 | 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. |
"Swagga Like Us" (CD single)
- By Jay-Z, Kanye West, Lil Wayne, T.I.
- Genre: Rap
Common Sense Media says
Kings of rap rein in the language – a little.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this single by four of rap's hottest -- and sometimes most explicit -- performers celebrates the thrill of being rich, stylish, and a great rapper, but contains only a few expletives, violent images, and misogynistic references.
What's the story?
Jay-Z and T.I. have joined forces with Lil' Wayne and Kanye West for SWAGGA LIKE US, a single that also includes a sampling of M.I.A.'s "Paper Planes." The single appears on both T.I.'s "Paper Trail" and Jay-Z's "The Blueprint 3." Each rapper gets a turn at the mike interspersed with M.I.A.'s sampled chorus, "No one on the corner has swagga like us.".
Is it any good?
This is a somewhat rare opportunity for four of the best rappers in the business to interact and play off each other. But because the artists never rap together, the single feels like four separate pieces instead of one outstanding whole. That said, it's still a solid release that shows these rappers can really rap without an exorbitant amount of profanity. M.I.A.'s samples are the perfect complement to the rap flow and this single proves that these four artists really can back-up the bravado.
Explore, discuss, enjoy
Families can talk about why bragging is such a part of hip hop and rap culture. Research the origins of the genre and learn about rap battles and improv rapping to find out about the competitive nature of this musical form. Why do you think it's important in hip hop and rap culture to be the best? Does it have anything to do with the backgrounds and upbringing of these artists? How do these rappers define success?
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- Teens & kids
Parent of 12 year old
May 26, 2009
AGE
Amazing song. Note that the unedited version is HIGHLY innapropriate.
This is a crazily catchy song, made even more marvelous by M.I.A. The unedited version contains tons of language though.
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Parent of 11 year old
October 24, 2009
AGE
salty words
What other families should know:
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Parent of 16 year old
August 6, 2009
AGE
this song and all o hip hop and rap are all about sex and drugs. why on earth would it be apropriate for a teenager to hear lick me like a lollipop i mean what the f*CK
What other families should know:
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Teen, 14 years old
April 10, 2010
AGE
ASKING TO BE ROBBED
These rappers are grown men, acting like arrogant teens. Club life and that stuff leads to being robbed. These four rappers are just bragging about what they got
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Teen, 13 years old
September 12, 2009
AGE
Hov, Yeezy, Weezy and TIP on one track
This song is full of creative rhyming and clever quotes, and most kids 6+ will probably have heard it because of it's all-star line-up.
What other families should know:
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Teen, 14 years old
March 12, 2009
AGE
woooooooow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!111
it sounds like a girl is singing,j-z & ti are rapping,kanye west isn't even there & the beat should be on karoke champions.I love this song.
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| Artists: | Jay-Z, Kanye West, Lil Wayne, T.I. |
| Release date: | September 6, 2008 |
| Labels: | Atlantic, Def Jam, Roc-A-Fella |
| Genre: | Rap |
| Parental advisory: | Yes |
| Edited version available: | Yes |
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