 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
To The 5 Boroughs
- By Beastie Boys
- Genre: Rap
Common Sense Media says
Exuberant social commentary and party fun.
Parents say
Kids say
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that one delivers the "f" word with more joyful exuberance than the Beastie Boys. There's a liberal sprinkling of this expletive (edited out on the clean version) on a couple of tracks, but other than that, this album packs a refreshing wallop with anti-drug and anti-violence messages -- as well as an apology, of sorts, for the group's earlier anti-gay stance.
What's the story?
The Beastie Boys, legendary rappers who happen to be Jewish, write songs with lyrics that contain words like "terse," "concise," and "matzoh." They will not disappoint their hardcore fans with the long-awaited TO THE 5 BUROUGHS, their first album in six years. It's a quirky love letter to New York, and the fact that the Beasties co-wrote and produced all of the tracks makes for up-tempo, musically minimalist consistency.
Is it any good?
Energetic and clever from beginning to end, To the 5 Buroughs is party fun with a socially conscious twist: many of the lyrics are anti-violence, anti-gun, and anti-drug. ("Columbine bowling/Childhood stolen/We need a bit more gun-controlling" or "Don't mess with crack or the baking soda.") There's even an attempt to revise the group's former anti-gay stance -- band member Adam Yauch recently made a public apology as well -- in "All Life Styles" ("All you spazzes and you freaks/Go and do your thing cause you're unique/If it don't hurt nobody else/Then don't be afraid to be yourself/And special dedication and so on, to all lifestyles, sizes, shapes, and forms/We got to keep the party going on...")
There's a bit of humorous sexual innuendo (a boast about a "10-inch sausage," for example) and no one delivers the "f" word with more joyful exuberance than the Beastie Boys. References to pop culture -- TV sit-coms and TV dinners -- feel more like kitsch than commercialism.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about the messages found in some of the songs. What are these artists taking a stance on? Does it sway you?
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AGE
Beastie Boys are probably one of my favorite bands, and this solidifies it!
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AGE
Great Album
This album is O.K. for kids 8+. Even though they use the F word about 15 times. It is not offensive in anyway.
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Kid, 10 years old
December 3, 2011
AGE
awesome for da fans
this is not a good rating should be on for 11
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| Artist: | Beastie Boys |
| Release date: | June 15, 2004 |
| Label: | Capitol |
| Genre: | Rap |
| Parental advisory: | Yes |
| Edited version available: | Yes |
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