Luda and Obama gun durr it again..

[Spackling Compound]

http://www.twincities.com/mld/twincities/entertainment/16134483.htm?source=rss&channel=twincities_entertainment
Barack Obama is coming for that No. 1 Spot. The senator, contemplating a run for president, met privately with Ludacris on Wednesday. "We talked about empowering the youth," said the rapper, whose real name is Chris Bridges. Ludacris was in Chicago to launch the YouthAIDS "Kick Me" campaign to raise HIV/AIDS awareness during a stop at Northwestern University in the Chicago suburb of Evanston. The meeting at Obama's downtown office was a meeting of two star powers: Obama, who enjoys rock star-like status on the political scene, and Ludacris, a music superstar and budding actor. They both have won Grammy awards: Obama for readings from his memoir, "Dreams From My Father," and Luda for his verse on Usher's "Yeah!"
I almost took Obama seriously too...

[FunkyGreenJerusalem]

That is ludicrious.

One wins a grammy for singing A verse in someone elses song, and the best audio book is a politicans memoir?

The American recording industry is in dire straits.

[VanEyck]

Don't count out the power of the hip hop medium.

I remember the Million Man March in 1995. That event was almost exclusively promoted by rappers (in their songs). I didn't see a poster or anything for it until about a month or so before the date. But I had heard it mentioned in rap songs about 4 years beforehand.

And the turnout was major.

Personally, I think any message that is intended for a nationwide (worldwide?) audience, should be sent via rappers, especially if you targeting the under 25 crowd. It would be significantly easier, more effective, and less expensive, then putting yourself on tv.

[Spackling Compound]

I'm one of those who thinks that rap may be sending out a bad message to the over 25 voters (and I believe that those are the ones who count a bit more than the youth).
No matter how benign or playful the rap culture uses drugs, violence, prostitution, misogyny, it may not be the best bedfellow for Obama among the white voters in the midwest or northwest.

[SOGG]

<snipped for space>No matter how benign or playful the rap culture uses drugs, violence, prostitution, misogyny, it may not be the best bedfellow for Obama among the white voters in the midwest or northwest.

Do you actually listen to rap? Or are you just going off the pseudo-music that gets MTV play. (when MTV actually bothers to play music)

Saul Williams, Rakim, Shaggy, Sublime, Rage Against the Machine are among a few who don't glorify the things you talk about. Saul in particular even revels in his lack of 'street cred'.

If you're judging rap solely by Eminem and .50$, then you're not listening to rap.

[Spackling Compound]

Do you actually listen to rap? Or are you just going off the pseudo-music that gets MTV play. (when MTV actually bothers to play music)
Actually, I do. And I enjoy some of it very much. The article had to deal with Ludacris who isn't among...

Saul Williams, Rakim, Shaggy, Sublime, Rage Against the Machine are among a few who don't glorify the things you talk about. Saul in particular even revels in his lack of 'street cred'.

I add:Black Star, the Roots, Common, and even old school KRS-1 to that list. I respectfully subtract RATM and Sublime. However, like I've noted, Obama isn't meeting with those folks.

If you're judging rap solely by Eminem and .50$, then you're not listening to rap.
Actually, Eminem and "fidy" are "rap" stars. And Luda is sort of in their company.

I suppose the American rap scene is different from whatever scene you're into there.

[Justin Davis]

http://www.twincities.com/mld/twincities/entertainment/16134483.htm?source=rss&channel=twincities_entertainment

I almost took Obama seriously too...

I don't see anything wrong with this at all. I don't like Ludacris' rap, but he's a pretty good actor from what I've seen. Plus, the fact that "Ludacris was in Chicago to launch the YouthAIDS "Kick Me" campaign to raise HIV/AIDS awareness during a stop at Northwestern University in the Chicago suburb of Evanston" is nothing but good. If anything, this was a really good move on Obama's part. Not a bad move for Ludacris too.

[Justin Davis]

Actually, I do. And I enjoy some of it very much. The article had to deal with Ludacris who isn't among...


I add:Black Star, the Roots, Common, and even old school KRS-1 to that list. However, like I've noted, Obama isn't meeting with those folks.


Actually, Eminem and "fidy" are "rap" stars. And Luda is sort of in their company.

Your rap/hip hop list kicks SOGG's list's ass.

[Spackling Compound]

I don't see anything wrong with this at all. I don't like Ludacris' rap, but he's a pretty good actor from what I've seen. Plus, the fact that "Ludacris was in Chicago to launch the YouthAIDS "Kick Me" campaign to raise HIV/AIDS awareness during a stop at Northwestern University in the Chicago suburb of Evanston" is nothing but good. If anything, this was a really good move on Obama's part. Not a bad move for Ludacris too.
Well, if you are a ho and got a booty that needs lickin', I suppose you must practice safe sex fo' yo' man.
I just think Obama could keep better company.For the fogies.

[Sean Walsh]

For shizzle!

[SOGG]

Your rap/hip hop list kicks SOGG's list's ass.

I agree. Can't believe I forgot KRS-1, esp after seeing him out here 2 years ago.

It was an honest question though, as rap gets a really bad -er- rap.

[Spackling Compound]

It was an honest question though, as rap gets a really bad -er- rap.
Heh...good pun.

I would love to see our man, Obama sit at table with someone like Mos Def, who is both actor and rapper.
Ludacris is just not the type of rapper I'd see in Obama's camp or valuable to the older voter.

Now, if Obama was to do something to nod to the "rap" set, it would not be out of bounds for him to pick up on Farakhan's work to reconcile rappers and communities with higher ideals and goals (without the Jew, Catholic, white hate....).

