Commentary: Pop Culture and the Presidency: Put your O’s in the Air??
It would seem like an odd place to give kudos to the next president, but at a party for the Florida Classic on Saturday almost everyone was giving musical props to President-Elect Barack Obama.
The Florida Classic, an annual college football game between Bethune Cookman College and Florida A&M University, was held this weekend in Orlando.
Some people didn’t attend the actual game, but came to the City Beautiful to party the entire weekend.
One of the biggest gatherings was at BB King’s at Pointe Orlando. More than 700 people were packed like sardines in the blues club.
Probably the weirdest moment of the entire evening came when the DJ screamed for everyone to put their O’s in the air. O’s for Obama, that is.
As a journalist, it was pretty awkward to be asked to give a presidential endorsement while I was trying to shake my tailfeather, but I stayed true to what I learned in journalism ethics 101: No spoken political affiliation of any kind, even if it met dancing with my arms at my side while everyone else was waving their hands in the air.
I can’t remember exactly when the “O” request came, but it may have been when the DJ was playing Young Jeezy’s “My President is Black.”
If you haven’t heard the song, all I can say is that the lyrics are about as shallow as a kiddie pool. Here’s a sampling:
My president is black, my Lambo’s blue
And I’ll be goddamned if my rims ain’t too
My momma ain’t at home, and daddy’s still in jail
Tryna make a plate, anybody seen the scale?
My president is black, my Lambo’s blue
And I’ll be goddamned if my rims ain’t too
My money’s light green and my Jordans light grey
And they love to see white, now how much you tryna pay?
Let’s go!
Young Jeezy isn’t the only rapper trying to make paper off the first black president.
Ron Brows has released a remix of the song “Pop Champagne,” featuring Juelz Santana Jim Jones and Busta Rhymes.
The remix, called “Pop Champagne for Barack,” includes such notable lines as “We pop champagne for Barack’s campaign” and “No disrespect to McCain and Palin.”
There’s also the Lil’ Wayne “A Milli” Obama remix, which features lyrics like:
His health care plan is so immaculate
So even if you broke you can afford to take a doc trip
You’ll be feelin’ much better not sick
And he’s ok but his wife’s sick
And her back’s thick and her walk’s sick
She’s a fly chick
Might hit
Despite that bit of misogyny to describe the next first lady, most hip-hop artists have produced music that admires the Obamas, rather than admonishes them.
A recent Washington Post article, discussed the many hip-hop artists–from Nas to Will.I.Am and Common–who have gotten behind the mic to write lyrics that mix cultural pride with lyrical artistry.
What all this means for presidential politics in the 21st century is unclear. Who knows if these rappers actually practiced what they preached, and hit the voting booth for Obama on November 4th. Their outspoken support of the candidate probably didn’t translate to gains in the electoral college or popular, nationwide support for his presidency.
Though music featured prominently throughout Obama’s 21-month campaign, ( Steve Wonder’s “Signed, Sealed, Delivered” played at campaign rallies and Obama admitted to listening to Jay-Z on his iPod) the backing of celeb rappers has probably done nothing more than to add a sense of modern, presidential coolness to a candidate that was already considered hip by many.
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