70. Hip-Hop, Faith, and Fatherhood, with Manny Digital

Music is the soundtrack to our lives, as Manny Montilla (aka Manny Digital) says in this episode of The Faithful Fatherhood Podcast. Good music can add color and flavor to our lives, provide commonality within a family, and enrich the human experience in meaningful ways. But what if the language and messaging in that music is questionable, explicit, or downright offensive? Should our kids be exposed to it? What is our role as father in filtering what our kids listen to? More broadly, how can we raise our kids to make life-giving choices on their own when it comes to the media they consume? These are questions without easy answers, but Manny sheds light on them as he shares a unique perspective having grown up around hip-hop culture in the Bronx and now raising kids who have an affinity for that same music while trying to balance faith and positive values.

About Our Guest

Manny "Digital" made his bones in The Bronx, NY. A son of Dominican immigrants, he grew up observing the pitfalls of his BX environment and carefully applied the lessons he picked up to set himself up for a better outcome. One of those lessons came from his personal experience as part of a broken home. He knew early on the importance of a father's presence and how setting clear expectations with his eventual children would be the most impactful element of building his family. Manny is an AdTech advisor at B7 media, co-hosts The Father Hoods Podcast, and is co-founder of FlyDads, an Ecommerce brand creating fashionable accessories for dad’s journey through fatherhood.

Recommended Resources

1. Learn more about FlyDads and purchase a Fly Dad Bag: https://flydadgear.com/
2. Check out Christian rap artists Lacrae and Andy Mineo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uLS-WE4K8q0 and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4bF4cU99W0g
3. Episode 21: How a Healthy Marriage Makes You a Better Father, with Dan DeMey

4. Connect with Manny on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mannydigital/ 

A Dose of Motivation

“The most beautifulest thing in this world is daddy’s little girl.” — JAY-Z

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Music in this episode is from "Good Ol' Man" (©2022) by Drew Green and reproduced with permission from Drew Green.