I guess I am a prude. I was reviewing the Billboard charts this morning and checking out all the number one hits. I came to the hip hop listing and noticed that Lil' Wayne had secured the number one position with the song "Lollipop".

I wrote off hip hop years ago due to the thuggish attitude and hypocrisy as far as racism and social responsibility. Over the years, I occasionally go back to see if it has changed. Today was one of those days. I listened to the song, and gave "Lollipop" a fair shake. Lil' Wayne would be proud.

After reviewing "Lollipop", and not being quite sure what I had heard, (Better still not wanting to believe what I heard), I then went to check the lyrics of the song. Sure enough, throughout the song it is talking about sex, degrading women, degrading men, and other various things our kids should not be hearing about. This song is not symbolic either. It puts the trash right out there, and does not try to be subtle. It also freely uses the phrase "nigga" several times.

I wonder to myself if the hip hop community, and Lil' Wayne in particular, is proud of this trash? It makes me sick to my stomach to see the horrid effects that this type of drivel has on our kids. I worry for all of them. My kids too. Do not try to tell me that I am responsible for what my kids listen to. There are far to many opportunities to cover them all as a Parent. This is what artists like Lil' Wayne depend on.

This is the best that hip hop has to offer? Not only was "Lollipop" sitting at the number one spot, but has been on the chart for nine weeks.

This kind of crap is what leads to the social problems of absent Fathers, pregnant teens, and broken dreams in the minority communities. Certainly, it is far from the only reason, but it is a large part of the cultural problem. When kids hear this stuff, it affects them negatively. If you say otherwise you are certainly fooling yourself and making excuses.

"Lollipop" and Lil' Wayne have ensured that the view of hip hop is not a respectable one for yet another listener in me. There are a handful of hip hop artists that I listen to regularly because they know how to be socially responsible, and there are other hip hop artists that I would like to listen to because of talent, but can not. If talent is not accompanied by social and cultural responsibility, then they are no better than the thugs they portray. I will not be an enabler of anything that takes advantage of our kids. I call on you to consider the same. Think about it.

Gangs in America are at an all time high, and it is getting worse. When the thug life becomes a mainstream persona, and is emulated by singers that our kids look up to, then is this not the ultimate betrayal of our kids? How sick must one be to take advantage of such a sad and hard core lifestyle of death and dead ends? Who would portray the gang lifestyle as desirable to kids other than the gangs themselves?

Nobody.

Think it over Lil' Wayne. Is that number one record really worth your soul?