Kid-friendly hip hop deep cuts
October 12, 2020 5:27 AM Subscribe
My kid isn't even ten, but they've become obsessed with hip-hop and as they go deeper, it's clear that they're getting more interested in less kid-friendly material (music which I love, but not for their sensitive ears). I need to put together a massive list for their voracious appetite that is interesting, engaging, and excellent.
Public Enemy is great, Too $hort needs to wait until they're a lot older, and I have zero interest in weak kidzbop style junk. They handed me a wishlist for their mp3 player and it was Mos Def, afrika bambaataa, LL Cool J, Tribe, and Queen Latifah. But as their appetite is voracious, I need excellent deeper cuts. Preferably more positive.
Public Enemy is great, Too $hort needs to wait until they're a lot older, and I have zero interest in weak kidzbop style junk. They handed me a wishlist for their mp3 player and it was Mos Def, afrika bambaataa, LL Cool J, Tribe, and Queen Latifah. But as their appetite is voracious, I need excellent deeper cuts. Preferably more positive.
A couple of tracks that are coming to mind for me:
"Cool Like That" - Digable Planets
"Luchini" - Camp Lo
"Summertime" - Will Smith/Jazzy Jeff (all Will Smith music is clean, but it may be a bit too commercial for your kid's taste)
The stuff from the mid to late 90s neo soul revival, like Maxwell, Erykah Badu, Floetry, and Common, is all relatively kid-friendly and draws a lot of inspiration from/is genre adjacent to hip-hop.
posted by matkline at 5:41 AM on October 12, 2020 [3 favorites]
"Cool Like That" - Digable Planets
"Luchini" - Camp Lo
"Summertime" - Will Smith/Jazzy Jeff (all Will Smith music is clean, but it may be a bit too commercial for your kid's taste)
The stuff from the mid to late 90s neo soul revival, like Maxwell, Erykah Badu, Floetry, and Common, is all relatively kid-friendly and draws a lot of inspiration from/is genre adjacent to hip-hop.
posted by matkline at 5:41 AM on October 12, 2020 [3 favorites]
Arrested Development's "Tennessee" is not too deep a cut really but I feel like their work has largely been forgotten.
posted by knile at 5:43 AM on October 12, 2020 [8 favorites]
posted by knile at 5:43 AM on October 12, 2020 [8 favorites]
Bombs Over Baghdad is pretty tame lyrically but rad as hell.
posted by saladin at 6:28 AM on October 12, 2020
posted by saladin at 6:28 AM on October 12, 2020
Hamilton counts, right? Because holy shit, HAMILTON. The ost, the remixes, everything.
posted by MiraK at 7:03 AM on October 12, 2020
posted by MiraK at 7:03 AM on October 12, 2020
If your kid is into the archival, how about some Can-con? Dream Warriors My Definition Of A Boombastic Jazz Style and "Wash Your Face In My Sink" are pretty catchy. The latter contains a certain amount of criticism of sucker MCs but only in the most dignified terms.
posted by Frowner at 7:41 AM on October 12, 2020 [2 favorites]
posted by Frowner at 7:41 AM on October 12, 2020 [2 favorites]
I might suggest going through the Hip Hop Evolution series playlist on spotify. (And watching the series if you haven't already!) You already have some artists on your list but it might help you find others. Black Star, Run DMC, LL Cool J, Erik B and Rakim would probably work. Diddy and Jay-Z have some pretty tame tracks too.
Also, not sure what exactly makes something kid-friendly in your eyes, and if picking and choosing specific tracks works for you (like, would the kiddo take an artist and run with them, so someone with a mixed catalog wouldn't be a good idea?). Run the Jewels is sort of aggressive with lots of cussing but otherwise they have plenty of tracks not glorifying sex/drugs/violence. Oh, and if you have Queen Latifah in there don't forget Missy.
posted by misskaz at 7:42 AM on October 12, 2020 [1 favorite]
Also, not sure what exactly makes something kid-friendly in your eyes, and if picking and choosing specific tracks works for you (like, would the kiddo take an artist and run with them, so someone with a mixed catalog wouldn't be a good idea?). Run the Jewels is sort of aggressive with lots of cussing but otherwise they have plenty of tracks not glorifying sex/drugs/violence. Oh, and if you have Queen Latifah in there don't forget Missy.
posted by misskaz at 7:42 AM on October 12, 2020 [1 favorite]
These aren't exactly deep cuts but they are available easily and were popular tracks at the time! I definitely listened to these songs when I was a kid.
