Barack Obama's campaign has condemed Ludacris's latest rap lyrics, Politics as Usual. This was to be expected given that Obama is now the presumptive Democratic nominee to be President of the United States.
As MMM reader Rick Ambrosia pointed out, the Obama campaign issued the following statement:
"Obama camp says Ludacris should be 'ashamed'"
(CNN) – Barack Obama's campaign sharply condemned rapper Ludacris Wednesday over his new song celebrating the Illinois senator's presidential bid while referring to Hillary Clinton by an offensive remark.
Obama campaign spokesman Bill Burton said Ludacris should be "ashamed of these lyrics."
"As Barack Obama has said many, many times in the past, rap lyrics today too often perpetuate misogyny, materialism, and degrading images that he doesn’t want his daughters or any children exposed to," Burton said. "This song is not only outrageously offensive to Senator Clinton, Reverend Jackson, Senator McCain, and President Bush, it is offensive to all of us who are trying to raise our children with the values we hold dear. While Ludacris is a talented individual he should be ashamed of these lyrics."
Why is Barack Obama's campaign doing the condeming. What does the candidate have to say himself.
This is what Obama told Rolling Stone in a interview posted to the magazines website on July 10, 2008, three weeks before Politics as Usual was released:
What do you think of rap? Has it been unfairly attacked for destroying family values?
By definition, rock & roll is rebel music, which means if it's not being criticized, it's probably not doing its job. I am troubled sometimes by the misogyny and materialism of a lot of rap lyrics, but I think the genius of the art form has shifted the culture and helped to desegregate music. Music was very segregated back in the Seventies and Eighties — you'll remember that when MTV first came on, it wasn't until Thriller that they played Michael.
I know Jay-Z. I know Ludacris. I know Russell Simmons. I know a bunch of these guys. They are great talents and great businessmen, which is something that doesn't get emphasized enough. It would be nice if I could have my daughters listen to their music without me worrying that they were getting bad images of themselves.
These are the lyrics to Ludacris's hit Coming 2 America:
The royal penis is clean your highness
Thank you, king shit
Yeah motherfuckers! Welcome to the United States of America.
Time to roll out the red carpet on y'all bitch asses.
Hailin from the filthy, dirty South, where the Kings lay.
Ludacris; Disturbin' Tha Peace family. Recognize royalty
when you hear it. The throne has been taken, so kiss this
nigga's earring. Luda throw some grapes on these bitches!
[Ludacris]
These bitches throwin rose petals at my feet mayn!
They wanna spoil me, treatin me like royalty;
what I'm 'sposed to do? It's such a sweet thang
Work that track, whip 'em like Kunta
That's why they stay down, they loyal citizens of Zamunda
By way of A-T-L; if you disagree
don't even look at me ho don't pass go just go straight to jail
With no probation or bail, but this ain't Monopoly
It's Jolly Green Giants cause we smoke so much broccoli
Uh-oh, Spaghetti-O's! Luda's oodles of noodles
And testin me is like pitbulls put up to poodles
My rap career goes back further than yo' father hairline
It's Ludacris - I pack more nuts than Delta Airlines
I'm fly, even when I get high I work cash
And even got my coats bumped up to first class
I'm boss to all employees - and I'm here to teach the principle
Cause I've been saved by mo' bells than Lark Vorhees
Man fuck that nigga 'Cris man, for real man. I'm tired of
this shit man. Man I try to rap for the nigga, I try to get
a nigga tracks; he ain't hearin my shit. Man for real.
Man my four-year-old son can rap better than that nigga;
man that nigga garbage. Man I got talent too, the nigga ain't
hearin me. Man iii-iiiis this shit on? 'Cris, c'mon 'Cris.
'Cris, f'real man. FUCK YOU NIGGA, MAN FUCK YOU!
[Ludacris]
Fuck you too! What you wanna do, scrawny nigga
But I got a arsenal of automatics down to twenty-twos
Know how to use 'em, fight dirty as SHIT
I throw a grenade and all-in-one bury a CLIQUE
You see y'all got it all wrong like women in tuxedos
And comin up shorter than five Danny DeVitos
I'm on a cool ranch, get laid more than Fritos
With five strippers, four wives and three amigos
I go scuba divin in Bays at Montego
I find gold links and snatch 'em like I'm Deebo
But I'm the light-skinteted version of Mandingo
I've seen more Beatles and Jagged Edges than Ringo
I used to run numbers in line they caled me BINGO
Cause I'm big, you a little star, you just twinkle
Old asses like sharpeis, y'all all wrinkled
And I stay with more BULLETS than yo' Billboard singles
Ho that is just too much! You just gotta give applause
he is definitely all f'real - yasee WHAT I'msayin? Ha ha I be
fuckin with him all the time, yah know what I mean? I'm sayin, I used
to just sell home herb (?) now home come through he want fiftys OF purple,
he want quarters OF purple now. I DONT KNOW HOW to trip with it
man, I just sold him a QP last week of the flava,
yaseewhatI'msayin?
