I guess I’ve never really thought about what type of music the President listens to. I guess I’ve never really thought about the President even listening to music, but he’s human so of course he does. If I had to guess, I would say that George Bush probably favored country and Bill Clinton likely had a large Barry White collection, but who cares?
We all have the right to our own preferences and the President of the United States is no different…..but when President Obama reveals his admiration for questionable artists like Jay-Z and Lil Wayne in the October 15th issue of Rolling Stone, does this reveal a huge lack of discretion on his part?
Lil Wayne, Nas, and Jay-Z: Who Exactly Did the President Just Give a Shout-Out To?
In songs like the number one hit “Lollipop”, “Got Money” and countless (and I do mean countless) others, Lil Wayne resorts to some of the most derogatory, offensive, and sexually derivative language to talk about women (including a very off-color reference about Hilary Clinton). The rate at which all three of these artists refer to women as “b***hes” and “h*es” is astounding. How can someone with a family—a wife and two daughters—mention his admiration for these artists without condemning that sort of language?
As someone who is trying to guide our country in a better direction, he should not be praising artists like Nas who continue to promote a good portion of what is wrong with this country. He’s the rapper behind such memorable lines as “Life’s a b***h and then you die, that’s why we get high” and “What influenced my raps? Stick ups and killings/ Kidnappings, project buildings, drug dealings/ Criticize that? Why is that?”. This is not exactly the sort of lifestyle that we want our President to be okay with.
Nevertheless, he tells Rolling Stone “Thanks to Reggie [Love, the president's personal aide], my rap palate has greatly improved. Jay-Z used to be sort of what predominated, but now I've got a little Nas and a little Lil Wayne and some other stuff, but I would not claim to be an expert. Malia and Sasha are now getting old enough to where they start hipping me to things. Music is still a great source of joy and occasional solace in the midst of what can be some difficult days.”
That isn’t to say that he didn’t also state his taste for classic, beloved artists like Miles Davis, Stevie Wonder and Bob Dylan, but in an effort to seem both classy and hip, he gave positive attention to hip-hop artists who continually encourage a way of life that is detrimental to our society.
What is President Obama’s Message to Black America?
In a very well-written, thought-provoking piece for the Wall Street Journal Online entitled "President Obama's 'Rap Palate'", Thomas Chatterton Williams (who admits he supported President Obama after his rousing speech at the 2004 Democratic National Convention) challenges the President for so irresponsibly giving credence to a dangerous culture.
Williams challenges the President for seemingly sacrificing his beliefs in an effort to seem trendy when he says “Naming thuggish rappers might make Mr. Obama seem relatable and cool to a generation of Americans under the sway of hip-hop culture, but it sends a harmful message—especially when, in black America, some 70% of babies are born out of wedlock.”
With Jay-Z failing to show any signs of regret towards his drug-dealing past and Lil Wayne currently locked up on drugs and weapon charges, are these really the types of artists that the President wants to throw his weight behind? I mean, can you imagine the power you hold when you’re able to speak the words, “President Obama says he likes my music” when speaking to a generation that hangs on his every word?
Hip-hop culture has sparked a sense of power and independence among the black community at times, but far too often it’s riddled with negativity and the glorification of gang violence and the mistreatment of women. That’s why I agree with Williams when he says, “Mr. Obama is certainly not responsible for hip-hop's grip on black America, or for Mr. Carter's ideas and behavior. But what president would ever let Marilyn Manson drop by the White House? Is Jay-Z any better?”
Williams goes onto say that part of the appeal of President Obama is that he “represents a powerful, necessary alternative to Jay-Z's version of blackness”. I wholeheartedly agree. As a white male, I know I can only relate so much, but most of my black friends are tired of the thuggish, ignorant persona perpetuated by a reckless hip-hop culture that doesn’t care that its message is leading unimaginable numbers of impressionable teenagers down a dangerous (and sometimes deadly) path.
Is It Our Business What Type of Music President Obama Listens To?
Let’s face it, President Obama isn’t the only one who likes these artists. They’ve all sold millions of albums for a reason. And for crying out loud, Eminem will likely be the second best-selling artists of 2010 and Lord knows his lyrics are nuts. How can we condemn the President for merely mentioning that he has some of these artists on his iPod?
Well…I don’t think we should condemn him necessarily, but I do think that he was very careless by mentioning those artists and by aligning himself with unsavory characters from the world of hip-hop in what seems like a ploy to keep his appeal with the youth. Jay-Z, Lil Wayne and Nas are all talented artists in their own right—and I have to admit, I really like Eminem’s latest album—but never in a million years would I mention my enjoyment of these artists without also including a huge disclaimer that I absolutely detest many of the things that they say and stand for.
But, President Obama likes to be edgy I guess. He once listed his favorite shows as The Wire and Entourage and his wife and little girls watch Glee together—a show that is often riddled with sexual innuendo and content. They even had the cast of Glee perform at the White House on Easter Sunday (because nothing says, “yay, Jesus lives!” like the McKinley High glee club’s rendition of “Don’t Stop Believing”.
In the end, I think I’d have to conclude that it is “our business” what President Obama is listening to—especially when he’s being so quick to spout off his love of certain artists in a magazine interview. If he wants to say he enjoys a certain artist’s music, he better be just as quick to declare his opposition for some of the heinous and disgusting things that artist puts in their song. He is the leader of our country and even on days when his approval rating may dip, he has an incredibly powerful voice. Whether you agree or disagree with his politics and policies, I think we can all agree that we’d like for our President to stand for morals and values that we can all agree on. The ideas represented in “gangsta rap” are definitely not those values.
You know what? Forget the President—maybe it’s time we all take a second to think about the types of artists we’re supporting.
Joshua Gray - I love to write and I hope that you guys will enjoy reading. I've been pretty hooked on all types of entertainment for a while now, but I ...
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