While having a darker complexion has almost never helped anyone in this country, it did inspire many hip hop artists to throw their support behind a black president. While not technically black, being half African and half Caucasian, his skin tone and interest in basketball appealed to the hip hop community. Although Jesse Jackson was in a similar position in the 80's, the hip hop community wasn't as big as it is now and were very wary of any presidential candidate. Obama also avoided the controversy that Jackson had with his labeling of New York as "Hymietown", but did get some insults from Jackson, himself, that he would "cut his nuts off" if Obama kept talking down to black fathers in an off-the-collar remark. Ironically, Jackson was crying tears of joy when Obama won the election. Jackson's comments didn't have much of an effect on Obama's appeal to black voters or hip hop artists. With song's like Nas' "Black President" and Kidz in the Hall's "Work To Do", promoting Obama's presidency, and campaign contributors like Jay-Z, The hip hop influence was easy to see. Also, famous graffiti artist, Shepard Fairey, painted the famous "Obama posters" (pictured above) that were used to promote the residential campaign and were seen at rallies.
So what does a hip hop enthusiast like myself think of the hip hop community getting behind a presidential candidate. I am not in favor. Hip hop should be free of political affiliations, in my opinion. While some hip hop artists are smart enough to understand the policies and plans of presidential candidates, when you're voting between the lesser of two evils, then what is the point.
Songs To Sway You: Presidential Edition
Wyclef Jean- If I Was President
Dj Green Lantern ft. Immortal Technique, Dead Prez, Saigon, & Just Blaze- Impeach The President
Method Man ft. Raekwon & Rza- Presidential MC
A great deal of hip hop music is inherently political. It articulates a collective anger over racism, oppression, poverty that creates the city scenes you describe in the first post of 'How it all got started." ANd certainly the Asheru song you describe 'Return of the King" (a reference to the JRR Tolkein book of the same title) is thoroughly political: what would America look like to day if the Rev. King were still alive? I'd like to see a thoughtful and careful defense of the claim that there is no point in voting when all you have is the lesser of "two evils": MaCain/Palin and Obama/Biden. Are their policies really so very alike?
ReplyDeleteI understand your point about music becoming too political, but I disagree with your statement saying hip hop should be free of political affiliations. In the 80’s, rap was a venue for people to shed light on the social injustices. Rosa Clemente, a New York-based activist and co-host for a radio show, argues "Hip hop can be used to show resistance against oppression; that's what it was in the beginning and that's what it continues to be."
ReplyDeleteI'll admit that my "lesser of two evils" comment is opinion based. I just feel that all politicians have their own agendas and care more about losing potential votes than some issues. Obama isn't exempt from this either. He has had to distance himself from people like Reverend Wright and most recently, Common. Common was one of the biggest Obama supporters during the election, but when Michelle Obama invited him to read poetry at the White House, Fox News and other right-winged sources cited Common for having offensive and often racist lyrics. The president then had to respond that while he didn't agree with some of Common's lyrics, he still stood by the decisin for Common to do the reading. Now, anyone who consistently listens to hip-hop music knows that Common is one of the biggest supporters of peace in the black community. Being pro-black doesn't put you in the same league as anti-white. This criticism is one reason that I believe that hip-hop should be free of political affiliation. Another is that there is little room for dissent once you throw your support behind a candidate. What happens if your candidate is doing a poor job in office? How can you criticize the person that you initially endorsed after the fact. And lets face it. The hip hop community will never endorce a Republican candidate. So with only one party as a choice, there should be no reason for endorsements. It seems obvious that Obama's heritage clearly was the overwhelming reason that he got so much support from the hip hop community. No previous candidates got support from any hi-hop artists. There were only anti-Bush rants. So, if only black, Democratic candidates can get support, then why even try.
ReplyDeleteThe clip posted is hilarious and some people act exactly as depicted and others completely different. President Obama-The Hip Hop President? -I'm sure he'll wear that title proudly among many others.
ReplyDeleteBeing a lover of hip-hop and having been immersed in its culture, the music and the culture was rooted in politics. Looking back at your posts, I figured this was your take on the subject also.
Your claim of "Soulja Boy" ruining hip hop is absurd to say the least. Hip Hop is much bigger than Soulja Boy and quite frankly, one of many young rappers doing what he loves and is obviously talented at. Some young people feel they can dance to his music so what's the harm?
There are millions of rappers in towns across the US. My hope is the music continues to evolve and so does its listeners.
I understand some of your points. Some hip hop I can do without also, but to say the Hip hop Community should alleviate their voice on political issues would take the culture further back than forward.
Blacks before me were beaten, jailed or died for the right to vote. For me personally, it would be a disgrace to the ancestors.
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ReplyDeleteYou misunderstand a lot of what I'm saying. I never said that they shouldn't vote. What I was saying is that campaignning for presidential candidates should be absent in hip-hop. We know they won't vote for Republicans, so there is no reason to say "vote for Democratic candidate _______." Hip hop has always been about dissent and by campaigning for politicians seems very hypocritical to me.
ReplyDeleteIn repsonse to your critisizms about "How Soulja Boy Ruined My Generation", it is about how record labels are promoting less talented artists to sell more records. I chose the title to draw people in to read it. It could have been called "How Lady Gaga Ruined My Generation", but that wouldn't be pertinant to my blog topic. Believe me, as a recording artist myself, nobody wants those millions of rappers you talked about to achieve their goals of making records and money, but paraphrasing the words of the great KRS-One "Radio should consist of half mainstream rap and half lyrical hip-hop. Right now it is all mainstream rap, and that is the main problem."