In the early stages of his campaign, then-senator Obama was making tentative overtures to hip-hop, noting in particular his appreciation of, and interest in, rap music. Killer Mike is just one voice in a growing chorus of dissent from within the rap world by artists who believe Obama has failed to take up the pressing issues facing black people in the US. Was Killer Mike really attacking the man once dubbed "B-Rock" by Vibe magazine? The real surprise, however, is that the track Reagan is not an isolated rebuke but merely the most recent illustration of the deteriorating relationship between Obama and hip-hop. We might be surprised to hear this kind of criticism of the man who, just a few years earlier, was declared "America's first hip-hop president" because of his deep ties to the genre. Elsewhere, he compares Obama's military policies to Reagan's. Although Mike's ostensible target in the song is former Republican President Ronald Reagan (Mike's not a huge fan – his final line is "I'm glad Reagan dead") he also takes some unexpected shots at Barack Obama, at one point characterising him as "just another talking head telling lies on teleprompters". But it was one track in particular, Reagan, that really raised eyebrows. Critics couldn't help but marvel at the unlikely pairing of Mike, with his distinctly southern credentials (and drawl to match), and New York producer EL-P, an underground figure known for his aggressive, frenetic sound. Earlier this year, Killer Mike made quite a splash with his latest album, R.A.P.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |