Film producer Spike Lee believes Barack Obama has a secret weapon that will be a big asset to his campaign: rappers. Yes, in Spike Lee's opinion hip-hop music will be a key element in getting Obama elected. Lee expounded upon the importance of hip-hoppers in this election in the New York Times The Caucus:
Mr. Lee, who has often uses hip-hop music and casts hip-hop stars in his films, said that rappers should, well, feel free to mince their too-hot words at such a crucial time in American politics.
In particular, the platinum-selling artist Ludacris referred to Senator Clinton as an “irrelevant” epithet and attacked Senator John McCain with the line, “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.”For good measure, he referred to President Bush as “mentally handicapped.”
For over-the-top rappers such as Ludacris, Lee did sound a note of caution:
“They gotta realize what they’re doing,” Mr. Lee said of the rappers, as he stood on the carpet outside Earl’s Restaurant, as tourists snapped his photo on their cell phones. “It can’t be about censorship, but they’ve gotta ask themselves, is there anything McCain can turn around and use against the campaign? No one wants to be the person who hurts the campaign.”
Mr. Lee also warned that this election is “far from a done deal” and said that it was on rappers to stir up the people and get the vote out.
“We can’t dance in the end zone yet,” he says. “I’m confident that McCain and his boys will be pulling out the kitchen sink, the sauna, the tub, and Jacuzzi on Barack. People in power don’t give up without a fight. I know they’re excited. This is one of the most historic moments in American politics. It’s just not a done deal.”
Despite Lee's enthusiasm over the role of rap in the Obama campaign, The Caucus writer, Nicholas Powell, worried about it backfiring:
However, the hip-hop love can become a double-edged sword for the Obama campaign. While it has helped mobilize young voters and make Mr. Obama a pop culture icon, the perceived explicit and misogynistic content in the lyrics of some of these artists has, at times, reflected negatively on Mr. Obama as a candidate.
When Ludacris released his song “Politics”, the Obama campaign did some political damage control. While the Obama campaign spokesman Bill Burton denounced the song as offensive, the damage had already been done, and both Ludacris and Mr. Obama shared the media blame for the lyrics.
Your humble correspondent, posting from South Florida, is already chuckling over the effect loud rap music chock full of F-bombs while extolling the virtues of Obama would have on elderly condo commando voters down here. Somehow one thinks that such an effect would be somewhat less than positive.
—P.J. Gladnick is a freelance writer and creator of the DUmmie FUnnies blog.
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Lee
August 27, 2008 - 09:07 ET by iveseenitallLee also said "I don't do Fox News". What a guy!
NEVER,NEVER trust a "liberal"
iveseen - I didn't see it but O'Reilly acted like he was coming
August 27, 2008 - 09:18 ET by Dee Bunkon his show either last night or the night before. I don't know if it happened. I'd be curious if anyone saw it.
Dee
August 27, 2008 - 09:24 ET by Cool ArrowLast night O'Reilly showed a clip from months ago with Obama promising to go on "The Factor".
O'Reilly showed the clip to contrast Michelle's statement in her speech that Obama was raised to keep his word.
So far Obama is hanging out on the keeping his word stuff.
I ♣ my seal
double,sorry
August 27, 2008 - 09:09 ET by iveseenitalldouble,sorry
There's still time....
August 27, 2008 - 09:19 ET by c5thenMaybe they can get 50 cent to do a 'song' introducing The Obamamessiah for his acceptance speach on Thursday night? I bet if they put enough references to "MFers" and 'Hos' in it, it will win over the undecided moms and pops in Ohio, Indiana, Pennsylvania, etc.
The day that "politician" became a career choice is the day we started losing the Republic. Let's get it back! Alan Keyes '08.
Not just the F bombs
August 27, 2008 - 09:24 ET by Dr_Libertybut the misogyny should have the women voters -- or as we say "ho's" -- flocking to The O.
"Be a 'ho' for da O."
Rap music isn't necessarily the feminist's dream. At least in country music women get to run over their drunk husbands in pickup trucks!
<insert witty signature here>
ROFLMAO!!