[Ludacris]
Yeah, can I get a little hit of that, little nigga with a bigga sack
See piece of the bigger trap look at that God be rollin on that
Where they kick it at? And a lot of people just don't know
Shady Park you heard just don't go
Quick to flip the bird up po'-po'
Makin the way for that rodeo, that rodeo show!
Gotta hit 'em with a reload, I gotta put 'em with the people
I gotta make a nigga stop, drop, roll - oh no where the beat go?
Bring that, shit back, didn't wanna hear that, clik-clak
Tons of fun with guns
Fuck all the lil' chit-chat get back get that get that
Who knows, who goes there? Motherfuckers it's Poppa Bear
Stop and stare; pourin out a lil' gasoline and then drop a flare
I'm on, FIRE! And you know I can't stop 'til I re-TIRE!
Oh no, we stay swoll, rollin on Vogue TIRES!
Right down the avenue, passin you rapidly stackin
In the back of the Cadillac and packin emergency action
Camera, LIGHT LIGHTS, throwin a punch and then FIGHT FIGHT
Packin a lunch and then BITE BITE, A-T-L stay TIGHT TIGHT
I'm just tryin to save ya shorty. I'ma let you know
it's real down heah. When you ride down that two-eighty-five,
and you go past Kincaid, get ready to go past that Cambleton Road
fo' you get it cut free shorty just shake; cause dat where dem
real niggaz at. I ain't lyin when you in Decatur and you flossin
down Glenwood, Candler Road or Rainbow to shake!
Cause dat where dem real niggaz at. When you're goin down that
ol' Nat Hill and you pass dat second waffle house 'fore you get
to the rich niggaz daaang, cause dat where dem real niggaz at!
Matter of fact, just shake when ya get to Georgia nigga.
I wonder what Martin Luther King, Jr would have to say about this. Somehow I don't think he would be saying what a great talent and businessman the writer is. Somehow I think King would be
I wonder what Lorenzo Dangler, Jim Purcell and Joseph Caliendo will have to say about this in The
Lightshines, are you out there? I need a song. I'm thinking Lorenzo, Joseph and Jim to the tune of Abraham, Martin and John.
Posts
2 comments:
Its "AMBROSIA", not "Ambroisa"..geeshh...
Anyway, all through history, music, comedy, lyrics, plays and films have been lambasted for one thing or another. How many people condemned Elvis for his hip moves. How many didn't like the Beatles' haircuts. Why was Lenny Bruce busted. While you may not like the music you have to let them be artistic. Its the same as modern art...some pieces just don't appeal to everyone. And even in Obama's own words, while he praises their musicianship and business acumen, he still worries about the lyrics for his daughter's ears. That's a concerned father talking. I think that should be commended and not put up as an attack piece because he applauds their talent.
I know that there will be many, many more attack pieces to come in the months ahead because you, as a republican, cannot stand anything to do with a democrat, so you and your ilk will do anything to tear him down to get Bush light elected. You know it won't happen in New Jersey, but you'll keep trying.
It might be nice to be fair once in a while.
Rick,
Sorry about the misspelling. I fixed it.
Obama was interviewed by Rolling Stone, a magazine the endorsed his candidacy. He was speaking as a candidate for President of the United States, not as a concerned father.
The mainstream media has anointed Obama. The have not done there job. We don't know who this guy is or what he stands for. This in not an unfair attack. I looked for what the guy said, reported it, and looked for Ludacris lyrics and reported them.
If Hillary had won the nomination and I was making jokes about her bringing the furniture back, yeah you could say I was taking partisan shots. But this is not simply partisanship.
We need to take a good look at who this guy is. The more we look the scarier it gets.
This is part of our checks and balances system. The mainstream media has failed at its job. There is a article I have for a post that I am working on that says reporters give Obama a standing ovation when he walks into the room.
Competition, or partisanship, plays a legitimate role. W's dwi arrest was fair game. Clinton's philandering was fair game. It is the job of opponents to vet each other, especially if the press won't do it.
It is not just a matter of "gotcha." It is a matter of judging the character of the candidate to see if you want to "hire" that person to be President. Can they do the job? How did they make decisions? Who influences them?
As an American I wish the Democrats had chosen Hillary or Richardson. Either of them have better experience and probably better judgement.
Post a Comment