5 thoughts on “What happened to hip hop and Obama?”

1. I saw your article in the Guardian. Congrats! I really enjoyed it.

   In the spirit of discussion, I think that these shifts among hip-hop artists seem neither representative nor significant. You’ve identifed some notable departures of support but most hip-hop artists, especially the most famous and those the largest fan bases, haven’t seemed to move en masse from Obama. More broadly, the most current polls indicate universal support of Obama in the African-American community (ridiculous 94-0 reported yesterday by MSNBC), as well continued strong showing with Latinos and youth — hip hop’s strongest constituencies.

   Whether it’s M1, Killer Mike or other politically vocal artists, a shift of support or voicing of criticism isn’t surprising. What is surprising is the lack of awareness that hip-hop artists, who have been incredibly critical of the political status quo, displayed when they shifted their support to Obama. They voted for someone who didn’t express their politics, pissibly getting swept away with the excitement and political promises of the 2008 campaign. Many people thought that Obama was far more left of center than his track record would indicate, which suggests the brilliance of the Obama 2008 Campaign. The Campaign put out a framework that allowed people to project their hopes and desires for change upon it. After years of political disfranchisement, who could blame people for hoping that a president would represent them and their interests? I can’t.

   So, statements of disillusionment from hip hop artists appear to be more of a return to a more authentic political equilibrium when dealing with and critiquing the entire political edifice that Obama governs and represents.

   With a handful of exceptions, the actual content of the critiques of Obama coming from hip hop artists come across as shallow, lacking substance, and naive. In this light, it was great to see the NaS quote. It represented a thoughtful, nuanced sense of realpolitik that some artists possess: Obama may as good as it gets when it comes to the White House. I see that as the exception rather than the rule.

   Snoop comes down off the high some times

   1. I meant to conclude by saying:

      When the campaign elevated Obama-related expectations, even Snoop comes down off the high sometimes.

   2. Thank you for this response.

      The main issue, at least as far as I’m concerned, isn’t African American support for Obama. As you note, not a chance anyone will vote for Mitt Romney. As I wrote in the original piece (was cut down for publication), the issue is and always has been getting people to the polls. “Support” doesn’t mean a vote. Not sure where you’re writing from, but in the U.S. nearly half of voters don’t vote. In the African American community, it’s particularly important to mobilize since things like voter ID laws and horrible felony disenfranchisement laws keep them from the polls in far greater proportion. Here in Virginia, 20% of voting age African Americans are disenfranchised…

      In 2008, hip hop did a lot to get young people of all backgrounds to the polls, and that’s very unlikely to happen (to the same extent) this time around. It’s not because all rappers have turned on Obama–even Killer Mike told me he supports Obama–but because the critical words aren’t being offset by the support we heard in 2008. I don’t think the critical rappers are unaware, either. Killer Mike, Lupe Fiasco, Blue Scholars, etc. are very smart, very well read on the issues. And Mike and Lupe are criticizing Obama’s foreign policy, which has honestly surprised LOTS of liberals. Drone strikes? Guantanamo Bay (which he promised to close)? Libya? You are probably right that many of us, not just rappers, were a bit naive about Obama, but he DID suggest in his campaign that he would tackle the issues facing black America and he really hasn’t. See Fredrick Harris’s op-ed in the Washington Post from June. Hell, he’s raided more marijuana dispensaries than Bush did–again, after he said he wouldn’t. (Not saying African Americans smoke more weed than white people–actually, I believe whites are slightly more likely–but they have been disproportionately been affected by drug laws that Obama was supposed to ease.)

      I support Killer Mike, Lupe, etc. I LIKE politics in rap, even if I don’t agree with them. But timing is key. I even told the editors at the Guardian that I didn’t want this piece running too close to the election out of fear that it may seem critical of Obama and might give Romney momentum. I think some rappers should, as we get closer, keep in mind that Obama could lose this thing if they don’t re-energize, and I’m just not seeing it. And whatever complaints or lack of enthusiasm they might feel about Obama is nothing compared to the Republican alternative, which, with a Republican controlled House and Senate (very possible) could do irreversible damage to the poor, working, and middle class.

      Of course, as I made clear, Obama is to blame too. He has backed away from hip hop after using it to get into office. He was stung by the Common controversy, but definitely could have fought back!

