Jay-Z has signed Will Smith's daughter, Willow (groan) to a record deal under Roc Nation and Columbia Records. The 9-year old already debuted a single called "Whip My Hair" that sounds like your typical generic pop song, complete with overproduced autotune and sampling.

What the hell

Will and Jada Smith sure do seem like quite the stage parents. Their son Jaden is only 11 years old but has already appeared in several motion pictures, most recently starring in The Karate Kid reboot that actually revolved around kung fu. Now their 9-year old daughter is embarking on a music career. Using the word "career" is odd when talking about a child who probably hasn't even lost all her baby teeth yet.

I'm all for encouraging your kids to pursue their interests and get involved in activities, but grooming one kid to be an actor and another one to be a pop star at such early ages seems a little aggressive. Hollywood is rife with stories of child actors who struggled with giving up their childhood in lieu of a career and ended up making poor decisions as young adults (drugs, alcohol, acting like a dumb-ass). I wonder how Will Smith would react if his daughter gets all Miley Cyrus on him in a desperate attempt to grow up too quickly.

There isn't anything wrong with a kid acting his age. Jay Z compared Willow's ambition and drive to a young Michael Jackson, and we all know how well that turned out. If I were nine years old, I'd be thrilled about being compared to an international pop star whose messed up childhood caused irreparable damage and affected him for the rest of his quirky, solitary life.

What do you think about the Smith kids and their early start on a career path to stardom? Do you think their parents are being encouraging or reckless?

What do you think of 9-year old Willow Smith starting a music career?