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:

[See post to listen to audio]

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

[Ludacris]
I’m back on it like I just signed my record deal/
Yeah the best is here/
The Bentley Coup paint is dripping wet – it got sex appeal/
Never should have hated – you never should’ve doubted him/
With a slot in the president’s iPod Obama shouted him/
Said I handled his biz and I’m one of his favorite rappers/
Will give Luda a special pardon if I’m ever in the slammer/
Better yet put me in office, make me your vice president/
Hillary hated on you, so that bitch is irrelevant/
Now Jesse talking slick and apologizing for what?/
If you said it then you meant it, how you want it – head or gut?/
And all you other politicians trying to hate on my man/
Watch us win a majority vote in every state on my man/
You can’t stop what’s ’bout to happen, we ’bout to make history/
The first black president is destined and it’s meant to be/
The threats ain’t fazing us, the nooses or the jokes/
Get off your ass, black people, it’s time to get out and vote/
Paint the White House black and I’m sure that’s got ‘em terrified/
McCain don’t belong in any chair unless he’s paralyzed/
Yeah I said it cause Bush is mentally handicapped/
Ball up all of his speeches and I throw em like candy wrap/
‘Cause what you talking I hear nothing even relevant/
And you the worst of all 43 presidents/
Get out and vote or the end will be near/
The world is ready for change because Obama is here/

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

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.

Music
The beautiful art of music was represented throughout the evening – from the performers to the presenters to the recipients. Kirk Franklin and one of his impressive entourages opened up the show with a spiritual performance to set the stage. Later in the program, Grammy Award winning group Sounds of Blackness and American Idol winner Jordin Sparks honored this year’s NAACP Vanguard Award recipient with a tribute medley performance. This year’s NAACP Chairman’s Award recipient, the renowned actress Ruby Dee, was honored with a dedicated song and performance from freedom fighter Angélique Kidjo, who was accompanied on stage by Ziggy Marley.

There was a strong musical presence seen in the list of presenters as well. Many musical genres were represented, as some of the presenters included artists such as Master P and Romeo, India Arie, Herbie Hancock and Janet Jackson. In addition to being a presenter, Janet Jackson won an NAACP Image Award, but not for music. Rather, Janet won for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture for her work in the film, “Tyler Perry’s Why Did I Get Married?”.

However, two of the greatest honors of the night came from two of the most coveted Image Awards the NAACP hands out – and both went to musicians. The aforementioned NAACP Vanguard Award recipient was none other than the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin, and the NAACP Hall of Fame Award recipient went to the legendary musical genius, Stevie Wonder.

Politics
Although music, and the musicians themselves, had a great impact on this year’s Image Awards, the NAACP also had strong focus on the current political and social issues of the day. D.L. Hughley, the host of the show, opened up with some funny commentary on the presidential race, taking light-hearted jabs at Obama, Clinton and McCain. But the comedian’s largest applause came after a sincere statement when he said, “This is an amazing time in American history. I don’t have to tell you, we are this close to having a black president for the first time in history.”

Most noticeable, the NAACP did not shy away from the fact that it is an election year by any means. An NAACP press release announced that the theme of this year’s award show was Stand Up & Be Counted, and this was reflected in the 2008 logo. The focus of the organization’s message was to encourage everybody to be socially conscious during this vital political season and to stand up in support of fundamental human and civil rights. This message was clearly delivered throughout the broadcast, including both planned segments as well as impromptu speeches from award recipients.

In addition, the NAACP took some positive environmental steps in regards to the production of this year’s Image Awards. The organization’s press release stated they recognize that “today’s environmental crisis will become tomorrow’s civil rights issues” and in response, the NAACP reduced the ceremony’s carbon footprint and impact on the climate by incorporating eco-friendly initiatives. Simply put, the NAACP Image Awards has gone green.

Music & Politics
What was most fascinating about the evening was not necessarily the specific honoring of the art of music, nor the awareness of the political and social issues of the day. Rather, it was the combination of the two and the presentation of how interdependent these two powerful forces are and can be when given the platform. This was best exemplified by this year’s NAACP Vanguard Award and NAACP Hall of Fame Award recipients.

The legendary Aretha Franklin took home the prestigious NAACP Vanguard Award, which is presented to individuals whose “groundbreaking work increases our understanding and awareness of racial and social issues.” An extremely rare award for the NAACP, the honor has only been designated to just three people in the award show’s history – Prince, Stanley Kramer and Steven Spielberg.

