A couple weeks back, Immortal Technique pointed out in an Al Jazeera interview how the media makes Barack Obama go through what he referred to as “Toby Moments,” where they force Obama to publicly denounce his supporters. Well, it is happening again today, as the Obama campaign has criticized Ludacris for the track Politics as Usual off the “Gangsta Grillz: The Preview” mixtape.

After listening to the song, I can’t really figure out why. Maybe because he called Hillary a bitch? Maybe because he called Bush a horrible president? Or maybe because everything he said is true? In any case, in support of Ludacris I have decided to name Politics as Usual this week’s hip-hop track of the week. Click below to listen:

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And follow along with the lyrics after the break – just to see how rediculous Obama’s newest “Toby Moment” really is. (more…)

It is about time for Hillary to make her graceful exit …

Thursday night, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) held its 39th NAACP Image Awards, which was broadcasted live on FOX. The historic civil rights organization holds the annual award show to honor the achievements of people of color in the arts, including film, television, music and literature, as well as those who promote diversity and social justice.

While there were many deserving honorees from all aspects of American culture, this year’s award show had a strong focus on both music and politics … and rightfully so. (more…)

Just when we thought it might be over, Super Tuesday turned out to be far from super. Traditionally, the presidential nominees are often decided based upon the results of this single day of voting in which nearly half of our states hold their primaries. However, even with the huge amount of delegates handed out on Tuesday, there remains quite a battle for the Democratic presidential nomination.

The delegate process can be extremely confusing, largely due to the differences from state to state in regards to how delegates are won and how they are pledged. Some states hold caucuses while others hold primaries to determine the proportionate delegate winners. And the different types of delegates available create a system that has the potential to strip away the voting power of the common citizen. (more…)

Just a week before celebrating the anniversary of the birth of our nation’s civil rights pioneer, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the unnecessary and divisive topic of race has now reared its ugly head in the Democratic presidential campaign.

Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY) and Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) have begun a destructive spat that started last week after some comments were made by former President Bill Clinton. Both the Clinton and Obama camps are insinuating that the other is injecting race into the presidential equation, but who is really playing the race card? (more…)

Though the Iowa primaries are still weeks away, we already know how a few high-profile people are going to vote. Oprah Winfrey made headlines by declaring her support for Barack Obama, and Bill Clinton has been stumping for his wife, but some rather unlikely celebrity endorsements have begun to filter in as well.

The indestructible Chuck Norris has declared his support for Mike Huckabee, über-con Pat Robertson announced that he is backing pro-choice Rudy Giuliani, and, in a strange twist, rapper 50 Cent is endorsing Hillary Clinton. (more…)

It’s about time.  Finally, a voice from the hip-hop community has stepped up to the mic.  But this time it was not to spit some lyrics; rather, it was to pose questions directly to the presidential candidates from hip-hop’s perspective.

This past weekend, all of the Democratic presidential candidates gathered in America’s current campaign hotbed for The Iowa Brown & Black Presidential Forum at North High School in Des Moines.  It was the sixth time for this forum, which has been growing in popularity and influence ever since it’s conception in 1984 – but it was the first time that any of the ’08 presidential candidates have been asked questions formally posed to them about the issues that directly affect the hip-hop community and those of us that are a part of it. (more…)

Vinnie Paz, the vocal half of Philadelphia’s Jedi Mind Tricks, is notorious in the underground hip-hop universe for his dark lyrics and concise rhymes that speak directly to what’s going on in his head.

JMT’s most recent record, “Servants in Heaven, Kings in Hell,” spans the vast landscape of Vinnie’s thoughts – including suicide and war – and fits perfectly with producer Stoupe the Enemy of Mankind’s array of vivid beats and melodies. (more…)