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“A balm for the soul”
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GOOD PEOPLE Book
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hip hop

Gen X invented the mix tape and we have the playlists to prove it.

Gen X is famous for being forgotten in most discussions of generations, which is hilarious because Gen X is totally awesome. Everybody says so (when they remember we exist).

Seriously, though, if you need proof that Gen X is fabulous, look no further than our playlists. The generation born between the mid-60s and the early 80s might just have the most varied and eclectic of all musical tastes. Our hippie/classic rocker parents passed down their 60s and 70s tunes, then we got the 80s in all its power ballad glory, then a brief 50s music revival during the 80s, then the rise of hip-hop, rap and grunge in the 90s.

A Gen X mom shared a video demonstrating the wide range of music she listens to ,and it's 100% familiar to those of us in our 40s and 50s.


As Word up with Jen points out, Gen X was "born in the 70s, raised in the 80s and partied in the 90s," cementing every decade's jams in our memory, from Anne Murray to Snoop Dog. Watch:

@wordup_withjen

Ya never know what you’re gonna get 🤷‍♀️ #genx #70sbaby #raisedinthe80s #partiedinthe90s #carjams

The comments confirm that Gen X really does have the bead on everyone's beats.

"I’m glad I’m not the only polyjamorous gen x out there."

"So I’m not the only one with a playlist that looks like it belongs to some with multiple personalities? This is a relief."

"Gen X is the only generation that covered so many genres of music AND decades of music. Don't give me the aux unless ur ready for a lesson in music."

"SO true!! You may get Metallica, you may get NWA, you may get Donny Osmond,you may get Duran Duran…who knows? 😂👏"

"I can relate 100%! It's not just one genre or decade. If you knew songs by NWA, Dre, Snoop, you also knew country songs by Shania, Garth Brooks, Tim McGraw and metal songs from Metallica to Pantera and so on. Even if you had a specific genre of music like me (90's hip hop/rap/pop) you also knew Sweet Child O' Mine by Guns n Roses by the very first riff and rocked the hell out of it lol. Love Gen X life!"

"I think Gen X hit the jackpot culturally. Signed, a Millennial."

Naturally, every individual has their own musical tastes, and people from other generations can certainly appreciate different music genres. But Gen X really has had the biggest exposure to a mix of musical styles during our formative. years. Our ingrained musical knowledge would make us excellent "Humm…ble" competitors, and we can sing along with pretty much anything pre-Y2K. (Some of us got Mom Brain in the 2000s that ruined us for memorizing lyrics to newer songs, but we can sing "Hotel California," "Sister Christian" and "Baby Got Back" in our sleep.)

The funniest thing about this is that the younger generations only know "playlists" as digital collections. Never will they know the hours of work that went into creating the "playlist" known as the mixed tape. Especially a mixed tape from the radio, where you curse the DJ for talking through the entire intro of the song. Even making mixed CDs took a lot of effort compared to few clicks it takes today to piece together a playlist.

Gen X may have its issues—all that angst didn't come out of nowhere—but when it comes to music, we are the unbeatable generation.

Picture this: Legislators for the great state of Utah gather in their chamber wondering, “How do we get young people to care about laws?”

And then, a mysterious voice from the shadows whispers, “Make a rap. It will be fun," before spraying a cloud of some kind of cartoonish "agreeability mist" into the air and scampering back to an evil lair.

And somehow, before the agreeability mist wore off, these seemingly reasonable lawmakers set to work on writing, filming, editing, and releasing the best/worst rap video of all time.


That is the only way to explain how this could have happened.

OK, maybe not. But it’s probably the story they should stick to. GIFs via Utah House of Reps/Twitter.

Legislators from the Utah House of Representatives debuted their first hip-hop single Feb. 28.

It’s a "Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" send-up called "Fresh Prints of Bills Here" and it's about how a bill becomes a law. It is — and I say this with near 100% certainty — the best thing you will see all week. (Or maybe the worst?)

There are fake bills.

A surprising amount of Comic Sans.

(Or if you're familiar with local government, maybe it's not surprising.)

[rebelmouse-image 19495046 dam="1" original_size="500x281" caption="Damn it, Jerry! GIF from "Parks and Recreation."" expand=1]Damn it, Jerry! GIF from "Parks and Recreation."

There's a poorly choreographed thumbs-up.

But not as poor as the fit on this MAGA cap.

The wordplay is FIRE. They even rhyme "there" with "chamber"

(Yeah, they made it chame-bear. THERE ARE NO RULES!)

Plus, there's this Jason Sudeikis doppleganger, in a backward hat, making what he undoubtedly thinks is a cool rap hand gesture. IT IS HARD TO BELIEVE THIS CONTENT IS FREE.

And we can't forget Rep. Susan Duckworth, who appears to be the only person who can stay within 10 feet of the beat.

