Is your teen 'a gangsta from the hood'?!?!

[Robertsmithdoesmyhair]

My 14 year old son speaks in rap and I have no clue what he is talking about most of the time. Lots of 'blud' 'bruva' and sucking his teeth. Funnily enough, he is neither from the hood nor a gangsta and we are a fairly normal family! We don't live in The Bronx and we don't wear soverign rings!
When oh when will he return to normal? Anyone else's teen doing this?

I don't think I'd nip it in the bud if my son called the cat 'his/my G' that's amazing.

You know that calling your cat "my G" is not the problem here. Why are some people so obtuse

A bit sexist that people jumped on the girl who was interested in black youth culture, slang and hairstyles but boys were doing much same thing didnt face the same condemnation.

It's very unfair to put the weight of history and injustice onto them The average 11 year old will be aware of racism and witnessed or experienced it. Nobody is saying that they are responsible for all racism but on an individual level they are responsible for how others in their lives feel. I'm neither black nor from a poor urban area but imagine that their feelings about middle class white kids behaving like can be summarized as a mixture of 😂😡.

She's not black and attempting to speak "patwa" (patois?) and impersonating a cultural minority when she is anything but is very offensive!

I live in West London. I've yet to come across a white teen who isn't doing this and their peers don't seem to mind. It just is.

My teens tried it but a few "um sorry, what? What did you say? I don't understand..." soon cured them of it. As for "like!" and "ya get me?" That stopped when I started replying in the same vein. I'm sure they do it away from me but not to me and that's fine

buster no I'm pulling the thick card because anyone who believes white people can experience racism is being thick.

My younger siblings are like this, thankfully I’m young enough that I’m somewhat aware of the terminology and am able to take the piss out of them about it. One day my younger brother came downstairs dressed head to toe in a Nike track suit and trainers with one of those little man bags worn around the neck like a necklace (known as a “shotters pack”) and I congratulated him on his “fine roadman garms”. He thought it was hilarious, but also realised I don’t buy into his new bad man image.

I agree with you completely TheLastNigel.

Sorry quencher, you are right.

@IAmAlwaysLikeThis you are extremely naive if you think a white person can't experience racism.. try marrying into a different culture as a white person then come with that crap..

IAmAlwaysLikeThis really? White people NEVER experience racism? Crikey. I must be thick then.

Omg my 14 year old DS thinks he is a complete gangster. He calls everyone G and Bro. He’s head to foot in Armani track suit or North Face and thinks he’s sooooo cool. He even found an old fake Rolex watch my DH bought in Thailand about 10 years ago and has started wearing that too.

He listens to rap and wants a weapon to protect him from potential knife crime ‘on the street’ (we live in a small village on the side of a mountain in Wales) 😂

I sincerely hope he grows out of it but it seems to be very popular amongst his peer group, girls are always asking him out and he has a wide circle of friends both male and female.

But yes it is hilarious op, I called him G the other day and said innit for a joke and he looked at me like I has two heads.

I, a middle aged white mummy, also occasionally watch youtube videos on how to care for afro hair. It's fascinating, the practicalities and the politics surrounding hair and the cultural implications of hairstyling and expression.
I guess if I was 11 years old, without the critical skills and social and cultural awareness I have built up as I matured, that might present itself as 'appropriation' or even 'racism'.
I wonder if I am creepy and should also seek psychiatric help, as pp's have suggested.

buster racism = prejudice plus power/privilege.

So no, white people cannot experience it.

Prejudice, of course.

"try marrying into a different culture as a white person then come with that crap.."

And nice try, I'm married to an Asian man and I'm white, so yes, I know plenty about prejudice. I live in a country where 98% of people are one ethnicity.

Not the same as systematic racism.

Does anyone know what ‘peng’ means?

@marjorydawess It started off as a word for weed and now is just a general positive word for something. Something tasty can be peng, a good looking person can be peng, a nice car can be

I first heard it used in about 2002, so I’m surprised it’s still a mystery to some people.

racism = prejudice plus power/privilege.
That's one definition, it's not the only one. So yes, white people can experience it.

A bit sexist that people jumped on the girl who was interested in black youth culture, slang and hairstyles but boys were doing much same thing didnt face the same condemnation. you mean those that connected being black and a gangsta and that's the culture. Anyone can speak in anyway they want. However, if you are going to associate it with being black, you can't get away it.

The problem is thinking that this is being black.

"That's one definition, it's not the only one. So yes, white people can experience it."

The vast majority of people make a distinction between racism and prejudice. If you seriously think that white people experience racism in the same way as other races, you are deluded.

IAmAlwaysLikeThis "buster racism = prejudice plus power/privilege.

So no, white people cannot experience it."

Really, is that true, so what about if you're white living in the Middle East full of powerful privileged arabs who have way more money than you, have their own laws to govern you, for example if you have a car crash the middle eastern national automatically gets off, and the white or other nationality are to blame. Who has the power and privilege then?
What you are saying is interesting.

buster

Have you read any books on the sociology of race?

If not, I suggest you do.

Not much else to say to you, because you clearly don't get it.

Really, is that true, so what about if you're white living in the Middle East full of powerful privileged arabs who have way more money than you, have their own laws to govern you, for example if you have a car crash the middle eastern national automatically gets off, and the white or other nationality are to blame. Who has the power and privilege then?
What you are saying is interesting you would still know that there is someone below you in the pecking order of abuse. I am not minimising what would happen and how it would be viewed. At the moment, no. There are black and Asian slaves in the Middle East. I find your comment very naive and ignorant.

But I don't think these kids are relating this language and behaviour to Being Black. They're relating it to Being Cool and frankly black teenagers don't seem to mind as far as I can see, it's the adults that are up in arms about it and focussing on there being a negative racial aspect. As ever kids are just doing the socially cool and acceptable thing as they perceive it and I don't understand why that is offensive? Perhaps we need a rule book? What is culturally and racially acceptable? and who decides? This 11 year old girl may admire but never imitate? Is that right? Even though her imitation comes from purely positive connections she's made, and white teens speaking street slang within their peer group must be pulled up and told that this is racist and therefore completely unacceptable? Is this not creating divides within a peer group that are currently growing up with acceptance and assimilation that seems to be such a positive thing.

quencher why is it naive and ignorant? I'm just asking a question as I've experienced racism.