“And though it seems heaven sent, we ain’t ready to have a black President”
Four years ago Barack Obama accomplished what any reasonable person would have told you was impossible by becoming the first African American President of the United States. Even the most dedicated and faithful Obama supporters couldn’t believe their eyes when they saw the various media outlets confirm that we were indeed seeing a Black man assume the White House. Why were we so shocked though? Obama was clearly the more skilled politician, besting Republican contender John McCain in every conceivable category. Why was this so farfetched?
Because, ladies and gentleman, the President so happens to be African American, and Muslim, depending on who you believe. Although we like to believe that racism is a relic of the 60’s that only resurfaces when white people in high places let the ‘n’ word slip, in actually it is a system of policies and procedures that continue to enfranchise some and disenfranchise others. While many of us try and turn a blind eye to the politics that effect us, rappers have been telling us for years just how screwed up it was for young urban youth across the country.
“And not the other color, so police think/they have the authority to kill the minority”
~ Ice Cube/NWA – “F*ck Da Police”
Hip-Hop may have started out with Pop-ish lyrics and feel good beats, but Rap really hit its stride with the emergence of Gangsta Rap (commercially) and the Native Tongues movement (culturally). Both genres were coming from inner cities struggling with Reagonomics and the crack epidemic. While Gangsta Rap often glorified crime and drugs, at its heart it was a rebellion against the plight that young black males faced in a society that saw them as subhuman rather than human. Grandmaster Flash was close to the edge, and Cube had it bad cause he was brown skinned. Easy E envisioned NWA as ghetto reporters responsible for showing America a different narrative of what it was like in the hood.
“To revolutionize make a change/nothing’s strange”
~Public Enemy, “Fight The Power”
While gangsta rappers were rebelling, artists like KRS-One and Public Enemy were embracing Afrocentrism and Black Nationalism and causing young black kids to rethink the way they participated in society and asked them to wake up and see some of the disproportions that affected people of color. While they would not receive the commercial success as their mainstream counterparts, they would definitely influence the culture to keep dropping gems in the jams. When Jay-Z rapped, “Blame Reagan for making me into a monster/Blame Oliver North and Iran Contra/I ran contraband that they sponsored.” It almost felt like he was giving a nod to the Immortal Techniques and making sure that there was some medicine in the sugar.
“George Bush doesn’t care about Black people.”
~ Kanye West on Hurricane Katrina Telethon
In 2008 it seemed that a possible end to the struggles of minorities had come in the form of one Senator Barack Obama. I know that sounds strange to say but people truly believed then, (and many still do) that the election of Barack Obama would usher us into a post-racial era where equality would finally be achieved. Not only has most of America bought into this notion, but it seems as if the Hip-Hop world has too. Diddy is no longer threatening to kill you if you don’t go out and vote in November. Although Young Jeezy said he would ride out on anybody who attempted to harm the POTUS on “My President”, I doubt that the Snowman is ready to go up against the largest growth of White Supremacist groups the country has ever seen.
“But fear Illuminati/and they aint even real, or are they?/But you wouldn’t even know, because you par-tay/ too f*cking much.”
~ Lupe Fiasco – “Building Minds Faster”
It’s not as if rappers don’t have anything left to gripe about. That whole post racial America thing never happened. Minority households only make 50-70% of their White counterparts. Black men only make up 6% of the population yet make up over 50% of the prison system. While Democrats champion the slow reduction of the unemployment rate to 8%, Black unemployment is near 17%. Women are still treated as chattel property who can’t be trusted with their own ovaries. And if you’re a guy who likes guys, God pretty much hates you and the government wants to reinforce that. And that’s not even the half of it.
“I’m a Republican, voting for Mitt Romney/ you lazy bitches is f*cking up the economy”
~ Nicki Minaj – “Mercy Freestyle”
When the media got wind of the above Nicki lyrics most people were shocked. The irony is that people aren’t only shocked that a rapper would endorse a Republican nominee, but secretly (or not so secretly) that a black woman would endorse Mitt Romney. For a party to be so out of touch that it only seems normal for white people( really white, heterosexual men and the women who obey them) is both sad and shameful. But then again, Romney does guarantee tax cuts for the wealthy, so maybe Nicki is being smart and being an informed voter voting for the issues that effect her the most. But one of the most powerful characteristics of Hip-Hop was to be the voice of an overlooked and underrepresented community. However it is sad to see that one of our most powerful forms of protest and societal agitation has lost its edge in favor of a good time. Every day it seems we lose some right or liberty, or we become number one in another troubling statistic. And it seems like we’re okay with that. Let’s at least fight when they come for the liquor and the strippers.
