By Caprece Cotton-Sturdivant
I fell in love with hip hop in its early years, back when it was more widely regarded as rap. Rap music came on the scene and blew our minds!! It was music that spoke just to us made by guys and girls, who looked like the people in our neighborhoods. It was our story told by the people who lived it, and for me it was life-changing.
Growing up, my mother never censored the music that I listened to. She never feared that I would be led astray by NWA, Public Enemy, or Ice Cube. She even took me to buy my first rap album, it was Salt N Pepa‘s Hot, Cool & Vicious, and I played it so much I nearly broke the tape. I loved everything about Salt N Pepa — their tight clothes, their edgy haircuts, their sassiness — but they were not my role models!
Yes, the question of celebrities as role models has been raised once again with the release of Nicki Minaj‘s video for her latest song “Anaconda,” which samples Sir Mix A Lot‘s “Baby Got Back.” Who can forget the hip hop classic about Mix A Lot’s love of big bottoms while he conveniently perched atop a big bottom. The imagery was controversial, and “Anaconda” is no different. Minaj stays true to the song with enough booty-bumping and gyrating to give Fred Sanford one of his signature heart attacks.
Nicki Minaj performs “Anaconda” at the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards.
Many felt that as a “role model to young girls,” Minaj should “do better,” but I disagree. Nicki Minaj is not a role model, or at least she shouldn’t be viewed as one. Role models are found in our everyday lives, the people who show us right from wrong not just in words, but by their actions, as well. I found my role model in my mom, not in Eric B & Rakim.
Minaj is an entertainer, who I often enjoy myself, but she should not be your children’s role model. We have that responsibility alone. Let the entertainers do their jobs, as we — as PARENTS — do ours.
Caprece Cotton-Sturdivant is a writer and mommy, who loves to share comedic tales of what she’s learned so far about being a mom. She resides in New York City with her husband and daughter who are her inspirations. Read more from Cotton-Sturdivant at Mommie Knows Fresh.