With Friends Like These: Ludacris Political Dis Track and Obama’s Friendly Liabilities
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDsQtIvgNtI]
In what has to be his best song since “Move, Bitch, Get Out the Way,” Ludacris tackles the political season with his poetic intervention, “Politics As Usual.” Obama claimed to have Ludacris in heavy rotation on his IPod, second only to the Jewish rap duo, Kaplan and Schwartz.
In his new song, Luda offers a stiff rebuke to Obama’s contenders, such as the obvious candidates, and the Negro Testicle-remover, Rev. Jesse Jackson (WWJD):
I’m back on it like I just signed my record deal
yeah the best is here, the Bentley Coup paint is dripping wet, it got sex appeal
never should have hated
you never should’ve doubted him
with a slot in the president’s iPod Obama shattered ‘em
Said I handled his biz and I’m one of his favorite rappers
Well give Luda a special pardon if I’m ever in the slammer
Better yet put him in office, make me your vice president
Hillary hated on you, so that b^$&%* is irrelevant
Jesse talking slick and apologizing for what?
if you said it then you meant it how you want it have a gut!
and all you other politicians trying to hate on my man,
watch us win a majority vote in every state on my man
you can’t stop what’s bout to happen, we bout to make history
the first black president is destined and it’s meant to be
the threats ain’t fazing us, the nooses or the jokes
so get off your ass, black people, it’s time to get out and vote!
paint the White House black and I’m sure that’s got ‘em terrified
McCain don’t belong in ANY chair unless he’s paralyzed
Yeah I said it cause Bush is mentally handicapped
Ball up all of his speeches and I throw em like candy wrap
cause what you talking I hear nothing even relevant
and you the worst of all 43 presidents
get out and vote or the end will be near
the world is ready for change because Obama is here!
cause Obama is here
The world is ready for change because Obama is here!
He made relevant rhyme with President twice in a song (anyone remember when that would be considered wack? – now southern rappers “rhyme” the same word at the end of each sentence).
The Obama campaign loved the track and is featuring it on the website. I wish. Instead, they are predictably distancing the candidate from Luda faster than if he was a and issued
“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….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.”
Without even looking for it, I am sure his opponents are going to rub this song in. It can be fed well into McCain’s new “Obama as celebrity” ad campaign, which associates Obama with Paris Hilton and Brittney Spears (who I would vote for any day). Now, they can put Ludacris in the ad and get some more dirty little “don’t vote for the black guy” points – which I bet would work well with the soccer moms.
It would be the ultimate irony of Obama’s campaign that his friends – Rev. Wright, Tony Rezko, various Muslims, Palestinian-American scholars, etc. – hurt him more than do his enemies. I guess that is the struggle of running as a minority in America.