      Thanks again for your thoughtful critique of my article. I am hopeful it will provoke discussion and maybe wake everyone up to the need to rally around Obama as in 2008.

2. Thanks for responding and engaging! This is a really important and underdiscussed isssue area.You’re right about the issue of participation. I’m from Philly, which is one of the places that the Voter ID issue is playing out.

   The 2008 Obama Campaign was a remarkable phenomenon characterized by the tremendous resolution of the glaring historical contradiction between our nation’s history of slavery and the cred that “all men are created equal”. This was a moment of tension and resolution that has been building since the birth of this nation and that kind of historical impetus isn’t likely to be replicated by anyone for a long time to come — possibly until a woman is positioned for a strong run at the Presidency.

   So, I think that the historical forces unleashed by this tension/resolution moment resulted in the voter turnout, which is still pretty low compared to many other nations. Hip hop did play a role in getting out the vote but even there it’s likely that mainstream hip hop artists that overwhelming influenced it.

   I agree that Obama has backed away from hip hop. He learned that hip hop is far more misunderstood than anyone could have imagined. Your point about Common underscores that so vividly. If Common could been mistaken for the gross mischaracterization that Rove put out, it proves that America simply doesn’t know hip hop, which limits its political utility to pretty much everyone and especially the first black president.

   It is for this reason that hip hop needs to get more political and stay political. In one way, it already does; it represents the interests that produce it. That’s what makes the hip hoppers that you highlighted so important. There are so few voices that challenge the status quo in the contemporary national dialogue that the bravery and idealism — and the don’t give a f*** attitude — these artists represent needs to be encouraged. It could help keep the electeds accountable where possible. Right now, it remains a relativity inert tool for the political class and the big economic interests that run things that is to be used when useful to them.

   As far as the President goes, I think that people presumed that Obama would be able to truly make change, especially on the issues that matter most to African Americans and liberals. The realities of governing after George W. Bush alone made this an improbable prospect. The work of undoing the damage that Bush did to the economy and to the nation’s standing in the world.

   I am not sure that Obama ever had to opportunity to truly introduce the vision he had for the nation or if that vision has been mutated by the practical realities of rulership and more so after the “shellacking” in the 2010 mid-term election.

   Hip hop, while not universally supportive of all of the President’s actions, may have to accept that Obama is going to have to deal with the Presidency on its own terms — not theirs or even his. So, for those who support the President, timing should be a consideration. For those who care more about the issues and critique the edifice of power, maybe not. In any case, hip hop artists will have to create a real polarity within hip hop politics and challenge other artists and their views as well as America on the whole if the genre is going to elevate to be a more substantial player in the American political landscape and not a pawn of the status quo.

3. Hip hop is like a lot of black art (literature, for example) in that it often has political expectations thrust upon it, even when many artists would rather explore their craft in different, nonpolitical ways, just as many white artists feel free to. It’s a tough one–yet another tension!

   That said, rap definitely has political roots, and so perhaps it’s more reasonable to expect it to reflect those roots. Certainly as listeners we have to become more discerning. I’m not going to tell Lil Wayne, who revels in and profits from destructive behavior, to become political; I am, however, going to avoid his music (and write nasty things about his music from time to time). Obviously, I haven’t started a trend–Young Money is on fire.

   One artist who does elevate things and always has is Talib Kweli. In fact, he’s managed to innovate socially/politically and aesthetically–I always cite him as an example of what rap CAN be. He did not care for the Guardian article–thought it was a non-story and “ignorant of hip hop.” We had several Twitter exchanges on the issue, and I give him credit for being a reasonable, even minded guy and for hearing me out (to the extent Twitter allows for that). But I think he’s wrong–the article just happens to point a finger at hip hop, and people from within the genre don’t want to be told they are not doing enough to keep Obama in office. Facts are stubborn things, though–where’s this election’s “Black President” or “My President is Black”? Can’t find it–but I can find plenty of criticism, and not just from the likes of dead prez or Immortal Technique.

   In any case, would love for someone to show me how wrong I am–with meaningful action before November. Part of the purpose of the piece was to tell a story, but another was to TRY to get people a little worked up. Hey, I can’t rap for s**t, so this is the best I can do. But I AM doing my best.

   You seem to have a pretty solid grasp of things–perhaps you should write on this subject too!

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