Cantaloop - US3
I Wish - Skee-Lo
Summertime - DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince
Fantastic Voyage and 1,2,3,4 - Coolio
Here Comes the Hotstepper - Ini Kamoze
Whatta Man - Salt n Pepa
Now That We Found Love - Heavy D and the Boyz
OPP - Naughty By Nature
California Love - Tupac ft. Dr. Dre
Intergalactic - Beastie Boys
The Rain - Missy Elliott
Do note that several of these songs do have sex or drug euphemisms that may or may not go over your kid's head, so use your best judgement!
posted by juniperesque at 7:42 AM on October 12, 2020 [1 favorite]
Cantaloop - US3
I Wish - Skee-Lo
Summertime - DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince
Fantastic Voyage and 1,2,3,4 - Coolio
Here Comes the Hotstepper - Ini Kamoze
Whatta Man - Salt n Pepa
Now That We Found Love - Heavy D and the Boyz
OPP - Naughty By Nature
California Love - Tupac ft. Dr. Dre
Intergalactic - Beastie Boys
The Rain - Missy Elliott
Do note that several of these songs do have sex or drug euphemisms that may or may not go over your kid's head, so use your best judgement!
posted by juniperesque at 7:42 AM on October 12, 2020 [1 favorite]
Blackalicious! Their album Blazing Arrow especially.
posted by neushoorn at 7:59 AM on October 12, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by neushoorn at 7:59 AM on October 12, 2020 [1 favorite]
I know you’ve got Mos Def, but how about Black Star which was Mos Def and Talib Kweli? Or Talib Kweli’s solo work?
posted by joyceanmachine at 8:31 AM on October 12, 2020 [2 favorites]
posted by joyceanmachine at 8:31 AM on October 12, 2020 [2 favorites]
As far as I know much of the catalogues of De La Soul and Tribe Called Quest are PG-13.
The problem you're going to run up against is that most innovative rappers after '93 or so include violence, misogyny or at the very least, adult language. If Public Enemy is the line though you can probably still find a lot of great tracks that you'll just need to check the lyrics beforehand. I'd look at your child's wish list and then find the producers of those tracks and you'll have a ton of choices. It will take about 30 seconds and a google search to rule out a track based on inappropriate lyrics.
AllMusic is a pretty good resource to find good music. I definitely agree with the poster who said you might want to reach for some R&B from the last 30 years as the best producers like the Neptunes and Timbaland also made some great R&B tracks that were much more kid-friendly than their work with hip hop artists. AllMusic has lists of artists and albums that are similar to other artists and albums, which is really helpful. Someone suggested Common, whose lyrics are mostly kid-friendly. I'd definitely agree. Here's AllMusic's list of artists who are similar to Common, and indeed, maybe a third of these artists are mostly appropriate for children.
posted by Luminiferous Ether at 8:41 AM on October 12, 2020
The problem you're going to run up against is that most innovative rappers after '93 or so include violence, misogyny or at the very least, adult language. If Public Enemy is the line though you can probably still find a lot of great tracks that you'll just need to check the lyrics beforehand. I'd look at your child's wish list and then find the producers of those tracks and you'll have a ton of choices. It will take about 30 seconds and a google search to rule out a track based on inappropriate lyrics.
AllMusic is a pretty good resource to find good music. I definitely agree with the poster who said you might want to reach for some R&B from the last 30 years as the best producers like the Neptunes and Timbaland also made some great R&B tracks that were much more kid-friendly than their work with hip hop artists. AllMusic has lists of artists and albums that are similar to other artists and albums, which is really helpful. Someone suggested Common, whose lyrics are mostly kid-friendly. I'd definitely agree. Here's AllMusic's list of artists who are similar to Common, and indeed, maybe a third of these artists are mostly appropriate for children.
posted by Luminiferous Ether at 8:41 AM on October 12, 2020
Hip hop artist Aesop Rock has a really great song about the kitten his therapist suggested he get to help alleviate his depression. The video features a puppet and a cute kitten, so it's kid-friendly for sure, but the lyrics are sharp and complex so hopefully they won't find it pandering.
posted by merriment at 10:12 AM on October 12, 2020
posted by merriment at 10:12 AM on October 12, 2020
Eric B. & Rakim - Microphone Fiend (lyrics)
Jurassic 5 - What's Golden (lyrics)
Jurassic 5 - Freedom (lyrics)
Beastie Boys - Body Movin (lyrics)
posted by EndsOfInvention at 3:44 PM on October 12, 2020
Jurassic 5 - What's Golden (lyrics)
Jurassic 5 - Freedom (lyrics)
Beastie Boys - Body Movin (lyrics)
posted by EndsOfInvention at 3:44 PM on October 12, 2020
De La Soul's first album is definitely R-rated or stronger, especially once you decipher their idiolect. You could definitely pull excellent tracks from all of their albums though. Don't miss the De La/Fela Kuti mashup.
