices — not stupid, ignorant, profane or otherwise inappropriate for them lil youths. Not on some baby time nursery rhyme, but a CD you would feel good about giving to a 2000s baby.
Song suggestions in the comments. Any DJs who want to get down, you know the drill.
When I was 11 years old Public Enemy’s Nation of Millions book had me reading Malcolm X, asking about revolution, Farrakhan, Asatta Shakur, Nelson Mandela, etc. What these kids asking about now??????????????
For the record, I also had a copy of NWA’s second tape which my Mom once found and read the song titles out loud in disgust and then threw the tape out…
HIP HOP HELP EACH OTHER BE FREE
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OK, give the baby A Children’s Story, The Show, Everybody Get Up, LaDiDaDi, I’m Bad, The Message, Buggin’, Parents Just Don’t Understand…
That’s all I can think of right now. I didn’t mind my babies hearing that stuff when they were little.
Great idea. I got one I think it qualifies. One of my all time favorites:
Zhane- “Hey Mr. DJ”
I also like Mista Dobalina — I watched the video, and there was one only smushed out “dick” as the only really bad thing in it. Good memorable chorus for the kids… “Me, Myself and I” might work too…
Am gonna dig through my music library today. Can think of a whole bunch of good ones in Spanish, but that’s probably not what you’re looking for…
@ dublab: as said brother-in-law, let me affirm two things: 1) said niece is gonna be fully bilingual (Spanish); and 2) Latinos helped found hip-hop. dig?
so dig!
initial thoughts…
“umi says” – mos def
“brand new funk” – fresh prince and dj jazzy jeff
“sunshine” – jungle brothers
“why is that?” – b.d.p.
“i know you got soul” – rakim
word. i think the multi lingual will definately be a part of it!
good call jomo! lets get to it!
Off the top of my head:
Resurrection — Common
Beautiful Struggle — Talib Kweli
Bringing it Back — BEP (pre-Fergie; others off “Bridging the Gap” are bilingual)
I gotta get a copy for my nephew!
Newcleus! Jam-On It! and Jam On Revenge!
Ladies First!
We’re going to need a DVD and liner notes…
hmmmm..
de la..’me, myself and I’ ‘ring, ring’ song. never did get the lyrics but it was the daisy age.
biz…gotta be something on the e.p..maybe pickin’ boogers.
freestyle fellowsip off ‘inner city griots’ “gotta be concious, i gotta be meee” song.
definitely JBs first or second album.
slick rick ‘kids story’?
sad how hard this is..
digable gotta have something.
I’ll ask my squad see what they come up with.
wiki wiki again.
hey tikamarz remember when camilla showed us how to breakdance. we were definately the first kids in guilford who ever put a piece of cardboard on the driveway for the bboy styles.
no elbows the hip hop dad. thanks for the freestyle fellowship joint. thats whatup
Yo cousin-brother-sister-neighbors-fam,
Here’s what I came up with so far – with some categories:
Positive Message:
“Now’s the B Turn” – Laquan
“Keep your Head Up” – Tupac
“I’ll Do For You” – Father MC
“Around the Way Girl” – LL Cool J
“Somebody for Me” “We Got Our Own Thing” – Heavy D
“Real Love” – Mary J. Blige
Pop/Crossover Type Stuff (that we used to groove to before Top 40 stole it)
“Now That We Found Love” – Heavy D
“MotownPhilly” – Boyz II Men
Just Plain Crazy – great for kids
“They Want EFX” – Das FX
Maybe (Judgment Call)
“You can’t Mess with My Yo-Yo” – Yo-Yo (1-2 ref’s to a “ho”)
“I Got It Made” – Special Ed (1 ref to getting “laid”)
Gotta Get Radio Versions (I might have)
“Break the Grip of Shame” – Paris (there’s 1 “ish” in it)
“People Everyday – Arrested Development (the “n” word)
Do any of these blow ya mind?
P.S. Gotta get a dub of this mixtape for Julita!
And a few more from the women…
“Lost Ones” – Lauryn Hill
“Umbrella” – Rihanna
“Video” – India.Arie
…Included from my IPod playlist called “5th grade mix” which is a hit with the tweens I work with in the Bronx. Tho they often accuse me of being stuck in the ’90s with:
“The Bridge is Over” – BD Productions (clean version)
“Flava in Ya Ear” – Craig Mack
“Sky’s the Limit” – Notorious B.I.G.
But I tell them they HAVE to know their history, as well as all the tricks from Brix to Kingston!
First 3 songs that came to mind:
KRS-One “Step into a world”
Common- I used to love H.E.R.
Junior Reid- One Blood (I know it’s not Hip hop but I figure the youth should know where the sample comes from instead of everybody just continually bitting it and claiming it as their own.)
i second alex’s lost one. straight hiphop that one!
i can’t think of much, but this one struck me as not only kid friendly, but also kid-themed. even the beat makes me think of a little girl doing the whoop somewhere. okay, okay so the later verses might get a little emcee murderous, but your a deejay so work it. you can’t beat this opening for lil luz to rhyme to…
I was a fiend before I became a teen
I melted microphone instead of cones of ice cream
Music orientated so when hip-hop was originated
Fitted like pieces of puzzles, complicated
cause I grabbed the mic and try to say, yes yall!
They tried to take it, and say that Im too small.
My favs (mostly positive, haven’t checked out all of the lyrics)…
Pete Rock and CL Smooth – They Reminisce Over You
Jungle Brothers – Sunshine, Black Women, and basically all of their songs
Big Daddy Kane – there’s gotta be a clean cut in his repertoire
Pharcyde – Passin’ me by
PM Dawn – old school new wavish
Rob Base – It takes two
Criss Cross – Make you want a jump
Curtis Blow – basketball
Brand New Heavies
Gang Starr
Digital Underground – Rhymin’ on the Funk
Leaders of the New School
Blackalicious – Deception, Ego Trip by Nikki Giovanni
Third Base
Beastie Boys – Brass Monkey
Let me know the final playlist for my little one (and me)!
I want a copy for my nephew… So I can undo the ill affects of his mom’s Bangles collection.
Oh and what about “3 Years, 5 Months & 2 Days in the Life Of…” –
* Mr. Wendle
* Tennessee
* Everyday People.
Mr. Lif
* Live from the plantation — A little rebellious perhaps, but that never stopped you.
Thats it from Colorado…
Oh yeah… Good for developing the rhythm synapes..
Lyrics Born
* Do that There (Young Einstein Mix)
Blackalicious
* Alphabet Arobics
That’s really it from CO.
17 comments and nobody mentioned UNITY/Latifah …
Cuz as dope as u.n.i.t.y by queen latifah is, its basically the story of a woman being called a bitch by numerous men.
yeah, I guess the profanity kinda spoils that one, vis-a-vis your guidelines. still, any 2000s baby should have that volcanic, Latifah-sized react in her social arsenal.
more on the R&B side, you can’t stop Jaheim’s “Fabulous.” But it does have various gunplay references.
damn, i keep violating the strictures.
Me, Myself, and I – De La Soul