August 27, 2008 - 12:35 ET by wizardjr"Be a 'ho' for da O."
That's got to be the funniest line of the week! Congrats Dr_Liberty.
I agree wizard
August 27, 2008 - 12:44 ET by Dee Bunkvery funny Dr L
Spike Lee is racist
August 27, 2008 - 09:25 ET by Gat New YorkIt was 12 years ago when I took my young son with a friend and his young son to a Knick game. We were sitting in what they called the gold seats and sitting next to me was Spike Lee and two young lady friends of his. Before the game the two young boys wanted to meet Lee and get an autograph. He grumbled, gave them a bad look, ignored them and refused the courtesy. At halftime a group of young black girls came up to him and he could not have been more engaging to them. When the game began again I leaned over to him and said, "we reap what we sow."
After the game I showed him a business card and told him I would make sure a certain hollywood studio head knows what he did today, at which point he quickly signed autographs for the kids and shook their hands.
He is racist.
I agree with Spike 100%!
August 27, 2008 - 09:48 ET by ConservativeRexI agree with Spike 100%! Bring all the rappers out for Obami. All of them. Put them out there for the general public to see exactly who's an asset to Obami.
However, when they do appear on television, make sure all their jewelry, gold teeth, dreadlocks, tattoos and especially their side arms are showing. And make sure they testify for Obami in their own words, uncensored. Hellya, put 'em all out on show!
Lil Spikey
August 27, 2008 - 09:46 ET by SickofLibsSpike Lee is not only a racist, he's also a midget, which I did not know.
I saw him interviewed by Savannah Guthrie last night on the street, and she towered, and I mean towered, over him. And she is not tall.
For the first 30 seconds I thought he was sitting down and she was standing.
And yes, pulleeze bring out the rappers! Pelosi can't do it all by herself, although she is really trying hard.
I remember him
August 27, 2008 - 10:54 ET byDidn't he used to make movies?
He should have stayed with super8 videos
August 27, 2008 - 12:45 ET by wizardjrI knew he had some titles I've see at the rental store so I checked.
His TOTAL gross from movies is $366 milllion - total for goodness sakes.
His highest grossing movie was Inside Man at 88 million. Good grief, real movies have a shooting budget bigger than that.
This is just another wanna be punk from the minor leagues whose hate and biggotry shine through. He'll always be a runt physically and career-wise so he has to blame it on The Man for keepin' him down ya know.
People in power...
August 27, 2008 - 11:11 ET by tnculp"People in power don’t give up without a fight."
Apparently no one has told Spike Less that Obama is already in public office, and the Dems have control over Congress.
A cult of ignorance indeed.
WHAT A DOPE...
August 27, 2008 - 14:45 ET by danybhoyYeah Spike, lets bring em' out. Bring out the "ho's & bitches", lets put on the "ice", throw on the chains( Mr.T stater kit )with a 3 chain minimum. Get yo' "grills"(gold for your teeth)on & smile. Sag yo' pants, gotta see your underwear, & put yo' cap on askew. Then we are ready hit the town, black out yo' ride(window tints-almost black)& lots of shiny chrome, & of course, "spinner" rims. Yo' gotta have a big @$$ stereo system with big @$$ bass sound, plus several DVD screens in yo' ride. In every headrest, & 1 in the dash. When ya hit the town with that much bling & a high end "pimped out" ride, you need protection, so yo' need yo' piece. A 9 will do in most cases.
Yeah Spike, lets mainstream this crap more then it already is, bring this to the political arena. America will see it, see who they are supporting, & run the other direction. I will just add this, I believe the likes of MLK would be saddened to see how black/urban life/culture has devolved. All of the elements of the great society/hip-hop/urban culture that are celibrated in leftist circles are the worst possible outcome for the nation as a whole, & for black america in particular. Dr.King would weep over what happened to the movement he once led, & weep over why the people who took over from him did what they did.
Yeah Spike, lets have that out in the open & see if that helps Obama, black America, & America as a whole. I don't believe the American people who vote would agree with you Spike. See you November 4, Spike.
"...it's still We The People, Right?" Megadeth