Borgman, D. (1999, October). A discussion on the rock-n-rap musician, Kid Rock. S. Hamilton, MA: Center for Youth Studies.

OVERVIEW

Adults may mistake "kid" for "teenybopper." But this is kid as in "Da KID." Or as Rock screams in his hit, "Bawatidaba": "My name is Kiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiid." And words from "Batwidaba" sum up the intent of his shows: "It’s all good, and it’s all fun, so get in the pit and try to love someone!"

Lars Ulrich of Metallica, who has worked with Rock describes him as a " ‘strangely likeable redneck pimp who’s gonna take sex, drugs, and rock’n’rap as far as he can without anyone getting hurt.’ "

The way he set everything up (at a concert) was really smart. He covered a lot of bases by urging everyone to be respectful of other people and not throw anything that could hurt anybody. It really ended up being just 20,000 plastic bottles. It was both a harmless and a totally anarchistic moment. (Spin)

The Globe introduces you to the kid this way:

Welcome the brave new world of hick-hop, where hip-hop, classic rock, and country meet in ways that neither Grandmaster Flash nor Hank Williams could have imagined. It’s the creation of a 27-year-old bundle of contradictions known as Kid Rock—a free- spirited showman whose career has been a meteor ride this year, fueled by Woodstock ’99 and MTV, and now coming to a town near you.

Briefly (describing a unique and complex life so far) Bob Ritchie was born to a middle-class car dealer and his wife who lived in the Detroit suburb of Romeo. He grew up in a nice bungalow—not "straight out of a trailer." In "Cowboy," he sings:

‘I’m not straight out of Compton/I’m straight out of a trailer. (Explaining this misleading line) I was just saying it for fun. I was just showing my whiteness. But 95 percent of my songs are biographical.’

His home, in fact, was on 5 ½ acres, and he worked hard mowing the grass and moving wood and rock piles. Seeing his interest, his parents gave him a turntable when he was 12.

‘I taught myself everything—turntables, guitar, bass, keyboards, drums. I was never much of a learner, or at least when other people would teach me. I teach myself.’

At 16 he ran away from home and ended up, as the Spin article describes it, becoming "a crack-dealing white-boy-in-the-hood." African-American urban experience mixed with the spirit of poor white country blues as basic influences. Musically, the Kings from Queens and Hank Williams drove his early music.

‘He (Hank Williams) is the only person who’s had a lifestyle remotely similar to mine. I’ve read two books in my whole life: The Girl Who Owned the City and Hank Williams’ biography, Your Cheatin’ Heart. There’s just something about the things he went through, and the songs he wrote are heartfelt and true.’

‘(His eclectic style comes from a broad base of influences.) I always hung out with a wide variety of people, and listened to a wide variety of music. If something is good, I like it. I don’t let anything else get in the way of it.’

Rock has sole custody of a son from a relationship with an African American woman some seven years ago. In 1999 there was a three-month affair with porn star, Midori. On the road there is wild partying and all that goes with it.

‘I mean, yeah, I do party like a m----r f----r when I’m on the road—getting down with everything and everybody. But behind the scenes, when I’m at home, I’m taking care of my kid.’

Kid Rock also juggles his career with the demands of fathering a 6-year-old boy (The Globe reports) showing a discipline that counters the sex-and-drugs-and hick-hop hedonism of his songs. In ‘Roving Gangster (Rollin’)’ Rock sings:

‘I’m a contradiction/ I’m a twist of fate…’

Ritchie lives with his son and an older sister, who is nanny to the boy when the father is on tour. When he comes home (to a very modest suburban home), Rock really gives himself to his son and seems to find deep satisfaction in fatherhood.

Kid Rock was around and struggling up for a long time—longer than Limp Bizkit’s Fred Durst or white Detroit rappers, Insane Clown Posse and Eminem. Spin describes his message:

From day one, Rock’s simplistic lyrics have been about the nonstop party: booze, babes, barbituates. If you listen closely, though, you’ll hear about hangovers and diapers, too. Rock’s flow is part Beastie Boys MCA on angel dust, part Too Short the pimp gone pick up truck, part Evil Knievel adrenaline rush. He’s no Jay-Z, but his style is steady in an Old School kind of way. Plus, the boy can really croon (check ‘Only God Knows Why’)…He can even write a catchy tune now and then, like the Beck-meets-the-Supremes ‘Cowboy’ single.