In addition to the musical tribute honoring the Queen of Soul, a video montage was shown which documented her career of touching millions of people around the world with her voice, including the songs which inspired our nation during the Civil Rights era. Aretha Franklin was commemorated for her music, her philanthropy and her support of civil rights throughout her life. During her acceptance speech, Aretha recalled the first ever Image Awards and praised the NAACP for their progress and evolution into a production that is “second to none,” as well as their unwavering support of human and civil rights.

At the end of the show, the Genius, Stevie Wonder, was inducted into the NAACP Image Awards Hall of Fame – an honor awarded to individuals who are pioneers in their respective field and “whose influence will shape the profession for generations to come” as a result of their global impact through “high artistic achievement, professionalism and public service.” Stevie Wonder is just the seventeenth individual to be inducted, joining Sammy Davis Jr., Etta James, Sidney Poitier, Ray Charles, Oprah Winfrey and Bill Cosby.

Stevie Wonder was honored with Wayne Brady leading a sing-along of the legend’s own songs by the audience in attendance, and then was presented the award with kind words from Janet Jackson. The Genius was commemorated for his lifetime of music that has crossed all cultural lines and influenced people to come together, for his humanitarian and philanthropic efforts, and for his desire to stand up against injustice. The NAACP celebrated the decades of music that Stevie Wonder has inspired us with, as well as his wide-ranging social achievements, such as his relentless fight to make Martin Luther King Day a national holiday, his involvement with “We Are the World” to end hunger in Africa, and the legend’s role in the fight to end apartheid in South Africa.

Before closing down the show at his piano with an unforgettable performance, Stevie Wonder accepted the NAACP Hall of Fame Award with some moving and inspirational words. His acceptance speech was clearly on message with the theme for this year’s Image Awards and in a fitting conclusion to a wonderful night for the NAACP, Stevie Wonder undoubtedly demonstrated the power and harmony of music and politics. In his own words …

“There is, there is so little time to say so much, but I would like to begin by saying, better give all praise and thanks to God for this honor. [applause] I’m very excited to thank all my family, loved ones and friends for their encouraging me, my fans. It is an amazing thing to be honored like this tonight from, by an organization that has consistently, for 99 years, committed themselves to standing up for and fighting for the economic, social and civil rights of a people of color.

And as much as it is that I am excited about this honor, I am more excited about knowing that next year will be their 100th celebration and their commitment [applause] and their commitment, because it was through this organization that we now have two candidates – one, a female, the other, an African American. [applause] I say let them both win so that we can have a strong united people of the United States. [applause]

But I am very, very excited about the possibility. I say to those of you who are young, who feel alone and lost, and without purpose, that first of all you must commit yourself to the process by registering so that you can vote, and then voting [applause] and not using an excuse like ‘Well, I don’t think my vote matters.’ You see, everything that we do matters.

And I also want to say to all of you, that for those of you that are men who feel that we can do it, there’s a man named Barack Obama, [applause] who shows you that there’s no reason for you to have to be a gang member or do drugs or whatever that is. And there’s a woman named Hillary Clinton, who clearly, [applause] should say to every single woman there’s no need for abuse by any man to any woman in the world and you don’t, you don’t have to accept that.

I say [applause] I say to all of you, without question, it is time for change, and we cannot only change history but we can help to determine everyone’s destiny to the good. I say to all of you – yes, we most definitely can. Thank you. [standing ovation]”

- Rapáil Eamon

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.

Regardless of how each individual state’s delegates are pledged, the resulting delegates cast votes for a nominee during the Democratic Party Convention on August 25th in Denver. The presidential nominee is ultimately based upon who receives a majority of the nationwide delegate votes. A little confusing? Well, the politicians are glad because inside the confusion is where they will try to decide this nomination on their own, without the help of the American voter.

Shady Delegate Mathematics
Only Washington could come up with a system such as this one. It is all based on the total delegate count and the magic number to win the Democratic nomination is set at 2,025 delegates since there are a total of 4,049 available delegates.

Now just to make things difficult, and corrupt for that matter, 796 of these delegates are considered superdelegates. These special delegates largely consist of members of Congress, governors, national committee members, party leaders and even former office holders. Most troubling, these unique delegates vote at their own discretion and do not truly represent the public’s voice. Nevertheless, they still have the power to account for about 40% of the delegate votes needed to win the Democratic nomination.

And to make things worse, the standard pledged delegates that have been and will continue to be decided in the primaries and caucuses around the country are not necessarily guaranteed. Amazingly, pledged delegates are not bound in any way to vote for any particular candidate and the candidates can even dismiss delegates whose support they find unreliable. So much for a representative democratic government.