Go off, Susan!

Basically the video has everything but black people. (But can you blame Rep. Sandra Hollins for sitting this one out?)

But (and I'll admit this is a big but) if you can get past the dancing, cringeworthy rhymes, and hilarious hats, the video actually has a lot to offer.

Sure, a mostly negative reaction to the political parody was swift, with Stephen Colbert discussing it on his show and one of Utah's U.S. Senate candidates, Jenny Wilson, promising to never appear in a rap video if she's elected.

But if "Schoolhouse Rock!" was before your time, this video offers a succinct and useful breakdown of the legislative process.

It's also a great way for people to get to know their elected officials. In a 2015 survey, nearly 77% of respondents could not name one of their state senators. Yikes! These are the people responsible for a lot of the laws and policies that affect our daily lives. Knowing who represents you (and how they're doing) is key to making sure your voice is heard. This video offers a chance to match names to faces or at least names to stuck-out tongues — and that's a start.

To the good people of Utah, as ridiculous and cringeworthy as this video is, hats off to you.

Specifically, the backward one. Take it off. You'll thank me later.

Check out the video in full. Who am I kidding? You'll have to. It's impossible to turn away.

11-year-old Isaac wrote a rap about being bullied. Too embarrassed to perform it, he sent it to his favorite rapper for help.

Mac Lethal, a Kansas City rapper best known for his super-fast delivery and the best breakfast anthem of all time, put Isaac's rap over a beat and made a video of the powerful letter.

Image via Mac Lethal/YouTube.


Isaac's story of bullying is heartbreaking and familiar.

Isaac and another kid named Thomas used to be great friends — riding bikes, swimming, and playing video games together. Now, Thomas won't stop physically and verbally tormenting him.

All GIFs via Mac Lethal/YouTube.

Isaac keeps trying to reconnect with his old friend, and he even let Thomas copy his math work. But he took advantage of Isaac's kindness.

Isaac has no idea what went wrong or how it happened. And it really hurts.

But despite their falling out, Isaac still has hopes he can salvage the friendship, and he wants Thomas to know he cares.

Losing a trusted friend is hard enough. That same friend turning into a bully without an explanation? It's absolutely devastating and painful.

That pain comes through in Isaac's gut-wrenching lyrics in the full video below:

Dealing with bullies is something too many kids deal with every day, but there's a lot we can do.

Sadly, there are bullying situations like Isaac's in many classrooms and schools around the country. 28% of students in grades 6-12 have experienced bullying. More than 70% of kids say they've seen it in their schools.

Bullying prevention and intervention are complicated, but approaches that involve the entire school community show promise. When everyone — including students, families, teachers, and staff like bus drivers, cafeteria monitors, and school nurses — encourages a culture of respect and models kindness, it can go along way. Students also benefit when teachers, parents, and other trusted adults talk to them about bullying and ensure they know how to find help for themselves or other kids who need it.

Photo by Frederic J. Brown/AFP/Getty Images.

Bullying is not "just a part of growing up," and it's not OK. Kids need to know they're not alone.

Whether you're a well-known rapper, parent, educator, coach, or just a concerned adult, connect with local schools and community partners that work with kids and families to create a culture of kindness. When we stand together, we can improve our schools and communities.

More

Watch one woman use hip-hop and dance to dispel myths about Muslims.

Amirah Sackett is fighting anti-Islam sentiment in a powerful way.

In 2011, Amirah Sackett created "We're Muslim, Don't Panic," a project that uses hip-hop and dance to bust myths about Islam.

Five years later, Sackett's dance, lecture, and discussion sessions are more important than ever. A self-described Muslim American who loves hip-hop and break dancing, Sackett's performances are unlike anything most people have seen; more importantly, they're unlike anything you might expect.

Sackett's goal is to help humanize Muslims, and her message couldn't have come at a better time.

A recent FBI report found that U.S. hate crimes against Muslims jumped by an alarming 67% in 2015 over the previous year.

Anti-Muslim sentiment is on the rise, with the estimated 3.3 million U.S. Muslims paying a steep price for the hate in the form of physical attacks, harassment, and discrimination. According to a University of Michigan study, the portrayal of Muslims in the media appears to be contributing to the increased hostility.

The solution? For more people to see Muslim people as they are — as other human beings rather than a collection of stereotypes. That's what makes Sackett's performance so needed.

Sackett's work takes powerful aim at people's preconceived notions about Muslims by hitting them with something unexpected.

"There's something about watching dancers who are Muslim, who are covered, start doing this crazy movement that's really strong and really beautiful and really hip-hop," Sackett tells Upworthy. "That alone, it just breaks the expectation of what you're imagining that person to be."

Informative and entertaining, Sackett's work not only helps us to understand our differences, but to celebrate our shared culture.

Watch below to learn more about how Amirah Sackett is helping to create a more loving world: