Democratic Presidential hopeful Barack Obama has a lot to say about Hip Hop.
In the latest issue of Vibe, Obama graces the cover and clarifies statements he made about rap and his meeting with Ludacris (which drew fire from Republicans).
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In April, he told the Associated Press that he felt rap was “degrading his sisters.”
During the Vibe interview, Obama says he was misquoted but stands by his comments. He is also one of few politicians to question society as a whole, and not heap the blame on Hip Hop.
“I stand by exactly what I said, which was that the degrading comments about women that [radio host Don] Imus said is language that we hear not just on the radio, not just in music. We ourselves perpetuate that, and we all have to take responsibility for that,” he told the magazine.
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While Obama believes we should all be more responsible, he also highlights the power Hip hop culture has on youth.
“There’s no doubt that hip-hop culture moves our young people powerfully. And some of it is not just a reflection of reality,” he added. “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.”
Fortunately for Hip Hop, Obama will not allow himself to be a pawn of conservative outlets by making negative images in the music a focal point of his campaign. In fact, he’s not paying it much attention at all.
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“My priority as a U.S. 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.”
Score one for Hip Hop.