The Delegate Scorecard
Coming into Super Tuesday, the race for the Democratic nomination was extremely tight, but Obama held onto a narrow lead over Clinton. Or was it Clinton with a narrow lead over Obama? Well, actually it was both – and that was largely due to this unrepresentative electoral system we have.

Obama had won 63 pledged delegates to Clinton’s 48 pledged delegates as a result of the public primaries and caucuses already held (IA, NH, NV, SC). However, many of the superdelegates had already been committed, including 184 for Clinton and only 95 for Obama. Therefore, Clinton actually had a lead of 232 to 158 over Obama in the total combined delegate count heading into the big day, even though Obama was winning the public vote.

Clearly, it looked like Super Tuesday would be the day that would establish a strong frontrunner and possibly lock up the nomination – something that historically takes place and would be expected on a day that nearly half of the nation votes.

Not So Super Tuesday
With 22 states and the territory of American Samoa holding primaries and caucuses on Tuesday, there were 1,681 pledged delegates on the line in the Democratic race – accounting for a total of about 83% of the delegate votes needed to win the nomination. Traditionally called Super Tuesday, mainstream media had been billing it as Super Duper Tuesday this time around, due to the fact that it was the largest number of primary contests in a single day in our nation’s history.

However, it appears that all of the hype was simply to make us, the common voters, feel involved in the process. In all reality, the public vote for pledged delegates really only holds value when there is one strong frontrunner in the race, resulting in a strong public vote that creates a delegate deficit large enough that the superdelegates cannot make up the difference to give a challenger the nomination.

But in situations such as this one when two candidates are so close in the delegate count, the troubled nomination process shuts out the common voter as if we cannot be trusted to make such a decision. Ultimately, this leaves the nomination power solely to the superdelegates.

The Fuzzy Results
And after Super Tuesday’s results, it appears that this might be exactly what is unfolding. In the popular vote, Obama won 13 states (AK, AL, CO, CT, DE, GA, ID, IL, KS, MN, MO, ND, and UT) across the 23 contests, while Clinton took 8 states and a territory (AR, AS, AZ, CA, MA, NJ, NY, OK, and TN). At the time of this writing, the final contest, New Mexico, is still up in the air, although Clinton holds an extremely small lead with 99% of the vote in. In the end, Obama will likely win 13 contests, while Clinton will likely win 10, including 4 of the top 5 largest states. That’s a dead heat.

As for the 1,681 pledged delegates available on Super Tuesday, it is again a remakably close race. As of the time of this writing, Obama is holding a narrow lead over Clinton after being awarded a total of 820 pledged delegates to Clinton’s 814 pledged delegates. There remains 47 pledged delegates still to be awarded as the final numbers come in, but early projections put the candidates within 4 pledged delegates of each other once all 1,681 Super Tuesday delegates are awarded. That’s a dead heat.

And on a day that saw a record level of voter turnout for the Democrats, the overall vote count across all 23 contests was also amazingly close. Of nearly 15 million votes that were casted on Tuesday around the nation, early estimates are reporting that the two candidates will be within just 40,000 votes of each other once they are all counted - about a 0.5% difference nationally. That’s a dead heat.

Including all primaries and caucuses to date at the time of this writing, Obama has now accumulated 883 pledged delegates, which leads Clinton’s total of 862 pledged delegates. However, the Democrats report that Clinton currently has a total of 204 officially announced superdelegates to Obama’s collection of just 116 superdelegates. So, even though Obama is leading in popular pledged delegates, the powerful superdelegates are currently putting Clinton in the lead by an overall delegate count of 1066 to 999 in the race to 2025 – the magic number. No matter how you cut it, that’s a dead heat.

If you got lost in any of that, remember, that is what the powers that be are hoping for.

Super Duper Delegates
It looks like the public’s voice can only keep the races close by voting for standard pledged delegates, which again are not even guaranteed. In the end, the Democratic race may just be decided by the superdelegates at a brokered convention late this summer – something which has not happened in decades. If that were to happen, then there is no telling what the outcome may be as the superdelegates can even change their previous commitments and vote for either candidate at the last minute of the convention if they wish.

You might just be surprised at who some of these powerful superdelegates are. For starters, both Senator Clinton and former President Bill Clinton are superdelegates – I wonder where their votes are going. Also, Senator Obama and Tom Daschle, former Senate Majority Leader and Co-Chairman of Obama’s campaign, are also superdelegates – again, I wonder where their votes are going. While these political power players are clearly committed, there are also many other notable names among the superdelegates that have yet to endorse either candidate.