The Spin article also picks up on Rock’s persistent raunchiness and obscenity:

In the early 90s, when Vanilla Ice was rapping about dancing, Kid Rock was rhyming ‘bout ‘Balls in Your Mouth’—and spreading his smut-fused virus across America, touring with hip-hop honchos like Ice Cube and Too Short.

Spin describes Kid Rock:

The monster-truck enthusiast’s answer to Method Man, Kid Rock is grand marshal of the rip-hop generation’s Freakiest Show on Earth. His six-person back-up band, Twisted Brown Tucker, includes a keyboardist (Jimmy Bones) who flails about like Jerry Lee Lewis, a lady skins abuser (Stephanie Eulinberg) who drums in furry-headed stuffed-animal slippers, and a green-haired DJ names Kracker. Then there’s Rock’s diminutive sidekick, Joe C., who claims he’s "three-foot-nine with a ten-foot d…" Sporting a homemade ‘I’M NOT A F----- MIDGET!’ t-shirt (he has celiac disease, a chronic digestive disorder), Joe triumphantly stumps across the stage like a peacock on the make.

At one of his concerts, here’s how Kid Rock describes himself:

‘Yeah, I talk about bitches and ho’s, and because of that, a lot of people think I can’t stand women. But that’s b---s---, because to hate anybody in the world just ain’t the f----- way I’m living…. Now I ain’t into being political, saving the whales, or telling you to go see a g—d--- shrink. I’m into trailer parks, Pabst Blue Ribbon, and top-shelf mixes drinks!’

So what is Kid Rock telling his fans?

‘I try to tell kids, "Just be yourself," you know? That’s the only positive thing I’ve got going. If they dig into my background, maybe that’ll help ‘em understand that I was alays just myself, and that’s why people like me.’

MTV’s Largent (Rock has been criticized for being a little too cozy with MTV) defends Rock’s image and sees some maturity since his early "Blow Me" days:

‘He’s definitely in the spirit of sex, drugs, and rock’n’roll, but not in the frat-boy, offensive way—it’s more in a free-spirited way. I hope he doesn’t get caught up in some of the stupid stuff that’s going on right now in rock.’

The following sources were used for the this discussion:

Jenkins, S. (1999, October). Pimpin’ ain’t easy: Backstage with kid rock and the freakiest show on earth. Spin, p. 90.

Morse, S. (October 22, 1999). The rapabilly kid: Free-spirited rock’s hick-hop finally catches the public. The Boston Globe, pp. C1, C19.)

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION AND DISCUSSION

1. Do you know anyone who’s really into Kid Rock? What are your impressions of his music, his lyrics, and his lifestyle?
2. Imagine kids who really follow Kid Rock; what kind of kids might they be? Then, think of young people who don’t care—or really don’t like him. What lifestyles may they prefer and how might Kid Rock’s style and music not fit their tastes?
3. If your own children, or kids in your class or group, were buying his music, watching his videos, and talking about them, how might you process this with them?
4. Does Kid Rock make sense when he says, "Sure I talk about bitches and ho’s, but that doesn’t (demean women)?"
5. Does MTV’s Largent’s defense of Kid Rock hold up: "He’s not obscene in an offensive frat-boy way, but in a likeable free-spirited way?"
6. What does Kid Rock’s success say about our culture, and what possible influence is it having on society? What do you consider a proper social response to this artist and his work?

IMPLICATIONS

• Music plays a tremendous part in young people’s lives. They hear it on the radio, buy the CDs, watch music videos, read about their stars in magazines, and talk about them with friends. Rock concerts of all varieties are huge and significant celebrations. Many young people work out their hurts and anxieties in mosh pits.
• Adult failure to take the music of their youth seriously is one of the ways young people are being ignored.
• Music, along with the other popular arts, both reflects social realities and influences current trends. Those who argue that celebrities are not role models or that their actions and art do not affect young people are as non-sensible as those who blame tragedies of suicide, violence or sexual orgies on the media primarily. Serious studies have disproved both extremes.
• It is extremely important for adults who care about young people to listen to and view their favorite songs and shows with them. We don’t know how they perceive and process this material. We need their perspective, and they need our interest, respect, questions, and sensitive input.

Dean Borgman cCYS