Barack Obama has his hands full with ties to Bill Ayers and Tony Rezco but one area that hasn't received as much attention are his ties to rap artists. Some of them are downright controversial. One of them, Nas, was trotted out by the Obama campaign this weekend. Read below from The Hampton Roads newspaper in Virginia over the weekend:
Rap star Nas greeted some 900 people at Hampton University's Convocation Center on Sunday as part of a rally and registration event hosted by the Barack Obama campaign. The rapper is a sometimes controversial figure but is nonetheless considered one of hip-hop's most respected and politically minded figures.
Not that that means he's always been interested in politics, mind you.
"I have never voted before," the rapper said before addressing the crowd. He is 35 years old. The son of a jazz musician, Nas grew up in the housing projects of Queens, N.Y., and his opinions reflect the approach that rappers have historically taken toward voting and politics, which is to say none.
"I've never seen a reason to vote. I would speak out against voting. If you'd seen what happened in my community, it's a shame. People in jail, guns, drugs ... I always felt like there were thing happenings in my community that would have never been allowed to happen in other communities. There was no help. But now, it's a new day."
As a crowd formed waiting for Nas to address them, DJ Babey Drew, himself a Hampton grad, spun records. Students did dance routines, and some fraternities did short-step show routines. There were 13 registration tables set up in the lobby of the Convocation Center, the majority of them going unused.
Nas' music, overall, is a gumbo of uplifting mantras, black history, sex, drugs, youth empowerment and violence. In short, there are many songs, including some he performed Sunday, such as "If I Ruled the World," and "I Can" that are positive, hopeful hymns that wouldn't be out of place at a church picnic. And then there are some that offended some people so much that protests emerged when he was announced to be playing the benefit concert for Virginia Tech students in 2007. (The Dave Matthews Band asked Nas to perform, and he did go on to do the show.)
Obama has been very upfront about how he enjoys the music of rappers Jay-Z and Kayne West. Both have helped promote his campaign yet they have been known to sing a few controversial songs to say the least. The Brody File wonders why these associations seem to be given a free pass. Is it because rap music has become so mainstream today that provocative lyrics don't even register with folks anymore?
The McCain campaign is trying to make the case that Obama lacks character and judgement. Do you think Obama's ties to rappers is much to do about nothing? Does it show Obama to be 'cool and hip" or does it reflect poorly on his image?
The whole article is here.