posted by hydrophonic at 3:50 PM on October 12, 2020
posted by hydrophonic at 3:50 PM on October 12, 2020
oof, this is a little hard but some that would be more kid-friendly:
haiku d'etat
j-live
k-os
lightheaded
Oddisee
posted by fizzix at 3:55 PM on October 12, 2020
haiku d'etat
j-live
k-os
lightheaded
Oddisee
posted by fizzix at 3:55 PM on October 12, 2020
RZA--Grits
Note that it does mention gun violence in the course of making the point that hungry people are more likely to commit crimes of desperation.
posted by zeusianfog at 4:37 PM on October 12, 2020
Note that it does mention gun violence in the course of making the point that hungry people are more likely to commit crimes of desperation.
posted by zeusianfog at 4:37 PM on October 12, 2020
Fade Away by The Allergies (feat. Andy Cooper) is lyrically impressive and entirely kid-friendly.
Ugly Duckling's Left Behind has one very vague drug reference ("You must be high") but I'd be comfortable playing it for my kids.
posted by yankeefog at 1:56 AM on October 13, 2020
Ugly Duckling's Left Behind has one very vague drug reference ("You must be high") but I'd be comfortable playing it for my kids.
posted by yankeefog at 1:56 AM on October 13, 2020
If you look into the Native Tongues, the Good Life scene, the Soundbombing and Lyricist Lounge compilations, and people affiliated with Scribble Jam, you'll quickly move into deep cuts, and it'll be more kid-friendly than average rap music (though not without the stray n-word or problematic line about women or gay people).
De La Soul - Buddy (remix)
Freestyle Fellowship - Innercity Boundaries
Mos Def - Universal Magnetic
A lot of generally-grimy rappers have tried to make more inspirational songs. Fair warning, a lot of these songs still manage some profanities, and, if you go much deeper into these artists' catalogs, you will certainly find something offensive. Also I sneaked some anti-cop stuff in there.
Big Daddy Kane - Young, Gifted and Black
DMX - Who We Be
Ghostface Killah - All That I Got is You
Heavy D and guests - Don't Curse
Hip Hop for Respect - One Four All Pt. 1
KRS-One and guests - Stop the Violence
LL Cool J - Illegal Search
Main Source - Just a Friendly Game of Baseball
Nas - I Can
Tupac - Keep Ya Head Up
West Coast All Stars - We're All in the Same Gang
And, because it's the answer to most questions about rap, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.
posted by box at 6:02 AM on October 13, 2020
De La Soul - Buddy (remix)
Freestyle Fellowship - Innercity Boundaries
Mos Def - Universal Magnetic
A lot of generally-grimy rappers have tried to make more inspirational songs. Fair warning, a lot of these songs still manage some profanities, and, if you go much deeper into these artists' catalogs, you will certainly find something offensive. Also I sneaked some anti-cop stuff in there.
Big Daddy Kane - Young, Gifted and Black
DMX - Who We Be
Ghostface Killah - All That I Got is You
Heavy D and guests - Don't Curse
Hip Hop for Respect - One Four All Pt. 1
KRS-One and guests - Stop the Violence
LL Cool J - Illegal Search
Main Source - Just a Friendly Game of Baseball
Nas - I Can
Tupac - Keep Ya Head Up
West Coast All Stars - We're All in the Same Gang
And, because it's the answer to most questions about rap, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.
posted by box at 6:02 AM on October 13, 2020
For ATCQ, Revised Quest for the Seasoned Traveler is all deep cuts--peep the Young Nation 'Scenario' remix.
posted by box at 9:21 AM on October 13, 2020
posted by box at 9:21 AM on October 13, 2020
Deep(-ish) Latifah cuts: 45 King 'Princess of the Posse' remix, DJ Premier's 'Wrath of My Madness' remix.
Because Afrika Bambaataa is way more interesting as a DJ/selector than as an electro-rap dude: Death Mix.
posted by box at 12:21 PM on October 13, 2020
Because Afrika Bambaataa is way more interesting as a DJ/selector than as an electro-rap dude: Death Mix.
posted by box at 12:21 PM on October 13, 2020
(Also, a lot of the hip-hop from this era was released with 'clean' versions of the lyrics.
Clean in this case just means no profanity, and, as you'd expect, the clean version of something like 'Straight Outta Compton' still includes things you probably wouldn't want a kid to hear.)
posted by box at 3:18 PM on October 13, 2020
Clean in this case just means no profanity, and, as you'd expect, the clean version of something like 'Straight Outta Compton' still includes things you probably wouldn't want a kid to hear.)
posted by box at 3:18 PM on October 13, 2020
I made a Spotify playlist of the songs mentioned in this thread (that are on Spotify).
posted by rabbitrabbit at 7:40 AM on October 14, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by rabbitrabbit at 7:40 AM on October 14, 2020 [1 favorite]
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posted by kevinbelt at 5:39 AM on October 12, 2020