By an enormous margin, the hip hop community has come out in droves in support of Barack Obama. Rightfully so, he's the one candidate who has garnered such an unparalleled level of support and attention from a new generation of voters, myself included. Emcees and other artists have offered him support and written and produced songs as tribute to his campaign. Some songs, most notably will.i.am's "Yes We Can", have achieved anthem-status. I've gotta give it up to the real emcees who were along for the ride a long time ago. To the bandwagon jumpers: Hey, better late than never, right? Now everybody's got their Obama song, and that's cool. But it seems to me like many artists and entertainers have begun to use Obama's name for their personal, monetary benefit.
I don't have to tell you... that a track called "Freak [NC-17]" doesn't belong on a mixtape bearing Obama's name all over it!Take for instance the new mixtape from Crooked I: The Block Obama (download a free copy at NahRight). It's not enough that Crooked I uses Obama's name to promote his mixtape (and thereby promote his own name); it's that the content on the mixtape has nothing to do with Barack Obama at all! In fact, the tracks on this mixtape contain much more damaging content than anything the media could try to tie to Obama (RE: the Ludacris "scandal" which I discussed two months ago). Just listen to Crooked I's tracks like "Hood Politics" in which he depicts the Los Angeles scene, filled with gangs, drug-dealing, robbery, promiscuity and gunplay. Don't get me wrong, I'm used to hearing most rappers "report on their environment". And that's cool if you wanna keep doing it for the rest of your career/life, I guess. But to scream out "The Block Obama" on every track? On those tracks? To name the mixtape after Barack Obama? That mixtape? Do you want him to lose? Do you want to tarnish his image?
Granted, the mixtape itself is pretty solid. But I don't have to tell you (Crooked I) that a track called "Freak [NC-17]" doesn't belong on a mixtape bearing Obama's name all over it! Look, I've been a fan of Crooked I for several years. But I feel that he played himself on this one. No disrespect, I'm just calling it how I see it. Throwing the Obama name all over a project that he would be vehemently against is the equivalent of seeing Che Guevara's face patched onto a t-shirt worn by some ignoramous who has no idea what the Argentinean doctor and revolutionary stood for: and I've seen that way too often! Che Guevara sure as hell would be furious to see his face on lighters, tank-tops, beanies, key-chains, shirts and so on. The same principle follows with this Obama mixtape. Oh, great! Now I'm gonna get flack for comparing Barack Obama to Che Guevara...
What it comes down to is this: If you like Barack Obama; if you like his message; if you want him to win, great! Work for him to win! Don't muddle up his chances by bringing negativity to his name. I just felt like I should "Straightin It Out"!
I don't have to tell you... that a track called "Freak [NC-17]" doesn't belong on a mixtape bearing Obama's name all over it!Take for instance the new mixtape from Crooked I: The Block Obama (download a free copy at NahRight). It's not enough that Crooked I uses Obama's name to promote his mixtape (and thereby promote his own name); it's that the content on the mixtape has nothing to do with Barack Obama at all! In fact, the tracks on this mixtape contain much more damaging content than anything the media could try to tie to Obama (RE: the Ludacris "scandal" which I discussed two months ago). Just listen to Crooked I's tracks like "Hood Politics" in which he depicts the Los Angeles scene, filled with gangs, drug-dealing, robbery, promiscuity and gunplay. Don't get me wrong, I'm used to hearing most rappers "report on their environment". And that's cool if you wanna keep doing it for the rest of your career/life, I guess. But to scream out "The Block Obama" on every track? On those tracks? To name the mixtape after Barack Obama? That mixtape? Do you want him to lose? Do you want to tarnish his image?
Granted, the mixtape itself is pretty solid. But I don't have to tell you (Crooked I) that a track called "Freak [NC-17]" doesn't belong on a mixtape bearing Obama's name all over it! Look, I've been a fan of Crooked I for several years. But I feel that he played himself on this one. No disrespect, I'm just calling it how I see it. Throwing the Obama name all over a project that he would be vehemently against is the equivalent of seeing Che Guevara's face patched onto a t-shirt worn by some ignoramous who has no idea what the Argentinean doctor and revolutionary stood for: and I've seen that way too often! Che Guevara sure as hell would be furious to see his face on lighters, tank-tops, beanies, key-chains, shirts and so on. The same principle follows with this Obama mixtape. Oh, great! Now I'm gonna get flack for comparing Barack Obama to Che Guevara...
What it comes down to is this: If you like Barack Obama; if you like his message; if you want him to win, great! Work for him to win! Don't muddle up his chances by bringing negativity to his name. I just felt like I should "Straightin It Out"!
