Thoughts from Mark "Hat" Rackley

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

• Philippians 4:8

… and everything that does not come from faith is sin.

• Romans 14:23b

The other day, the topic of rap music came up in conversation twice.  Once it was positive, but once it was not very positive.

I was told that a first grader was placed in in-school suspension for trying to get another boy to punch him in the stomach, because he had strong muscles in his stomach.  When the boy did not do it?  The first boy said he would take his Glock and shoot him.  Where would a first grader hear about a Glock unless it was the rap music that his mother plays on the radio all the time. The little boy had positive influences, but he gravitated to the rare negative influence.

The conversation then drifted into how much violence was in rap.  Will Smith was under attack by other rappers because his early rap was always lighthearted.  When you constantly talk about violence and violence against the police who are there to protect and serve (not always perfect, but no one is perfect except Jesus), then certain words can get you into trouble.

Just saying the word “Glock” gets you suspended in some schools these days.  It’s about like saying the word “bomb” when in the line for security at the airport.  I heard a man gripe to his buddy about how the line was so long because the TSA were paranoid that someone might have a bomb.  A joking comment, but someone, the wrong person, overheard the conversation.  TSA agents pulled the guy out of line.  They did not care that he would lose the contract if he did not show up at his destination that day.  He would not fly that day, maybe never, but he would have a chance to make a statement in his defense.  I heard the entire argument, being about ten people ahead of him in line. It became my turn about the time he was taken away in handcuffs because he said the word “bomb” and TSA heard him say it.

Now they do the same to first graders with any word relating to a weapon or violence.  We also heard that the word “crap” was not allowed.  Really?  I would much rather hear “Crap” to hearing a lot of what they probably allow.

But later in the day, I heard that my son had made the news.

When I heard that, I remembered the conversation we had the previous day.  He had taken some of Shel Silverstein’s poetry and read it to the kids in class.  They chose small segments of the poetry and created a rap song.  These are kindergarten through fifth grade children.  He taught meter and rhythm and rhyming words. They had to get the proper words in the proper place in the beat.  The children were understanding it and excited to learn.

Was my son being recognized as a elementary school rapper?  No, but close.

A rapper, Nazcar, came by the school and shared his latest song, Saucy.  With our son there, they got a lot of his children behind him and performed the song.  Fox News also showed up and in the following link, about eleven seconds into it, for about three seconds, the white guy at the far right is our son in a yellow Hawaiian shirt, singing and dancing along with Nazcar and another teacher or administrator to the left.  And the song talks about how Saucy means that you dress for success, you do your homework, you make good grades, you impress your parents and teachers with what you have learned, you improve your life.

Memphis Rapper Nazcar wants to influence school kids for the better – FOX13 News Memphis (fox13memphis.com)

For the song itself.  Here is Saucy.

Yep.  In a sea of violence and hate, there are voices for positive change.

Lord, please, let them be heard.  Let them draw attention so that they can influence the next generation. Amen.

Soli Deo Gloria.  Only to God be the Glory.