Word: rap
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...farm child. Nurse Mary Tang teaches anatomy to fifth- and sixth-graders and answers explicit questions, but she does not bring up subjects like abortion and birth control. That is the only formal part of the instruction; most of the rest of the sex- ed time is spent in rap sessions, fielding questions about sex and trying to build personal responsibility...
...double edge is at his keenest here, using a country boy's dream mansion, which turned into a mausoleum, as an ironic counterpoint to Homeless, sung a cappella with South African Gospel Group Ladysmith Black Mambazo. The rhythms washing over Graceland are infectious and inflective enough to shame rap silly, from the lovely, funky arc of Diamonds On the Soles of Her Shoes to the spooky snap of The Boy in the Bubble. African musicians appear on nine of the album's eleven tracks, but Simon has pulled off something much more here than a little groovy ethnomusicology...
...next day, fearing another bloody melee, officials at the Hollywood Palladium canceled a Run-D.M.C. concert. The band, however, blamed lax security for the riot. Joseph ("Run") Simmons, 21, who with Partner Daryll ("D.M.C.") McDaniels became the first rap artist to produce a platinum album (1 million copies sold), defended his group. "Rap music has nothing to do with crack or crime," he said. "Check my lyrics. I'm a role model for kids, and I go out of my way to give them a positive message...
Indeed, rappers have produced songs that urge kids to stay in school and avoid crime and drugs. The majority of rap lyrics are concerned with nothing more volatile than partying and macho boasting. Yet since rap became popular several years ago, many performances have been marred by brutality. Says Public Safety Commissioner John Norton of Pittsburgh, where teenagers went on a window-smashing rampage after a Run-D.M.C. concert in June: "There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that rap music spurs violence...
Many figures in the entertainment industry contend that rap is no more aggressive than heavy metal, punk and other types of highly charged rock 'n' roll. Rejecting the notion that rap is inherently violent, Psychiatrist Alvin Poussaint of Harvard explains that "rap music really comes from inner-city street kids, some of whom are gang members immersed in antisocial behavior." Promoters have found that when guards are trained to spot gang colors and bar potential troublemakers, rap concerts are trouble free. Meanwhile, Run-D.M.C. is proceeding with the final week of its tour, hoping to raise a little less...