It's Already Written

 Review

Common Sense Media says

Refreshing hip-hop shows respect for women.
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
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall 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 former rapper Houston is refreshingly sentimental on this CD, creating a rare aura of caring and respect in which the artist actually appears to like women. Might be worth pointing out to your daughters (and sons!).


What's the story?

The debut CD of Houston, ALREADY WRITTEN, is an accomplished collection that explores a variety of musical styles as well as emotional terrain. Most notable is the fact that, unlike many of his contemporaries, Houston seems to genuinely like and respect women. His lyrics are unflinchingly romantic, while exploring some unconventional themes. "Let Me Love You Down," a remake of Ready for the World's classic, earnestly addresses his attraction to a much older woman. "Twizala" is a shopping list of all the qualities the singer hopes to find in his dream woman. In less skillful hands (and vocal chords) this song could sound dumb, but here it doesn't, coming off instead as a touching "if only" love song. "I Like That" features stellar cameos by Nate Dogg, Chingy, and Disturbing Tha Peace's I-20.


Is it any good?

 

Houston is often compared to Usher, an artist who also isn't afraid to dig deep into risky emotional territory. Though there may be good reason for the comparison, Houston is more than just an Usher clone. There's a lot of worthwhile, interesting, and well-produced music on this CD, performed by a talented young singer and songwriter.


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What families can talk about

Families can talk about the difference in Houston's attitude toward women versus that of many rappers and rockers. And yet he's successful -- be sure your kids appreciate that respect can be cool.


This review was written by Kathi Kamen Goldmark

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This review was written by Kathi Kamen Goldmark
Artist:Houston
Release date:August 10, 2004
Label:Capitol
Genre:Hip-hop
Parental advisory:No

This review was written by Kathi Kamen Goldmark
 

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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.

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