Topic: Obama's Hip Hop Values
- Aug 11, 2008 07:15pm by Delight - [i:305bf6cc17][b:305bf6cc17]De.light[/b:305bf6cc17][/i:305bf6cc17]
[b:305bf6cc17]Stuff 'n Things I dig:[/b:305bf6cc17]
http://hanadelirious.tumblr.com/
[b:305bf6cc17]Twitter:[/b:305bf6cc17] http://twitter.com/delightkc
[b:305bf6cc17]LastFM:[/b:305bf6cc17] http://www.last.fm/user/DelightKC
http://www.bombingscience.com/
http://www.okayplayer.com/ Location: KC, MO!
Obama's hip-hop values
Supporter Ludacris' new song reflects clash between politics, culture
By ERRIN HAINES
The Associated Press
Published Saturday, August 9, 2008
Ludacris' new song, "Politics as Usual," may have cost him one of his biggest fans, Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama.
And for good reason: It points out the dilemma facing the nation's potential first black president, who wants the support of the influential hip-hop community but needs to steer clear of the controversy so commonly associated with its music.
Ludacris' "Politics as Usual" alludes to an imminent victory for Obama by handing out major put-downs to his rivals. It dismisses Hillary Rodham Clinton as a vice presidential candidate -- "that (expletive) is irrelevant"-- and says presumed Republican nominee John McCain doesn't belong in "any chair unless he's paralyzed."
Obama, usually a Ludacris fan, was quick to distance himself.
"While Ludacris is a talented individual, he should be ashamed of these lyrics," Obama campaign spokesman Bill Burton said, calling the song "outrageously offensive."
That Obama's one-time praise for Ludacris has turned to scorn really is politics as usual, said John McWhorter, a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, a conservative think tank, and author of "All About the Beat: Why Hip-Hop Can't Save Black America."
"Of course, Obama and his people have to condemn the rap, because it does say some vulgar things," he said. "If you're running for president, you're supposed to be an upstanding individual."
While hip-hop fans are expected to be a factor in the election, the song is not.
"Hip-hoppers and black folks understand the game," said Jeff Johnson, an activist and host of an upcoming news and public affairs show on Black Entertainment Television. "They're thinking, 'An Obama who knows how to play the game is still better for me than a McCain.'<2009>"
"There are a ton of people who clearly are looking for (Obama) to denounce this in order to continue to view him as credible," Johnson said. "He, for political purposes, has to separate himself from anything controversially black."
During the Democratic primary, Obama was bolstby the black vote, and he has pledged to boost black participation by 30 percent in November -- potentially adding 2 million votes in 11 Southern states, enough to tip the balance in several states that have been solidly Republican.
The hip-hop generation stands poised to help him.
Last week, the nonpartisan Hip-Hop Caucus and hip-hop star T.I. launched the "Respect My Vote" campaign. The group estimates they will register 75,000 voters on the ground and 150,000 online, focusing on those between the ages of 18 and 29 not on college campuses.
In March, hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons endorsed Obama. Simmons chairs the New York-based Hip-Hop Summit Action Network, which says the hip-hop generation will be nearly 50 million strong this year.
McWhorter, who is an Obama supporter, said the song -- and Obama's reaction to it -- should come as no surprise. Rappers are supposed to be clever and confrontational, which is why the song is not likely to be on voters' minds this fall.
Some remember what happened when a politician stepped into this territory before.
In 1992, then-Democratic presidential candidate Bill Clinton accused the hip-hop artist Sister Souljah of inciting violence against whites. Some black leaders criticized Clinton, but by staying above the fray, he galvanized his image as a politician who refused to pander.
Then again, Obama also has appeared to have embraced some of hip-hop's cultural touchstones.
During the primaries, hip-hoppers cheered Obama's brush of the shoulder at one campaign appearance -- a subtle reference Jay-Z -- and again when he and wife, Michelle, shared a fist bump on the night in June when he became the apparent Democratic nominee. Both were silent nods to the black community, and especially the hip-hop generation.
Bakari Kitwana, who co-edited the upcoming "Let's Get Free: Strategies for Organizing the Hip-Hop Voting Bloc" with Johnson, said the hip-hop community's celebration over Obama's candidacy highlights a "disturbing reality" for some as artists like Ludacris become emboldened.
"Before, a lot of the songs about Barack were supporting his campaign," Kitwana said. "This song is different in that it almost claims the victory. That's scary for some people who don't want to see that happen."
Here is the link:
http://www.islandpacket.com/lowcountrylife/story/571880.html
- Aug 11, 2008 08:38pm by thePhantom* - Vessel for the muse.
http://phantastic.me
People need to quit being so damn sensitive! Have a beer. LOL
- Aug 11, 2008 10:50pm by Delight - [i:305bf6cc17][b:305bf6cc17]De.light[/b:305bf6cc17][/i:305bf6cc17]
[b:305bf6cc17]Stuff 'n Things I dig:[/b:305bf6cc17]
http://hanadelirious.tumblr.com/
[b:305bf6cc17]Twitter:[/b:305bf6cc17] http://twitter.com/delightkc
[b:305bf6cc17]LastFM:[/b:305bf6cc17] http://www.last.fm/user/DelightKC
http://www.bombingscience.com/
http://www.okayplayer.com/ Location: KC, MO!
[quote:b340a02128="thePhantom*"]People need to quit being so damn sensitive! Have a beer. LOL[/quote:b340a02128]
ba ha! 😛