Some of the big names include recently departed Democratic candidates such as John Edwards, Bill Richardson, Joe Biden, Chris Dodd and Dennis Kucinich, as well as former Vice President Al Gore and former President Jimmy Carter, in addition to some other recognizable names such as Howard Dean, Nancy Pelosi, Russ Feingold, John Murtha, and Kwame Kilpatrick. To put this into perspective, these 12 individual superdelegates just mentioned will collectively hold as much power in the decision for the Democratic nominee as the entire state of Wyoming.

While many superdelegates have already pledged their support and votes for one candidate, it is expected that many others will withhold their support until the convention, even though any superdelegate vote can be changed at anytime. If the Democratic race remains close up to that point, it will allow a small group of extremely powerful people to negotiate amongst themselves and move their votes over to one side, ultimately deciding the nominee.

Super Duper Tuesday? Not quite. It is more like Super Duper Delegates.

Last Chance To Be Counted
There are still over 20 primaries and caucuses remaining, including some big delegate states. Most notable, Texas with 193 pledged delegates and Ohio with 141 pledged delegates are on the line March 4th, as well as 158 pledged delegates from Pennsylvania on April 22nd. And if it is still not settled at that point, North Carolina may be a big state way down the road on May 6th with 115 pledged delegates up for grabs.

These four states collectively account for about 30% of the total delegate count needed to lock up the Democratic nomination. So there still remains a chance that American voters will have an opportunity to decide who their candidate will be, which would effectively take the power back from the superdelegates.

The proportionate pledged delegates still remaining in other states coupled with these four power states provide enough leverage for the people’s voice to be heard. However, if the Democratic race remains as tight as it is now, we will once again see an election decided by a few powerful politicians, regardless of what the public vote may be.

The Broken Electoral System
We all remember what happened in 2000 when Al Gore won the popular vote in the general election, but George Bush won the presidency by way of the Electoral College. Well, it appears that we may be looking at another situation in which the popular vote will not be the deciding factor again.

I feel that both Obama and Clinton have the ability to put together an administration that could get this country moving in the right direction – clearly more so than the Republican candidates who, for the most part, seem to argue over who supports Bush’s failed policies more. I would be content with either candidate; however, I want the American people to make that decision, not the politicians.

Our entire electoral system, from the nomination process to the general election, is in desperate need of change. When will we have a true representative democratic government in which a vote actually counts as a vote? When will our government actually return the power of deciding our leaders to the common people?

The answer is not anytime soon, if ever. They simply do not trust us to make such a decision, so the system is setup to let the most powerful of politicians make up our minds for us. The solution is to increase voter turnout so that our voice gains strength. But in the end, if a race is tight, as it currently is between Obama and Clinton, the only electorate that counts is a group of Washington insiders, otherwise known as superdelegates… and they do not care what you think.

- Rapáil Eamon

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?

Many pundits have been making assumptions that the Republican Party may use a race-based misinformation campaign behind the scenes in the general election – should Obama win the Democratic nomination. But nobody thought race would be an issue among the Democrats themselves, a diverse group of candidates that cross all race, gender and age demographics – something the Republicans cannot claim.

The Rumbling Begins
However, when President Clinton was campaigning for Senator Clinton last week, he offered some controversial commentary on Obama when he said, “Give me a break. This whole thing is the biggest fairy tale I’ve ever seen.” In no time, the press was running with stories that Clinton was attacking the dreams and hopes Obama has been instilling in many people around the nation, and even insinuating that an African-American president is simply a fairy tale.

When you read the full context of President Clinton’s comments, though, it is clear that he was calling Obama’s stance on the war a fairy tale, trying to make the point that Obama has changed his position and has not been fully questioned on the subject. This fairy tale comment instantly divided people to one side of these two explanations.

I feel the real truth is in between the lines. It was just another political hit-and-run, something the Clintons are becoming very good at doing. President Clinton clearly understands the impact of the words he chooses to use. He did speak to an international community on behalf of the United States for a number of years, after all. So to think that he did not know what he was doing when he capped off some comments about Obama’s stance on the war with the fairy tale line, right after Obama had solidified his candidacy as one of hopes and dreams, is simply ridiculous.

Hit-And-Run Politics
And this was not the first time for such an attack by the Clintons. There have been many reports that the long arms of the Clinton camp are the source of unfounded rumors that Obama is an underground Muslim raised in a fundamentalist madrasa, as well as the ignorant questions about if he is black enough – whatever that is supposed to mean.

Then you have the comments from Bill Shaheen, Senator Clinton’s former campaign co-chairman in New Hampshire, who used the cloak of challenging Obama’s electability against the dirty tricks of Republican strategists to take his shot.

