I am starting to introduce my children to Prince, as well as re-introduce myself since I went almost 15 years not checking for his music...boy do I have a lot of catching up to do.. . My question is for those with children, would you ever unleash your entire collection of Prince music to your children? I have an 11 year daughter, 9 year old son and a 2 1/2 year old daughter and I don't think I could just hand over, let's say, 1999 and let them just listen to it. At least not at the ages they are now. I know they probably know more than I did at there age, with all that children are exposed to on t.v., but I still try to shield them from a lot of the objectional content that airs on t.v. I don't think I am ready to explain to them what IIWYG or Darlin' Nikki is all about or have them ask me. How do other parents feel about exposing all of Prince to their children?

to me, prince is just prince...he is a package deal. now, i could be wrong about this, and im sure there are folks that will tell me just how wrong i am but, i have tried to show my love for prince's music to my children, and i hardly ever feel bad about the lyrics. however, you have to know that kids these days exposed to all the rap crap thats out there, now, a lot of those lyrics i do have a problem with, because they are so demoralizing to women mostly, princes music may be "sexual" in nature, but in all his music - he was 'loving' a woman....sometimes too much
all in all, i try to explain to my babies, who have grown up listening to prince -- that its a form of art. its how he expressed and moved many many people. he is free to sing about anything he likes....now, what we choose to do with our bodies and mind is our choice. the bad is out there.....no doubt about it, but, in art, i think the world is your canvas, and if you are fortunate enough, people will notice your work

I don't let mine listen to everything, I skip over certain ones. But from doing that, I've noticed that the Hits B-sides, all 3 of them, are not that bad... I rarely have to skip over one. There are a few on 3 that are definitely skips but that's pretty much it. All other albums can wait for her to hear in their entirety.....

I have as filthy a mouth as Prince used to have. I also have a 2 year old daughter.

I really have to watch what I say around her, and I really have to watch what I play around her.
She may not understand what some words mean, but she will surely repeat them when you least expect it.

If you are comfortable with your kids singing along to Head, then that's a parent's call.

I was 12 when I got 1999. I certainly didn't let my parents hear a couple of tracks from that album! lol

My Daughter Loves Prince and well she watches MTV. Yes, I have No qualms letting her listen to Prince now or then.

I have a 22 month old son and I plan to let him listen to my Prince collection but, all within due time and age appropriateness. At the present time I am playing the Musicology cd and he loves the title track. Iplayed Prince music a lot while I carried him. I just want him to appreciate real music and musicianship.

My kids have listen to Prince all their lives. My son digs him but not as much as my daughter. I wont listen to "head" or "SMF" when they are around. MY daughter has been introduced to all eras of Prince music. She cant wait till May 26th. This will be her 3rd PRINCE concert this year
She tells everyone shes a "purple hippie"
My son says he's a "purple politician"
[This message was edited Sun May 16 19:15:16 2004 by nesseone]

My kids were turned out on Prince music while they were still in the womb. So no, I don't have any problems with them listening to his music. They are both teenagers now and the stuff they listen to today is what frightens me! Have you heard that "Milkshake" song? Now that's some scary shit!

I've never hidden any Prince music from the kids...

SexyBeautifulOne said:

What "Milkshake"-Kelis?

"My milkshake brings all tha boys to tha yard & their like it's betta than yours,damn right it's betta than yours I can teach you but I have to charge..."

Not that bad I liked the light blue converses she wore in the vid. Altho I get tired of hearin' that song..otha than that..that's not much 2 be scared of.

I filter what I let my kids (ages 2-11) listen to. Not just with Prince, but music, television, movies, etc.

With prince, there's about 2% of his music that I don't play for them and don't have available for them to play on their iTunes. Songs like

Pussy Control, 18 & Over, Darling Nikki, Erotic City, Gett Off, Hide the Bone, Ripopgodazippa, Orgasm, Sexy MF, Damn U.

KeLo07 said:

Do you know what she's referring to by "Milkshake"? Trust me, she's definately not talking about milk and ice cream. My 15 year old daughter and her friends told me what it really means. More frightening than anything Prince has ever written. Don't believe me, listen to the uncut cd version and not the radio edit.

how could it be "More frightening than anything Prince has ever written."

Worse than Sugar Walls, Nasty Girl, Darling Nikki, 18 & Over, etc?

Jack U Off...I was about 11 when the Controversy album came out.. I would sing my ass off..not knowing what I was singing 'bout..My momma was there, and never flinched..(maybe she didn't know what it was 'bout either.. ) That was the year she took me to my first Prince concert, with the Time, and Zapp as opening acts.

I've got a 7 year old and one that's almost 2. The songs I restrict are Jack U Off, Erotic City, Sister and Let's Pretend We're Married. Those are the only ones that are a little too graphic right now. By the time they hit middle school, I'll go ahead and take the restriction off of those songs. By that point I'd rather they hear lyrics by Prince than some knucklehead with a cheaper intent on the radio.

My kids love Prince. They sing along with the songs off Musicology or other cds when we travel in the vehicle (Ya cannot drive without having some Prince cd's available). ICP&C, Musicology, Cinnamon Girl they all sing the lyrics. My 9 year old son and my 6 six year old son get a kick out of when P tries to imitate an old man "I was fine back in the day"..... My 11 year old daughter loves singing Life 'O' The Party and Musicology.... They like his old stuff too.

New converts.....