Compton Honors R & B Band for Playing a Positive Note

Coming from Compton made Monday’s pop music endorsement all the more meaningful.

Mayor Omar Bradley on Monday invited the rhythm and blues band Mint Condition to the de facto capital of gangsta rap to be honored for setting a good example.

He said the lyrics of one of the group’s pop hits, “What Kind of Man Would I Be?”--a song about marital fidelity--had struck him as a sign of hope in an industry infamous for its negative role models.

Nearly 50 fans filled City Council chambers with pens and Hello Kitty autograph books in hand, many of them praising the musicians for the positive influence they have come to represent.

But amid all the honors, including a key to the city, one statement of approval stood out: a short but special one from Councilwoman Marcine Shaw.

“Grannies, when they got Mint Condition [recordings], let ‘em play,” announced Shaw, a grandmother herself.

Bassist Ricky Kinchen thanked the crowd for its comments.

“Sometimes we’re not sure . . . if we’re doing the right thing,” he said. But after Monday’s show of support, he added, “We definitely know we’re on the right track.”