In a comment that was twisted to sound like an attack on the Republican’s likely approach against a potential candidate in Obama, Shaheen questioned Obama’s childhood drug use and implied questions about his involvement as a drug dealer. Shaheen was quickly fired and Senator Clinton issued an apology. Hit and run.

Next was New York State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, who made the infamous “shuck and jive” comment last week in an interview on Albany’s Talk 1300 radio station.

Once again, an attempted explanation of the comment came later from a Cuomo spokesperson who said that the Attorney General was simply trying to make the point that the Iowa and New Hampshire primaries are vital because the candidates cannot duck questions from the people. He added that “bob and weave” may have been a better word choice. Hit and run.

The latest questionable comments came from Bob Johnson, founder of Black Entertainment Television (BET) and long-time friend and political fundraiser for Hillary Clinton. When introducing Senator Clinton at Columbia College in South Carolina on Sunday, Johnson harshly criticized Senator Obama, claiming that his campaign was dishonest and was distorting Senator Clinton’s civil rights record. Some of Johnson’s comments were as follows:

“To me, as an African American, I am frankly insulted the Obama campaign would imply that we are so stupid that we would think Hillary and Bill Clinton, who have been deeply and emotionally involved in black issues — when Barack Obama was doing something in the neighborhood; I won’t say what he was doing, but he said it in his book — when they have been involved.”

Johnson’s smug reference to Obama’s own admission of his childhood drug use was just another Shaheen moment on the Clinton campaign trail. In response to the backlash against his comments, Johnson attempted to explain in interviews on Monday that he was simply referring to Obama’s early work as a community organizer — and to even suggest that he meant anything to the contrary is incorrect. Yeah, right. Hit and run.

Open Mouth, Insert Foot
Senator Clinton has not helped herself much either. The racial spat was elevated last week after she made some comments regarding Martin Luther King, Jr. and former President Lyndon Johnson. In regards to bringing King’s dream to reality with the signing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Clinton said that “it took a president to get it done.”

In full context, this remark was an attempt to drive home Clinton’s current campaign position that in order to initiate change, political experience is necessary. However, many African American leaders became quickly enraged at her comments, saying that Clinton was diminishing King’s role in civil rights legislation. The Clinton side now claims it was this misrepresentation of her comments by Obama’s camp that started this racial issue altogether.

In an effort to clear this all up, Senator Clinton appeared on NBC’s Meet the Press with Tim Russert on Sunday, but again, only made the situation worse. Clinton repeatedly said that there was no truth to any of the claims that her camp has been injecting race into the campaign, and blamed Obama’s camp for creating false impressions and “deliberately distorting” her positions and comments.

For the most part, Obama has kept himself distant from the quarrel, but quickly fired back at Clinton’s accusations saying, “For them somehow to suggest that we’re interjecting race, as a consequence of a statement she made that we haven’t commented on, is pretty hard to figure out.”

Racism Or Just Politics?
The fact of the matter is that both Senator Obama and Senator Clinton, and former President Clinton included, have a strong record in fighting for minority rights. They all have political platforms that propose extremely beneficial changes for minority communities from many aspects. One candidate is trying to become the first African American president while the other is trying to become the first female president – so neither side will benefit from such a divisive issue.

Race has become the latest vehicle in Clinton’s hit-and-run fleet, but the foundation of this particular strategy is not based in racism; but rather, it is entirely based in politics. Obama’s huge victory in Iowa was a surprise to many, including many political strategists. This was largely due to the fact that African Americans only account for 2.5% of Iowans. When Obama continued on with a good showing in New Hampshire, a state with an African American population of only 1.1%, it was clear that Clinton would be in trouble when the primaries move into the South.

Although former President Clinton was dubbed “America’s first black president,” it appears that some African American voters are moving their support from Senator Clinton to Senator Obama after his success in the Midwest and New England – at least as the polls show, for what they are worth. This makes South Carolina, a state consisting of 29% African Americans – more than twice the national average – an enormous primary for the African American vote with many Southern primaries on the horizon.

A Party On Edge
Late on Monday, it was apparent that this racial issue could grow into something extremely destructive for the Democratic Party as a whole, and both Obama and Clinton attempted to put an end to it. On the campaign trail, Obama tried to show that they are all on the same team by saying, “I may disagree with Senator Clinton or Senator Edwards on how to get there, but we share the same goals. We’re all Democrats … We all believe that regardless of race or gender that people should have equal opportunity.”

