My President is Black (Remix)

Retrieved from www.gq.com

Meet Jay-Z
Jay-Z is an American artist recognized in the hip-hop world for his success, as well as being Beyoncé's husband. The Brooklyn rapper took Young Jeezy's "My President" into his own hands and transformed it into a political discussion rather than just a title to a song.


Let's Take a Look at the Lyrics
The verse I am highlighting dives into a few political problems that the American people have discoursed about time after time.

[Verse One]: 

"My president is black in fact he's half white. 

So even in a racist mind he's half right. 

If you got a racist mind you'll be aight.

My president is black, but his house is all white.

Rosa Parks sat so Martin Luther could walk,

Martin Luther walked so Barack Obama could run,

Barack Obama ran so all the children could fly,

I'mma spread my wings you can meet me in the sky.

I already got my own clothes already got my own shoes.

I was hot before Barack, imagine what I'm gon' do.

Hello Miss America, hey pretty lady.

Red, white and blue flag, wave for me baby.

I never thought I'd say this shit, baby I'm good.

You can keep ya puss, I don't want no more Bush.

No more war, no more Iraq,  no more white lies.

The president is black!"

Jay-Z explains what having Black influences, especially an African American president, means to him. Rosa Parks, MLK Jr., and Barack Obama have served as stepping stones in the name of equality and civil rights. Jay-Z uses Obama's mixed race as a quick silencer to the racist objectors to having an African American president. The country's first African American president has reinforced what it means to have American pride again, and through his lyrics a listener can feel his excitement. As well as sharing Obama's influence with us, Jay-Z expresses his distaste with former President Bush and the decision to send our troops to Iraq. 

Read more:  Jay-Z - My President (remix) Lyrics | MetroLyrics "

Changes

Retrieved from https://twitter.com/common

About the artist

Common is a hip-hop artist from Chicago, Illinois who is inspired by the lives led by Malcolm X, Martin Luther King Jr., and Barack Obama. He is featured in will.i.am's rendition of Obama's "Yes We Can" speech, and moonlights as a social activist when off stage. 

Obama is not the first president to gain the attention of Common. When former President George W. Bush was in office, Common was an artist who used lyrics and poetry as verbal weaponry. This incidence was brought up after the fact when Common was invited as a guest to the White House by President Barack Obama. Political news outlets spoke of controversy and saw Common's lack of support towards a former president to be enough to discredit his presence at a White House event. When the news stations found something new to rattle off about, Common followed through with his invitation and took part in "An Evening of Poetry"; a fitting event for him to attend considering he has an ingrained history in literature and poetry. 

Retrieved from politico.com

"Changes"

The influence that Obama's role as the nation's leader has had on Common is evident in this song's lyrics as well as in interviews. In his account of the White House event, Common described meeting the president, specifically the first black president, as an event he never thought would happen (Tanabe, 2011). "Changes" is influenced by a number of recognized greats who Common is sure to mention, but the influence these figures have provided is the intended message. He speaks of struggle, aspirations, and the acts that serve as the middle man between the two concepts. Here are two presentations of Obama's presence in Common's musical agenda:

"Got with four acres and a forest of words. Plant and grown them, for the young seeds to know them. Trees is blowing, we see change in the wind, it's a new day and I got to take it in. See a black man run, we need him to win." 

AND 

"Change is inevitable you can't stop it. Change is happening in everybody's life. Change is like a furious hurricane that you can't stop. What is change? Change is Martin Luther King Jr., Ghandi, Shakespeare, Assata Shakur, Barack Obama." 

 

Tanabe, K. (2011, November 28). Quoted: Common on his white house visit. Retrieved from http://www.politico.com/blogs/click/2011/11/quoted-common-on-his-white-house-visit-041101

Yes We Can

On January 8th, 2008, presidential candidate Barack Obama gave a speech during the New Hampshire primary that went viral. The speech "Yes We Can" ignited the spirits of the American people with the hope and beliefs that a better version of the United States is possible through the efforts of Obama, and ultimately all of us. 

"For when we have faced down impossible odds, when we've been told we're not ready or that we shouldn't try or that we can't, generations of Americans have responded with a simple creed that sums up the spirit of a people: Yes, we can. Yes, we can. Yes, we can. It was a creed written into the founding documents that declared the destiny of a nation: Yes, we can. It was whispered by slaves and abolitionists as they blazed a trail towards freedom through the darkest of nights: Yes, we can."  ("Yes We Can" YouTube) 

These words inspired the nation, especially the artist will.i.am who is recognized as the former rapper of The Black Eyed Peas. Will.i.am has described himself in interviews as being far from a politically driven citizen, but Obama was able to capture his attention, despite it costing the artist fans. Will.i.am viewed Obama as the next great, influential leader that children should aspire to be. During a Q&A session hosted by Newsweek, will.i.am explained that his song about Obama is his own social agenda colliding with music ("will.i.am Q&A on Barack Obama and 'Yes We Can'", 2009). The artist touched on Obama's black and white heritage in the interview, but went on to explain how the candidate's inspiration was his strong suit and the tool that could bring America together as one, and "to realize the commonality between blacks, whites and rich and poor, yellow, green, fat and skinny" ("will.i.am Q&A on Barack Obama and 'Yes We Can'", 2009). Will.i.am chose turn inaction to action through music, and in the name of social equality and pride of a nation that could be a nation once again. 

To be clear, the lyrics are simply constructed from Obama's speech, but delicately chosen to reemphasized the power of spoken word. Numerous musicians and celebrities are also featured in the video who share the same social agenda as will.i.am. Although will.i.am claims to have no political intentions, this piece speaks volumes to the affect a candidate, now president, can have on its citizens. Equality, justice, and freedom are values embedded in our country's history no matter the political affiliation or political appetite. 

Will.i.am Q&A on Barack Obama and 'Yes We Can' (2009, January 17). Newsweek. Retrieved from http://www.newsweek.com/william-qa-barack-obama-and-yes-we-can-78369

Up Ahead

Retrieved from https://twitter.com/barackobama

President Barack Obama is this country's 44th leader, but the first African American president of the United States of America. Since 2008, the President of the United States (POTUS), has been an icon and source of change, both welcomed and protested, in the name of social equality. 

Being a member of the younger generation, I am a part of a sought after voting demographic that many candidates either win over easily, or awkwardly fumble to gain. Our generation is vocal and quick to participate in the political discussion, particularly on social media, or through music. 

After Obama's initial win, a handful of R&B musicians took the hope and change that Obama spoke of, and turned his influence into lyrics. Often when presidents are mentioned in lyrics, it revolves around the presidents featured on currency, or the scandals that took place during their time of office. For example, Beyoncé references Bill Clinton's extramarital affair in the song "Partition"; however, when Obama has been discussed in hip-hop songs, it has often been done through a positive light.

The songs I am going to research, dissect, and share will be those that speak to Obama's political influence on modern day music, and the impact the songs have on both the artists and audience. I hope that through this blog, both the reader and myself are able to expand their political horizons as well as knowledge about current and past issues. Due to a lack of knowledge of my own political views, I did not participate in a presidential election until this past primary, so I hope to be enlightened on the emotions felt by artists who were impacted by the 2008 and 2012 elections, via R&B music.

Up ahead: The first song I am wanting to talk about is a toss-up between "Changes" by Common or "Yes We Can" by will.i.am. I would love to hear from the class about which one to choose first or other songs you know of that feature a president, whether it be positive or not.