Monday, August 6th, 2007
Obama On Rap :: With Updates
Back from where I’ve been.
If you haven’t already heard it on the radio or seen it on the TV show, it’s the B to the O, and you’ll start seeing the interview this week on newsstands.
As Ms. Smith says in her letter from the editor, “Music and all amusements are important to you and important to us, but it’s time to turn down the speakers and pull out the ear buds – at least for right now. Music is great; it inspires us. Films can change minds. Fashion makes us feel more alive. But, really – check the clock. Do you want to feel alive? Or actually be alive?”
Next week, Vibe.com will also be featuring a transcript of the interview, and a podcast with your boy.
Here’s another preview:
“Rap is reflective of the culture of the inner city, with its problems, but also its potential, its energy, its challenges to the status quo. And I absolutely agree my priority as a US senator is dealing with poverty and educational opportunity and adequate health care. If I’m ignoring those issues and spending all my time worrying about rap lyrics then I’m wasting my time.”
“On the other hand, I think that there’s no doubt that hip hop culture moves our young people powerfully. And some of it is not just a reflection of reality. It also creates reality. I think that if all our kids see is a glorification of materialism and bling and casual sex and kids are never seeing themselves reflected as hitting the books and being responsible and delaying gratification, then they are getting an unrealistic picture of what the world is like.”
UPDATE (8/8) :: Danyel Smith with Farai Chideya on the back-story to the special 14th anniversary Juice issue. I’m a little embarrassed about this one…!
UPDATE (8/9) :: Links to the complete Obama transcripts! Part 1 and Part 2. Vibe’s Obama homepage is here.
posted by Jeff Chang @ 6:10 am | 5 Comments
5 Responses to “Obama On Rap :: With Updates”
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Man, you were born to write this one! Besides his thoughts on hip-hop, i’d love to know how in touch he is with his island heritage. Can he break into local-speak?
t.i.
can, brah, shmall kine!
Cheeeeee! shootz, i going vote Obama den.
that’s hella fresh jeff. i can say i predicted this one, way back when obama came thru tha town, while some other prominent bay area hip-hop journos with political leanings demurred (not to name names), but i’m glad to see this came to fruition.
maybe next year vibe will get van jones in there. it’s indicative of an east coast bias, perhaps (just maybe) that they didn’t feature van in the juice issue–polosi mentioned him by name in her speech on the energy package–but he’s gone from saving kpfa, mobilizing the hip-hop generation against prop 21, and gaining accountability for police misconduct to sponsoring legislation aimed at ending eco-apartheid and establishing the nation’s first green jobs core. that’s not juice?
Ive got to come by here more often.
Jeff, thanks for asking him real questions.
Does America really deserve people like this? I don’t think so.