"I've heard this song a thousand times on Tik Tok. I didn't realize what the words actually were."
- Grade 11 student

 

 

Roddy Ricch is one of the most popular artists globally and youth are consuming his music daily.   His hit song The Box has come up in discussion at several Engaging Music Presentations involving both church leaders and youth.  I thought I'd share five observations as you seek to encourage your communities to faithfully discern culture.

                 

 

1. YOUTH ARE UNAWARE OF THE WORDS

After listening to the song together in a Grade 11 music class, one girl raised her hand to answer “What Stood Out to her about the song?”  She explained that she had heard The Box a thousand times on the social media platform Tik Tok. What stood out to her was the words.  She wasn’t aware of them until she saw them on the screen.  Another student wondered whether it might be better for the younger children on her school bus to stay unaware of the words when they heard it.  Upon further reflection she did recognize that she wouldn’t want her younger siblings listening to this song.

2. WOMEN AND MEN EXPERIENCE THE SONG DIFFERENTLY

I’ve noticed it’s harder for female participants to share after engaging with a song like The Box that degrades women.  One woman said: “I was going to say something [to the group] but then I got scared.”  Fortunately, she courageously went on to talk about how Roddy Ricch’s description and depiction of women in the song made her angry. Other women joined in, one talking about how the song made her “cringe.”  Another female participant wondered whether her youth understood the reference Roddy Ricch makes about having a girl who looks like “Aaliyah” in the song.   Aaliyah is a deceased female singer/actress/model who R Kelly illegally married when she was 15 years old.   Men typically spoke up about other issues such as race rather than gender. Here is an article entitled “Confronting Misogyny in Popular Music” that explores this more.

3. BLACK PEOPLE AND WHITE PEOPLE EXPERIENCE THE SONG DIFFERENTLY

All the negative comments verbalized about profanity came from white participants.  I myself am a white man and these types of conversations have led me to wonder:  “Is Profanity Getting in the Way of Knowing our Neighbour?”  The Box also has a negative perception of police.  Several white students felt this perception was simply rebellion.  When the conversation shifted towards police violence towards black people in Canada and the USA, the students could begin to consider their might be more going on then they realized. One lyric states  “I done put a hunnid bands on Zimmerman s***.”  Many white participants were unfamiliar with the Zimmerman reference.  One white youth leader wondered if Roddy Ricch was talking about a classical composer. Most black participants immediately understood the reference to the 2012 shooting of Trayvon Martin by George Zimmerman in Florida.

4. YOUTH LEADERS FIND IT CHALLENGING TO HELP YOUTH AVOID THIS SONG

Several youth leaders expressed a desire for their students avoid this song however they were unsure how to do this. Together we could acknowledge that simply telling students not listen to certain songs is not effective. I encouraged these leaders that equipping youth with discernment skills and good questions would be the most beneficial. A 19 year-old youth leader shared his strategy of making playlists that he could share with youth. These playlists included songs the youth listened to like The Box as well as songs he picked to have more positive values. He shared how youth would positively respond to new material they hadn’t heard before and be curious about it.

5. HONEST CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THIS SONG IN CHURCHES AND SCHOOLS HELP

Despite the challenging nature of the discussion, no one denied the benefit of engaging in the conversation. Youth appreciated that their thoughts and opinions were heard and valued. Church leaders appreciated hearing that they were not alone in the challenging work of walking alongside youth. Everybody walked away with a better understanding of the song, themselves, others around them who may be experiencing the song differently.