Often without parents' knowledge, children and teens today are exposed, online and on the streets, to music containing explicit, vulgar, derogatory, or otherwise questionable language. Questions have arisen as to the full extent of damage that such lyrics can do -- do they merely exposure children to words and concepts their parents would rather shield them from, or do they actually encourage kids and teens to engage in hostile behavior, even sexual harassment?

Though many parents and concerned citizens want to keep questionable lyrics out of kids' hands, significant controversy remains as to the acceptability of regulating music without infringing upon artists' freedom of speech.