B-Rock Brings Politics to the Streets

Young African American Democratic contender Barack Obama has made quite a splash as his 2008 presidential candidacy campaign pushes forward.

By CC Staff

His popularity is high among America’s youth, as he promotes their culture and holds many of the same liberal views stereotypically attributed to this age group.

Another group Obama scores big with? The hip hop community.

Obama has appeared on the cover of this month’s Vibe Magazine and is nicknamed “B-Rock” within its pages, according to a recent report by CNN. Although, in the past, Barack Obama has been accused of criticizing rap music, his recent meeting with esteemed (and unforgivably raunchy) rapper Ludacris is said to have been focused upon “empowering the youth” and promoting AIDS awareness, according to the Chicago Sun Times.

Rappers seem to forgive Obama for his lack of musical support, as his name has been mentioned in a variety of rap songs such as “The People” by Common and Talib Kweli’s “Say Something”. In these songs, the rappers aquaint Obama with positive change and the empowerment of African Americans.

All of this free publicity contributes to Obama’s alternate style of approaching the election. Obama Girl unintentionally stirred up the public when she appeared in a video unsponsered by the candidate’s campaign. Now, a slew of rap songs (again, obviously not sponsered by a man who has apprehended the lewdness of rap and its disrespect against women) are cropping up left and right.

While it seems paradoxical for rappers to support a man who has insulted their art and avoids discussing rap music in order to avoid being pegged as a “rap hater”, it also shows that rappers care about the government as much they care about Bentley’s and half naked women…thank God.