Senator Clinton also saw the value of diffusing the situation on Monday. On the campaign trail as well, Clinton stated, “We may differ on minor matters, but when it comes to what is really important, we are family.” Clearly, both candidates are trying to run far and fast from this issue before it gets out of control.

This all makes for an interesting Democratic primary Saturday night in Nevada. African Americans only account for 7.9% of the citizens in Nevada, but that is a much larger percentage than in the two previous large primaries. Therefore, the sampling of the African American vote will be able to provide a little more information in regards to what we may expect when the primaries move into the South; especially in South Carolina.

The Real Story
I find that both candidates are highly qualified from a civil rights perspective, as their past records and future plans show. I find it troubling that the Clinton camp brought this entire mess along as a result of their hit-and-run tactics by inserting a divisive issue such as race for the sake of politics.

I find it commendable that the Obama camp has made the decision to stay out of this mess for the most part. I find it ridiculous that both candidates were forced to make public statements standing behind their own and each other’s commitments to civil rights. And at the end of the day, the only side that wins in this one is the Republicans.

Both Clinton and Obama are running on a campaign of change, but this smells like dirty old politics to me. When we all get caught up in dirty politics, then we lose focus on the issues, which is exactly what has happened since this spat began. Of course, major media will continue to stir the pot of racial tensions, but the political hit-and-runs are in between the lines.

Don’t buy it. Let’s get this campaign back to the issues!

- Rapáil Eamon

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.

50 Cent, the notorious purveyor of all things gangster, recently appeared on the cover of Rap-Up. Inexplicably sporting a green Edmonton Oilers cap, the rapper announced his support for Clinton–a candidate who has gained perhaps as much infamy for her censorship campaigns as the rapper has for his glorification of violence and misogyny.

“I’d like to see Hillary Clinton be president,” says 50, who ranks second on Forbes’ Hip-Hop Cash Kings list. “It would be nice to see a woman be the actual president. … I think she’d be a good president.”

In Pictures: Endorsement Rap
50 Cent is also comfortable with the prospect of having Bill Clinton back in the White House. Electing Hillary “is a way for us to have Bill Clinton be president again, and he did a great job during his term,” says 50. This announcement is something of a flip-flop, considering that 50 told GQ magazine in 2005 that he would have voted for George W. Bush in the 2004 election, had his status as a convicted felon not banned him from the booths. In the Rap-Up interview, 50 linked his change of heart to the President’s handling of the Iraq war. “I actually go to war, when I go to war,” says 50, noting that he drives around New York in the same bulletproof Hummers that the troops use in Iraq. “Bush just sends them to war.”

50 Cent is one of a handful of hip-hop artists to throw his hat into the presidential endorsement ring, but endorsees beware. Although they can bring in votes from hard-to-reach younger demographics, endorsements from these celebrities can backfire.

Rapper/producer Timbaland, who has penned hits for the aforementioned 50, threw a fundraising party for Hillary Clinton at his Miami mansion last spring. Days later, when Clinton denounced radio personality Don Imus’ comments toward the Rutgers women’s basketball team as “small-minded bigotry and coarse sexism,” Clinton was lambasted as a hypocrite for accepting donations raised by Timbaland, whose lyrics are often peppered with “bitch,” “ho” and the like.

Clinton’s rivals have picked up endorsements from the hip-hop crowd as well. Rappers Common and Talib Kweli have voiced their support for Barack Obama. Both feature the Illinois senator in their lyrics. “My raps ignite the people like Obama,” raps Common in “The People,” while Kweli says, “Speak to the people like Barack Obama,” in “Say Something.” Common is even stumping for Obama online. The homepage of votehope2008.org welcomes visitors with a banner that reads, “Common is voting for Obama. Are you?” In an embedded video, Common explains, “I’m voting for Obama. He’s just there to do some good things in the world, for people all around the world, whether you’re black, white, Latino or Asian, Obama is down for us.”

Barack Obama has also picked up the support of R&B crooner Usher, who appears on the Illinois senator’s campaign Web site saying, “Barack needs you. I need you. We need you.” Obama met with Atlanta-based Ludacris last fall to discuss the YouthAIDS initiative, for which the rapper is an ambassador. Perhaps seeking to avoid a repeat of the Hillary-Timbaland fiasco, the “Mouth of the South” has yet to issue a formal endorsement.

Russell Simmons, founder of Def Jam Recordings and the Hip-Hop Summit Action Network, is arguably the most political member of the hip-hop community. In 2004, Simmons contributed to the campaigns of Carol Moseley Braun, Wesley Clark, and others, but hasn’t declared an allegiance in the 2008 election. Simmons has spoken highly of Dennis Kucinich; however, he’s also been spotted at yoga class with John Edwards. “He sweated like crazy,” Simmons told the New York Times in April, adding, “I talk to John Edwards more than I talk to anyone. He has said more things about the conditions we need to think about.”

