Day 202: Teenage Music

Until you've driven 5 teenage boys home on a Friday afternoon in bumper-to-bumper freeway traffic with rap music BLARING from the car, you really have not lived motherhood! Oh my gosh I believe my ears are still ringing, but I loved it!

We had all the windows down and the music -- no joke-- was pumping, you know loud enough to make the car vibrate! And the boys were singing and I was laughing! I'm sure neighboring cars thought I was a crazy woman (well that's partially true!) for playing my music so loud with so many kids packed in the car!

One of my favorite rap songs is "Thug Mansion" by Tupac... do you know that one.... Gotta Go To Thug Mansion ... recently they've introduced me to the group Atmosphere, a Latino rapper, and Kid Cudi ... are you up with these groups parents? Well ya ought to be because this is the happening music of the day... just like for me back in the day it was The Commodores, Earth, Wind & Fire and Genesis.

Music changes every generation... and every generation complains about the current music ... always referring to their music as being better. But not me. I love listening to what they listen to, except all the profanity laced songs .... those I need to turn off as they just are not creative when you have to rely on swear words over and over again to make your point.

I love Usher, Nelly, Justin Timerlake, Kanye West, Jay-Z (although I love his wife even more!) and some of the more current Eminem music (his older material was way to full of rage and anger especially toward women). I suppose he's grown up and his music is reflective of that.

My favorite R & B and Pop women artists of the day include Beyonce, Mary J. Blige and the fabulous country star Carrie Underwood. The boys think these women rock too.

Relating to your teenagers through their music is one more way to make a connection. You don't have to love every song or artist but at least give it a try .... it's fun and it sure helps you get through the long traffic jams on the LA freeways!