[SOGG]

Heh...good pun.

I would love to see our man, Obama sit at table with someone like Mos Def, who is both actor and rapper.
Ludacris is just not the type of rapper I'd see in Obama's camp or valuable to the older voter.

Now, if Obama was to do something to nod to the "rap" set, it would not be out of bounds for him to pick up on Farakhan's work to reconcile rappers and communities with higher ideals and goals (without the Jew, Catholic, white hate....).

I actually wanted to start a thread about this a long time ago. I was basically wondering what the mainstream rap scene and its adherents thought about people like Mos Def and Saul. They're clearly trying to remove the 'gangster and hos' image of rap, but is it working?

I really find it a shame that the spokespeople for mainstream rap are people like eminem, as it gets lots people to wrongfully assume that that's what rap is about.

[bfrank]

didn't mos def just get locked up for something?

[Spackling Compound]

I actually wanted to start a thread about this a long time ago. I was basically wondering what the mainstream rap scene and its adherents thought about people like Mos Def and Saul. They're clearly trying to remove the 'gangster and hos' image of rap, but is it working?

I really find it a shame that the spokespeople for mainstream rap are people like eminem, as it gets lots people to wrongfully assume that that's what rap is about.
Sadly, the rap audience isn't wanting to "think" about issues facing the community, the world or even the ponderance of the human condition.

The audience (which based on sales seems to be white suburban boys) likes the idea of tokin', strokin', chokin', shootin' and frontin'.

Spinners, grills, weed, ho's ho's ho's. It's like the eternal frat house. Not even the "hood" is this much fun.

So to show the desperate and the confused and those who want better...
how "fun is that"?
That's why "smart rap" is for the fogies. The rest don't wanna hear that, they "just wanna dance".

[SOGG]

It might be an uphill battle for rap if the goal is to get suburban frat boys to start caring.

[Rob on the Job]

... I remember the Million Man March in 1995. That event was almost exclusively promoted by rappers (in their songs). I didn't see a poster or anything for it until about a month or so before the date. But I had heard it mentioned in rap songs about 4 years beforehand.

And the turnout was major. ....

Did the march ever draw a million men?

[Stellar]

Homie Obama should've hooked up with Dead Prez. Now there's critical pedagogy for you.

[SOGG]

Homie Obama should've hooked up with Dead Prez. Now there's critical pedagogy for you.

Let's get free

[Stellar]

Let's get free

Hopefully he hasn't heard their 'Assassination' song...

[Justin Davis]

The audience (which based on sales seems to be white suburban boys) likes the idea of tokin', strokin', chokin', shootin' and frontin'.

Spinners, grills, weed, ho's ho's ho's. It's like the eternal frat house. Not even the "hood" is this much fun.

So to show the desperate and the confused and those who want better...
how "fun is that"?
That's why "smart rap" is for the fogies. The rest don't wanna hear that, they "just wanna dance".

I actually had to look this up to see if those sentences are rap lyrics.

[Spackling Compound]

I actually had to look this up to see if those sentences are rap lyrics.
The last line was an allusion to "Hey Ya" by Outkast, the rest was just a stream of conscious screed that one must be used to by now when it comes to my posts.

Oh...and Outkast's Andre 3000 has a cartoon for kids on CN.

Cripe....
and I've watched it.

[VanEyck]

Well, I think that the hip hop community is quite varied. And the "positive" rappers (think Public Enemy, KRS, Stetsosonic, Common, etc) predate the "gangsta" rappers. So, I don't know if these guys are trying to "change" the image of rap music. I think they are just trying to be true to a different stream within the hip hop community.

And, while I'm sure that Obama could potentially be hurt by an association with Luda, you have to take into accout that this event is for charity. And you have to figure that middle class, suburban whites were never meant to find out.

[Spackling Compound]

And, while I'm sure that Obama could potentially be hurt by an association with Luda, you have to take into accout that this event is for charity. And you have to figure that middle class, suburban whites were never meant to find out.
I don't figure that nor do I have to. White people find everything out.

They take it or they break it, too.

It would be a non-event really to have Obama with Luda. The only thing is that the culture vultures could make a big deal of it when the next Luda track comes out talking about beating up a midget or making fun of Asians or something. Then Obama would be caught in a culture mess.

If he met with Russell Simmons or someone, that would be cool. But again those are old school.
Hell, if we can do without any politician kissing a rapper or entertainer's ass, that would be sublime.

[Justin Davis]

The last line was an allusion to "Hey Ya" by Outkast, the rest was just a stream of conscious screed that one must be used to by now when it comes to my posts.

Oh...and Outkast's Andre 3000 has a cartoon for kids on CN.

Cripe....
and I've watched it.

You want to know how tired Outkast's Hey Ya is? When I first heard Gnarls Barkley's Crazy, I told everyone I knew to listen and appreciate it then before it became as annoyingly overplayed as Hey Ya. I was right too because Crazy came on about every five minutes on my XM radio a few weeks later.

[Stellar]

At least Hey Ya was fun to listen to.

[Spackling Compound]

You want to know how tired Outkast's Hey Ya is? When I first heard Gnarls Barkley's Crazy, I told everyone I knew to listen and appreciate it then before it became as annoyingly overplayed as Hey Ya. I was right too because Crazy came on about every five minutes on my XM radio a few weeks later.

I was going to say Ceelo among the rappers I cited but I didn't want to be accused of being all Gnarls Barkly.
But Ceelo with his work with Outkast, Goodie Mob, and Field Mobb were all pretty good.

You think I'm CRAAAAAAAZY??