Many of hip-hop’s biggest names have yet to weigh in on the 2008 election. Diddy, who donated $2,000 to Al Sharpton’s 2004 campaign, has been silent so far. Back in 2004, his Citizen Change voter-turnout organization pressed the public to vote with the slogan “Vote or Die!” The initiative seems to have dissolved in the wake of the discovery that some of the campaign’s most high-profile supporters, like Paris Hilton, weren’t even registered to vote. The Web site is gone, and phoning the group’s New York office yields a dial tone.

Other rappers simply subscribe to the “Anybody but Bush” school of thought, evidenced by their use of the president’s name in derogatory comparisons. Los Angeles’ The Game recently dissed 50 Cent by saying that the G-Unit leader is “doing to hip-hop what George Bush is doing to America–killing it.” Jay-Z slammed the president’s handling of Hurricane Katrina in the song “Minority Report,” rapping, “The commander-in-chief just flew by–did he stop? No …” Eminem long ago announced plans to “ambush this Bush administration.” And activist rapper Mos Def has hurled more than a few zingers at the president, most recently: “He got a policy for handling [black people] and trash,” echoing Kanye West, who once commented that “George Bush doesn’t care about black people.”

West filmed a series of public service announcements this summer for “ED in ’08,” an initiative of Strong American Schools, which is backed by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The self-titled Louis Vuitton Don isn’t supporting any specific candidates–perhaps he read the Pew Research Center’s report on celebrity endorsements, published in September. That study found that, while 4% of respondents would be more likely to vote for a Kanye-supported candidate, 15% would be less likely.

Still, rappers aren’t necessarily the most caustic endorsers out there. Conservative talk show host Bill O’Reilly–a frequent basher of rappers and hip-hop music–tops Pew’s list, turning off 21% of respondents.

Source:
Forbes

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.  

The hip-hop community has historically had its strongest political voice at this long running forum, which has included past panel members such as Joshua “Fahiym” Ratcliffe (contributing writer for The Source, Oneworld, Vibe, and Savoy) in 2004, among many other political and social leaders of the African-American and Latino-American communities.  This year’s representative of hip-hop on the panel was none other than Dr. Benjamin Chavis, President/CEO of the Hip Hop Summit Action Network (HSAN) and President/CEO of H3 Enterprises, Inc.

Throughout the forum, Dr. Chavis effectively presented the Democratic presidential candidates with some challenging questions regarding the difficult issues affecting the African-American and Latino-American communities, all while pertaining his inquiries to the many positive, yet often understated, aspects of the hip-hop culture. 

Dr. Chavis posed a question to Senator Barack Obama concerning his plans, should he be elected President, to address the primary concerns of America’s hip hop generation and the communities that we live in.  Dr. Chavis’ powerful question was as follows:

“Over 35 years ago, Hip-Hop culture was born in the South Bronx among young African Americans and Latino Americans. The youth of today are the Hip-Hop generation and across America young people want and demand a better quality of life for themselves and their families and communities. Speaking on behalf of Russell Simmons and millions of young Hip-Hop voters who will resolutely go to the polls in 2008, if you are elected President of the United States, how would you take leadership as President to address the issues and concerns of the Hip-Hop generation?” 

Wow. How refreshing is it to hear such a question directed to a presidential candidate on a national stage at a renowned political forum covered by nearly every single major media outlet in the country?  Clearly, hip-hop’s voice continues to gain strength and we as the people that support this culture are now demanding to be heard.

Senator Obama responded by stating his understanding of the significance of America’s young voters and the issues that impact our communities.  The Senator went on to directly address this country’s poverty concerns, citing that under the current administration more African-American and Latino-American families have fallen into a poverty status and that he found it unacceptable that 37 million people are currently living in poverty in the United States.  Senator Obama stated that he believes that he is “the only candidate that best represents real change” in regards to this critical problem that our country now faces. 

Another hip-hop focused question was directed to Senator Hillary Clinton, as Dr. Chavis asked her about her plans, should she be elected President, to encourage and support entrepreneurial growth among the communities that make up and support the hip-hop culture.  Dr. Chavis’ uplifting and stimulating question was as follows: 

“The evolution of Hip-Hop culture in America and throughout the world has caused a revival of the entrepreneurial spirit among millions of youth. Hip-Hop is about doing for self, going into business for yourself, owning your own record labels, your own production and distribution companies. I am working now to help build HipHopSodaShops across America. My question is if you are elected President of the United States, how do you intend to specifically provide greater opportunities for youth entrepreneurial development and the overall economic recovery and development of our communities?” 

