Son's increasingly weird Music taste

[MissShoreditch2005]

My DS (15) has become very enthusiastic about a group of rappers who are called The Drain Gang. He keeps singing the lyrics to their songs around the house which are quite inappropriate (one song says "If I see weed I gotta light it") however he's always been a high achiever at school and has been very sensible in relation to drug and alcohol usage, he has proclaimed his indifference towards his friends' cannabis usage and whenever he drinks it is usually in the proximity of us on special occasions where we limit him to one or two beers. However another member of this "Drain Gang" is called young lean (lean is a popular american cocktail containing codeine) who has a hit song which says "Young lean's in the club for some morphine" - One can only be worried to what message this is putting out to him.

He also has taken an interest in the heavy metal band "The Burzum" which is fronted by a convicted racist and murderer, I questioned him on this and he says he only likes it for the "raw and atmospheric tones" - it only sounds like noise to me! I'm wondering if it's only a fad or if I'm the stupid one!

Would appreciate any advice from some parent's who have guided their children through similar stages!

Hugs and kisses

MissShoreditch2005.

He’s 15 he’s going to listen to it if your okay with it or not. He may just really like music and not be looking into the lyrics at all.

I personally do not know anyone heavily influenced by music into making their choices based on what they listen to.

I didn’t consent to a hug OR a kiss.

Naturally I’ve had a listen OP! There are worse things he could be listening to. I myself listened to some appalling music growing up, if I’m honest I still do now sometimes while the kids are asleep and I’m ironing! It’s never affected my life choices, more of an escapism thing... try not to worry too much, he sounds like a sensible boy and a credit to you.

Aw, he’s rebelling! It’s so cute. One of mine likes Death Grips and keeps playing it at me. Feel my pain.

"That's nice dear"

rinse and repeat. For extra points a whistful look while you tell him how much you liked the Revolting Cocks, or Jack Officers or Butthole Surfers or Midget Handjob* when you were his age.

You just caused an involuntary shudder mentioning Butthole Surfers wijjjy, I can still see the album cover for Hairway to Steven But yes OP, nod and smile, he's a teenager, you're not supposed to like his music

I still put on Cypress Hill in the car sometimes -gimmer-

Did you or your parents listen to Young Girl (underage sex), Golden Brown (drugs), London's Calling (riots), Walk on the Wild Side (transvestism, drugs, prostitution), The Boxer (prostitution), 5.15 (under age sex)

Ahh memories

Of being 16 and bellowing WHEN I WAS A TEENAGE WHORE along with Courtney Love while i did my GCSE Latin revision (i got an A btw)

Or some years later, happily trilling I GET PSYCHO KILLER NORMAN BATES along with Ol Dirty Bastard while i groomed my cat and tidied my knitting patterns up

Even these days i like to listen to songs about selling drugs and shooting people while i fold clean washing

He’ll probably be fine i expect

Burzum is absolute trash. There is so much good anti-fascist black metal out there at the moment!

It sounds like your son just likes being an egde lord to get a reaction.

cdtay I don't think its comparable. Those songs have melody and beauty, and even the angry songs from punk days have something going on. In my view, alot of rap is very explicit, angry, nasty, vicious tuneless mysogny - its a sad reflection of society and young people. I don't buy the "we listened to x when we were young" (they're usually going on about some harmless hiphop and are completely out of touch). Golden Brown you can listen to without knowing what the subject is (meant) to be about as well.

That said, OP, what can you do? Well, its a bit limited I agree. I don't like the "music" and my teenage son knows why. I told my teenage son that if he wanted to listen to it, just make sure I don't hear it (he has to use headphones or keep volume down in his room). He also used to rap the horrible rap lyrics around the house, until I told him to stop. He can do it to himself in his room though if he must .

Feel your pain, OP, there are things you can do so it doesn't impinge on you e.g. hearing the F* word and other expletives when you walk into a room. You can say also you don't like it or find it acceptable and why. But limited what you can do after that IMHO.

we listened to x when we were young" (they're usually going on about some harmless hiphop and are completely out of touch)

as a teen, I used to listen to the likes of Tupac, Slick Rick (1985 album was the first to have an explicit sticker) and nwa. In my 40's and I still listen.

We were all teens once upon a time and all listened to music our parents hated surely?

Here are some non-problematic heavy/black metal bands/musicians you can recommend to your son;

Alcest
Ultar
Møl
Underdark
Anaal Nathrakh
Iskra
Ancst
Imperial Triumphant
Wolves in the Throne Room
Winterfylleth
Vile Creature
Dawn Ray’d
Neckbeard Deathcamp (these even have a record called “White Nationalism is for basement dwelling losers” to really get the point across)

These kind of threads always condone and celebrate unpleasant rap and grime; its all part of the new Relativism. (For the record, some of it is excellent but thats rare). I have a different view and its not popular, but heyho.

I don’t think my mum was very impressed with my copy of Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret (especially the song Sex Dwarf), but that’s what teenagers do - listen to music that their parents don’t approve of.

My dad has told me of a conversation he had with his mum who "couldn't understand why they have to swear so much" in relation to his supertramp album.

This isn't a new problem, pretty much every generation despairs of the some of the music of the next.

That said I'd be having some frank conversations about whether or not he wants to support paedophiles!

Burzum were problematic when I was a nipper - it’s a pity one of their albums as great cover art.

Nod, smile, yes dear and accidentally leave your Country Teasers and Male Nurse LPs next time he starts showing off.

Makes the Drain Gang look like the Cubs.

I have a solution if you can bear it. Get really into them. You start humming and singing them and enthusiastically discussing the beat and the vibe and sharing arcane knowledge of Lean's drug use and start saying you wouldn't mind trying some one day.

He will be into Atlantic Soul and Paul Simon before you can exhale.

It doesn't even sound like he's being an edge lord. Not everything is rebellion. It sounds like he just likes the music and has a sensible attitude to drugs,and can separate the music from the message. Smart kid.

There isn’t a person on earth listening to Burzum in 2019 who isn’t an edge lord.

This thread is such a wind up! A pretty poor wind up but a wind up nonetheless.

I opened this thread thinking you were going to say he is an Ed Sheeran fan

I really don't see the problem.

Mine just listens to 80s dad rock. I;m dreading the day he discovers the mullet.

What do you need advice about specifically? Are you actually concerned that a teenager listening to explicit content will thus go and smoke some weed because the song is telling him to do it? That's some serious reach, unless he's a totally credulous zombie with no ability to think for himself. But then you know him best I suppose.