Update: I’m eating crow on this. Earlier today I posted an excerpt from an interview with the Chicago rapper, Lupe Fiasco, who gained some midlevel fame with his “Kick Push” song. Setting up the post, I noted that Fiasco generally has decent politics (the link is to his close association with the late historian Howard Zinn). In the interview Fiasco compared Barack Obama to Zimbabwe’s Robert Mugabe. Fiasco, responding to a question about why he had a line in a new song “Words I Never Said” that dissed Obama (“Gaza Strip was getting bombed but Obama didn’t say shit/That’s why I didn’t vote for him, next one either”), responded:
I love Obama, and I love the fact that it’s a black president of the United States of America, but he’s not the first Black president,” Fiasco told Gigwise.com. “Robert Mugabe is a black president too so let’s not get to talking about precedents being set. The fact that he’s Black and American, that’s different. But that it’s anything special beyond that, that just because of that everything’s going to be a utopia, then that’s not true …
At the time, I asked what’s Mugabe got to do with it? And likened Fiasco to R&B singer Akon.
Well, I did not read it thoroughly and responded too quickly.
As readers @frenchie and @Ricci point us (below), actually Fiasco is displaying good politics that are not inconsistent with his earlier stance: Fiasco’s remarks is a necessary critique of the limits of identity politics and black nationalism. They’re right. I ate the earlier version of this post.–Sean Jacobs
He’s saying that there have been other presidents that are black. there is nothing unique or benevolent about simply being black and president, as exemplified by black presidents like Mugabe
Maybe… and this is just a guess.. but maybe he’s saying not all black presidents are necessarily good presidents…. or good for the country..? Just because he’s black, doesn’t mean he will be good for the people, because ‘hey.. look at Mugabe.’…?
That’s the first thing that came to my mind anyway… I could be totally off.
@Ricci and @frenchie: See my update above.
I hate when rappers start talking politics, because it’s akin to when actors and others do it. They start running off with their mouths. I get his sentiment and appreciate it to a degree, but WTF. I guess maybe we should just laud him for knowing where Zimbabwe is, but…meh.
He should have used Ian Khama as an example .
That comment about rappers and actors talking about politics is like saying that cooks or cleaners shouldn’t talk about politics because they probably don’t know anything. That kind of mentality is what doesn’t get enough people talking.
@Heti: Yeah I know right? I guess some people are more comfortable perpetuating the stereotype that rap should only be about hoes and bling.
It’s quite the pretentious comment, especially when there are great thinkers like Nas and Common…rap can have something to say too, that’s originally where it came from, the struggle, an outlet.