#RapDadsUnite Keep Your Kids Occupied With “Turbo” This Weekend Posted by Nathan S. on 07/19/13 | Filed under Opinion, Movies

We've talked about this before. While times may be changing, in hip-hop men will still talk about just anything (drugs, murder, strippers) before they talk about being a father. I've literally known rappers for years without knowing they had kids.

But I'm trying to be the change I wish to see in the world, and I'm slowly but surely building a #RapDad coalition. So all of my people out there in RefinedHype Nation who are dads, or uncles, or really anyone willing to stop pretending like their hard and admit they're always on the lookout for good movies to take kids to, this is for you.

On Tuesday I took my daughter (three-years-old for the record) to an advance screening of "Turbo", hosted by the seemingly immortal Snoop Dogg/Lion, who also (shockingly) plays a slick-talking street snail in the movie. Three quick side notes: One, Snoop also invited kids from his Snoop Youth Football League; the man's making a real, tangible positive difference in his community. Two, he's one of those people that just exude famous-ness. If an alien had also been at the screening, and had to guess who the most famous person in the room was, I guarantee they'd point to Snoop.

Anyway, onto the movie itself:



On the real, I can't say I had high expectations for myself, I was mostly hoping my daughter would make it through the movie without throwing a tantrum, but I found myself genuinely enjoying it. In the "Cars" or "Up" ballpark, it's one of those movies that manages to simultaneously play to two different audiences. If my daughter is any indication, kids will be enraptured by the look of the movie and the David vs. Goliath storyline ("David" in this case being a snail that wants to win the Indy 500). Adults will get all the pop culture references, plus a kick out of hearing Snoop Dogg/Lion, Samuel L. Jackson, Bill Hader and more do animated voices. Plus, fellow rap nerds will appreciate the music. We're talking Snoop (of course), Run DMC, Cypress Hill, House of Pain, Ozomatli, etc.

I'm clearly better at reviewing music than movies, but I'm not necessarily trying to be the new Ebert and/or Siskel here. This is just one rap dad saying to all the other rap dads out there that this weekend, when it's hot as hell so they have to stay inside, and your kids have drawn on the couch with marker for the 17th time, "Turbo" is a legit option. Hey, we gotta look out for each other.

Enjoy...

See Also:  I Don’t Know How To Put This, But The Trailer For “Anchorman 2” Is Kind Of A Big Deal
See Also:  You Should Go See “This Is the End” If You Enjoy Laughing (Movie Review)