Once again, Dr. Chavis’ ability to capture the positive influences of the hip-hop culture on our society while inquiring about further community advancement is undeniably unparalleled.  At a time when hip-hop has unfairly become the scapegoat for so many of society’s problems today, it is inspirational to hear the positive aspects of hip-hop’s impact on our communities be addressed in a presidential forum.

Senator Clinton responded to the direct question by first thanking Dr. Chavis and Russell Simmons for their successful efforts in regards to the Hip-Hop Summits that they continue to organize.  Dr. Chavis and Russell Simmons first teamed up in 2001 for the historic New York Hip Hop Summit, which brought together members of the hip-hop industry, civil rights leaders, and political organizations for the purpose of community development; and shortly after, this power duo’s creation spawned the HASN. 

Senator Clinton continued by stating that it would be a priority of hers to lead the economic recovery of America’s communities by reaching out to young business leaders, while ensuring that the Small Business Administration (SBA) would be much more effective than it has been under the current administration.  The Senator finished by saying that the “economic development of not only Brown and Black communities but all communities” would be a main concern of her administration. 

It was an evening in which the hip hop culture that we all love so dearly was showcased in the optimistic light that it truly deserves, while the concerns of the communities that support this culture were directly addressed.  Dr. Chavis put it best when questioned about the forum afterword:

“This historical Forum was the first time in this Presidential race where the positive attributes of Hip-Hop were discussed by both the panelists and the candidates themselves. It is critical as this race continues that the concerns and issues of the Hip-Hop generation such as poverty and economic empowerment remain front and center.” 

Dr. Chavis should be commended for his respectful and uplifting representation of the hip-hop culture during this nationally covered event, as well as his ability to bring the positive aspects of the hip hop culture to the forefront, all while compelling the presidential candidates to present their views on the issues that impact those of us that are a part of the hip hop generation.  It’s so refreshing to see our voice being heard on a presidential level and now the responsibility to keep the hip hop voice “front and center” falls upon all of us.  We need to take this opportunity to step up and be heard, because clearly we have them listening now. 

Regardless of who you will be supporting for President next year, I encourage everybody to take some time to do a little research on the candidates and issues that impact you the most, register to vote, and most importantly, go to the polls and cast that vote so that all of the voices of the hip hop generation will be heard loud and clear in 2008.

- Rapáil Eamon

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.

JMT has excelled in the underground hip-hop game – selling over 250,000 copies of its five albums, despite being criticized for the use of homophobic lyrics.

“I think the homophobia thing is really just taken out of context from people in certain parts of the country or the world,” he says. “With me, that was some (stuff) you said on the street. Like ‘Oh, dude is a (homosexual)’… it doesn’t necessarily have anything to do with homosexuality. It was just some ignorant street (stuff), know what I mean?

“I’m not defending it and (saying) there isn’t a better way to express myself. You can’t really change who you are inherently. … I’ve seen some ignorant (stuff) in my everyday life. In terms of the grand scheme of things, I don’t really have a problem with anyone who doesn’t have a problem with me.”

If Paz runs through the verses of the JMT track “Walk with Me” during the group’s Friday night concert at Nutty’s North, it should be clear that what Vinnie does have a problem with is the country’s current administration. So which candidate is he pulling for in the upcoming presidential election?

“I think the logical move is for Hillary (Clinton) to run with Barack Obama as a running mate,” he says. “I think them competing is sort of counterproductive. I wish someone like Ralph Nader could get in. Or Wesley Clark. But those things aren’t really realistic. A monkey would be better than what we have now. When you have the worst president in the history of your country, there’s really no where to go but up.”

Beyond the trace amounts of controversy, Vinnie and Stoupe are respected kings of the underground, and might be responsible for widening the gap between indie hip-hop fiends and mainstream rap fans. More fans of indie MCs, like JMT and Subtitle, are shunning mainstream rappers, like 50 Cent and Eminem.

Why, you ask? It’s the same reason that “true” indie rock fans hate new Death Cab For Cutie records – they’re considered sell outs who care more about MTV appearances and less about the music.

Vinnie has noticed the divide, but he chooses not to keep his personal tastes underground.

“I listen to, you know, more commercial (stuff) then I do ‘underground,’ ” he says. “If you started rattling off names of underground rappers, I probably wouldn’t know most of them.”

Source:
Argus Leader