Now That's What I Call Music! 12

Review

Common Sense Media says

You may want to listen carefully, track by track.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

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Quality
 
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Parents say

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Kids say

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What parents need to know

Parents need to know that they may want to listen carefully track by track. The lyrics tend to focus on physical attraction and sexual behavior with lots of posturing that may signify "cool" behavior to your teens but will definitely raise an eyebrow or two if you listen with tweens.

  • Positive messages0
    Many tracks advocate sexual behavior parents will not want their children emulating.
  • Violence3
    Nas refers to parolees, gangstas; Nelly mentions a shooting over a pair of sneakers.
  • Sex3
    More than a few tracks reduce women to sex objects, praising them for their "sex style" ("Bump, Bump, Bump"), or their sexual involvement ("the one that you humpin'" ("'03 Bonnie & Clyde").
  • Language3
    A number of tracks include suggestive references like "the one that you humpin'" ("'03 Bonnie & Clyde") or "I like your little sex style" ("Bump, Bump, Bump").
  • Consumerism4
    Nelly extols varieties of expensive sneakers in "Air Force Ones." Nas refers to plasma TV and other big-ticket items in "Made You Look."
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking3
    "Made You Look" refers to passing a fifth and losing consciousness.
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What's the story?

Ounce for ounce, the NOW series packs more musical punch than most albums, thanks to the savvy grouping of familiar hits by reliable performers. NOW 12 is no exception.

Is it any good?

 

This album includes featuring established talents like Snoop Dog, LL Cool J, and Jay-Z and popular tracks like "03 Bonnie & Clyde," "Air Force Ones," and "Bump, Bump, Bump." Like its recent predecessors, NOW 12 includes plenty of hip-hop in this compilation. But the album also branches out to include some pop, R&B, and rock, like Telepopmusik's ubiquitous "Breathe," "When I'm Gone" by 3 Doors Down, and Chevelle's "The Red."

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What families can talk about

Families can talk about the art of the mix tape, updated for today's technology. What makes a good compilation?

This review was written by Cynthea Riesenberg

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This review was written by Cynthea Riesenberg
Release date:March 25, 2003
Label:Virgin Records
Genre:Compilation
Parental advisory:No
This review was written by Cynthea Riesenberg
 

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About our rating system
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.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.
Our child development rating guidelines

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