JUDGE MAKES TEEN ANALYZE RAP LYRICS

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. -- Matthew W. Fournier hasn't begun his court-ordered,
three-paragraph analysis of the song "Because I Got High," but the
teenagersays he already has an opinion about the man who sings it - a
rapper known as Afroman.

"I think he likes pot."

Fournier, 17, who said he lives in both West Hartford and Springfield, was
arrested last month in East Longmeadow, Mass., and charged with possession
of liquor and marijuana. Fournier went to Springfield District Court on
Wednesday and was told that the charges would be dismissed if he passed
random drug tests during the next six months -and if he wrote a brief
summary of the controversial song.

Judge Nancy R. Dusek-Gomez, who set the unusual terms, said the otherwise
"stupid rap song" nevertheless included lyrics that deserved scrutiny.
Included was a line she paraphrased as, "Now I'm a quadriplegic and I know
why, because I got high."

On Thursday, Fournier said he was surprised that the judge steered him
toward Afroman.

"I don't think he's anti-drug," said Fournier, who has heard the song the
judge referenced. He has also seen the CD, called "The Good Times," which
features Afroman on the cover. "It looks to me like he smokes weed. He
looks wicked high," Fournier commented.

Questions about the message in Afroman's song have been debated at length,
especially during the summer and fall when a cleaned-up version of "Because
I Got High" received airplay.

Interpretations of the song vary, ranging from those who consider it a
sobering reminder of marijuana's destructive power, to those who hear a
playful pro-pot anthem.