This week I want to chat about professional athletes and hip-hop artists.

I was inspired to write this article by a friend in Bermuda who has young people's interests at heart. We were chatting about the impact that music and professional athletes have on young people, how powerful both messages could be if they could work together.

Some professional athletes and hip-hop artists today have been heavily influenced by the media and marketing and focus more on getting paid than up holding the integrity of their field.

Young people have been following their lead, they want to be on billboards, own cars, houses and be in the media. They seem to be taking away the wrong messages about being a professional athlete or to be a hip-hop artist.

Hip-hop music has been a lead attraction with young people, they listen to the lyrics and copy the fades that artist have been using to promote their music.

Professional athletes get so much media coverage and huge contracts today, that young athletes would do anything to be at that level.

Some young people see the glamour portrayed by both and want to be a part of it.

When you really look at it one seems to be held to a higher standard than the other even when they both have great influence on our young people minds

For example: Professional athletes' contracts are awarded based on a performer possessing good talent and good character. Any public wrongdoing could diminish their contract.

The hip-hop artist contracts are awarded for having talent, but good character seems to be pushed aside. They could pose on front covers of magazines with guns and their pants below their behind and never seem to lose a deal

Professional athletes, if caught doing drugs, would find themselves in a position to lose contracts and endorsements deals.

While some hip-hop artists could perform with a marijuana joint in one hand, mic in the next, singing songs about gang violence and seem to not only keep their sponsorship and endorsements deals, but also sell out concerts.

See, if a professional athlete makes a comment to media bashing teams, players or club, he/she will get slammed by the public and advised that they need make a public apology for the lack of respect.

While hip-hop artists could badmouth women, men, media and their friends, they could still have record deals piling up.

I am touching on this because the effect that both have on young people and how we hold one to a higher standard than the other. I do know that not all hip-hop artists write bad lyrics, but when young people buy it with no understanding of the hidden subliminal messages from the front cover, in videos and in the songs, this creates an issue for me.

Both professional athletes and hip-hop artists need to join together and educate our young people, make them understand what really reaching the top means and give them the real stories on what it takes to get there.

We as parents, media, sponsors, fans and communities carry the responsibility of being more educated on what our young people are influenced by, because this has a great affect on how our young people are being moulded today.

We should never stop young people from listening to music or wanting to be a professional athlete, we just need to make sure we give them the reality of what goes on in both fields, so they do not stray the wrong way and get lost when trying to complete their dreams or goals.

As Henry Ford said "Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success."

Until next time!