-

'Baby Loves Hip-Hop' but teens won't love the Dino 5

Date published: 9/4/2008

BY ADDISON HERRON-WHEELER

One thing that really works for press releases is name-dropping. This dubious technique is the reason why I picked up a copy of "Baby Loves Hip-Hop" by the Dino 5, part of the "Baby Loves Music" collection that is becoming popular with hip, young parents.

Normally, I would not have cast a second glance at something that seemed 17 years too young for me. But when I saw that one of the members of the "rap group" was from the Digable Planets and that there was a guest appearance by a member of De La Soul, I was transfixed. I had to hear what this sounded like. When I realized that dinosaurs and poets were involved, I was sold.

Now, technically speaking, all of the renowned artists who make up the Dino 5, as well as all of the guests, perform perfectly well. It is not as if they lost talent to record this CD. Instead, the problem is simply that the whole thing is annoying. The entire album is a story about dinosaurs being all buddy-buddy, coming together despite differences and preaching about morals and all that good stuff. Furthermore, it is all done in an obnoxious, singsong way.

It is pretty much old-school rap taken to the very pinnacle of corniness. If you really want something to compare this to, Google "Don't Copy That Floppy" and you will get a good idea of what I am talking about.

The album does have some redeeming qualities, however. If you can get past the childish elements, both the beats and the lyrics are of pretty high quality. The whole thing had a bit too much of a Run-DMC flavor for my taste--but if you like that kind of thing, you are probably going to enjoy this.

Another really important thing to keep in mind is that this is a CD for children, and I am a teenager who likes things that are for teenagers. I think that for parents who want to teach their kids about dinosaurs, being good people and appreciating hip-hop, this is an awesome CD. I just don't recommend it for most people over the age of 5, unless you are really, really into corny old-school rap.

Since I requested this CD, I have been coaxed to review other such albums, including "Baby Loves Jazz" and so on (there are a ton of them). However, I have refused since I already have discovered that I have a fairly low tolerance for youth-oriented media. I believe, however, that my review could loosely relate to all of these albums. I am sure that all of them are good representatives of their genres to children, and that all teach good lessons--but I am not sure that they could be enjoyed by those who are not tiny tots or their parents.

So, recommend these to people for whom you baby-sit, but don't necessarily go blow your paycheck on the CDs yourself.

Addison Herron-Wheeler is a freshman at Virginia Commonwealth University.

Date published: 9/4/2008