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08.04.03 05:55 PM
back in the days when i was young
"Back in the days when I was young I'm not a kid anymore/ But some days I sit and wish I was a kid again"- Ahmad, "Back In The Days," Ahmad
I'm not sure what Ahmad was thinking, but I take it he never escorted his 13-year-old niece to the Scream Tour III concert, featuring B2K, Marques Houston, and Nick Cannon. Yep, that's what I did with my Saturday night, went to Madison Sqare Garden with a full concert hall of screaming pre-teen and teenaged girls. DJ Jus provided the opening listening sounds, as well as the interludes between sets. The show opened with AJA, B2K member Lil Fizz's cousin Zhené, and then Nick Cannon hyped up the crowd with an old-school rap medley and a couple of his own songs. Mario provided a smooth set, and then it was Marques and B2K who really got the little girls screaming. It was funny to be in this place and remember what it was like when I was there as a teen, and the hot act was New Edition. Sorry to say, I wasn't hoping to return to my youth though. Overall, the show was a lot more sexually charged than I had anticipated. Here are some observations I made:
Pre-teen and teenaged girls seem to have an attraction for ripped abs and protruding pecs. They took off Nick Cannon's wife beater when he dropped into the audience, and anytime any of the performers lifted their shirts, the girls went wild. One of those things that make you go, hmmm...
Crunk is officially back. Songs by Chingy, Bone Crusher, Lil' Flip, Lil' Jon, et al. seemed to set off the most excitement.
Little girls seem to like little boys who can gyrate their hips, a lot. Another scary thing I noticed, as cheers were endless during these acts.
R. Kelly's presence was felt all over the place as he has written or produced songs for Nick Cannon, Marques Houston, and B2K. I guess he has to find a way to stay near the teen girls. Yuck!
Little girls know all the words to every song by 50 Cent and Jay-Z, and get louder when there are curses, violence, or sexual implications. I'm telling you this was scary.
The year 2003 is probably really the year '83, as evidenced by all of the grafitti air brushed and markered on kicks, clothing, and hats. Not to mention that practically all of the trendy fashions resmble what was popular when I was a teen.
Light skin is back in, as Lil' Fizz received more attention than almost any other memeber of B2K, including Omarion, the lead singer. The funny thing is that these little girls think he's a really good rapper. Uh, sorry little ladies, I don't think so.
I knew just as many lyrics as the kids, and probably more than any of the other adult escorts, except those Fendi, Gucci moms, who seemed to be as into B2K as their younger conterparts. Some parents even smiled at me, when they glimpsed my niece and I dancing to Sean Paul. Had me wondering for a second, whether I act my age or not. Not that I know what that means, but I know that my profession keeps me on top of the trends and movements in youth culture, and also b/c I'm an educator, I have an interest in it. Ok, there's my excuse.
I made a lot more observations, but I think I'll end it here. I could say a lot about what I think about the sexual identities of today's youth, but then when I think back, is it really any different than it was in my time? Maybe a lot more blatant. Often times I caught parents looking at one another, and me, shaking their heads at how wild the girls got over certain lewd behavior on stage as well as how into the lyrics of certain songs they were. I haven't even told ya'll exactly everything that happened on that stage, especially when three of the audience members were brought on stage and sat in chairs as J-Boog and three male dancers did a little strip-tease like dance over them. What happened next, what J-Boog did, I don't even want to mention. I'll just leave that to myself and everyone else who attended, but I'm sure there's got to be a pic out there in the Daily News or some other such publication. All I have to say, is something I've been saying all along, parents can not entrust BET, MTV, and the radio to raise their kids. I'm not advising that children should be so sheltered that they don't even know what's going on out there, but parents have to create dialogue and safe spaces so they can better educate their kids about what's going on. My niece and I actually had a one-on-one about teen sex after leaving the show. She's a pretty enlightened little chick, I just hope she continues to use her brain.
Addendum: I do have to add that the previews for their upcoming film, You Got Served looks quite interesting in the Bring It On, Drumline, kind of way. The niece has already asked me to take her to the movies when it come out.
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Comments
hi lynne found your site bwo monique, anyway this post is very interesting and yes it is scary to see how children have changed over the generation, my 6 yr old know lyrics to just about any song from johnnie taylor to 50 cent *lol*. i will definitely be back for more, you write well.
be blessed
posted by Lashundra | August 5, 2003 4:46 PM #
LOL. That's insane, and I shouldn't be laughing but I can't imagine seeing all these fast little girls jumping up and down upon spotting flesh. I mean, I know it happens, but your description was so vivid, OMG... Come to think of it, I don't know if my 11-year-old niece needs to have the sex talk yet. She has a "thing" for Bow Wow. Hmm... Maybe I SHOULD talk to her. Or should I leave that to her ma?
Peace and Love, Nadine G.
posted by Nadine G. | August 5, 2003 6:19 PM #
*damn* and my moms wouldn't let me watch Def Comedy Jam when I was in the first half of high school, now 15-year olds get lapdances on stage. damn, dude.
pretty throwed when you have to have "the talk" with the shorties after a concert.
posted by cos | August 5, 2003 7:34 PM #
Fast little girls, indeed. I recently got "hit on" by a 15-year old (I'm 30). She rolled on up to me and said, "What's up big daddy?" I did have my "Big Daddy" t-shirt on so I thought she was just making conversation (sista looked 21-25 to me). She next asked me if she could "hang wit me" since I was a "sexy mofo". I looked at the table she came from (I was in a mall food court) and I saw all the giggling and decided that this young lady was young. I said "Young lady, I'm 30, married, with two kids... You down for some baby-sitting?" That froze her. LOL!
posted by S-Train | August 5, 2003 8:16 PM #
Times are really changing. Little girls are a mess nowadays. I took my little cousins to a B2k & Lil Bow Wow concert last year. The little girls were just as raunchy there.
I saw my little 13 year old cousin singing & shaking her hips to "Ice Cream" by JS...JV...whatever the hell their name is. I told my cousin that she shouldn't be singing songs like like and this little girl called me an "Old Head." At that moment, I wished I was her momma. I heard these little girls singing "Magic Stick" by 50 Cent & my mouth almost hit the floor. I couldn't believe it.
The things that impressed us when were younger, make these kids nowadays laugh. Sort of like the way we did with our parents. Who would have thought that Diadora, Kangol, Adidas & Valor suits would be back in style? LOL.
posted by Timi | August 5, 2003 8:36 PM #
ahhh, remember the simple sexuality of new edition when they first came out...
*sigh*
posted by nappi | August 6, 2003 11:47 PM #
that story was so intense. i am 17 years old i was there. and when they gave me a lap dance i nearly fainted. according to my mom's story of when she was young, i think times have changed. i think it's just more kids are into hip/hop and rap now that it is out. besides a lot of pre-teens think that it is appropiate since they see it on tv. and they also think they are very mature and grown, so they act like it. so i kind of kno what u mean.
posted by Desire Rhymes | March 22, 2005 8:44 AM #
i remember last year i was 18 i took my little cousin to b2k and bow wow concert and some girl like 14 threw her underware up on stage at omarion i was like nashay don't do what those other girls do,lol that girl is crazy.
posted by jhene | October 11, 2005 8:16 PM #
That was a good story.. yea.. i saw all of it.. it was pretty nice....he gave me his shirt, and his hat. It was insane... i almost started cryin cause i couldnt belive i was there. i wish i could have that day all over again.. my cousin works for them..BODY GAURD... that's how i got in....
posted by Kirsten | December 27, 2005 7:37 PM #