Dear Hip Hop:

I hate to be the one to inform you, and I know you won’t like to hear this, but, well… Barack doesnt give a fuck about you. Barack may be your homeboy, but you sure as hell aren’t his.  Frankly, I for one am glad. Here’s the thing that we, in our celebrity obsessed culture and zest for self importance, tend to forget. Mainly that a) we aren’t that important and b) its an election and he is first and foremost a politician.

I know Hip Hop, I know. You represent over a massive percentage of the market share. You represent some of the most sought after consumer’s world wide! You, through your boy Puff threatened to kill people if they didn’t vote. The terrorist fist jab? Hip Hop done been doing that! I mean let’s keep it real– who the fuck is cooler than Hip Hop? No one that’s who! So, you looked at Barack’s swagger and melanin content, claimed his soul sand handed him his Hip Hop pass.

But for real, Barack don’t like you that much. See, it’s like this: he’s trying to be president of the United States. The leader of the free world. The ceo of the remaining world super power (or so we like to think). Not the CEO of Def Jam. Not the Executive Vice President of Sony Urban. Or take Young Buck’s no vacant slot at G-Unit.  But the leader of our nation.  The man responsible to pulling us out of a nationwide recession. The cat who’s going to figure out a way to attend the wars on Afghanistan and Iraq that both leave that region stable and stops thousands of your market share dying on a weekly basis. The dude who’s got to figure out a way to fix, or at the very least stabilize gas prices and stop your market share from losing their homes.

Since he’s got all that to do and then some, I personally don’t want him hanging out with Jay Z or dropping verses on the next Green Lantern mixtapes. Because again, let’s be really real….Hip Hop, you aren’t his colleague. He wants to be PRESIDENT of the FREE WORLD. Not eat BBQ with Nas, as cool as Nas is and despite Kelis’ milkshaking till her hips dislocate.

See Hip Hop, it’s really bigger than you and me. Its politics. Stripped down and bear naked, it’s not a happy institution. It’s about as happy as a G-Unit staff meeting where Yayo is the only one bothering to stay close. You must have heard the old joke about the etymology the word politics: “poli” means many and “tics” are blood sucking creatures. Put it together and what do you get?

A bunch of motherfuckers who will do any and everything to get the power and title they want. The stakes are higher than north vs. south, than reaching platinum in your first weeks sales. Politicians, of whom Barack Obama is, just in case there was question, don’t run for office on a whim. They spend millions upon millions of dollars, lose hours of sleep and are more than willing to cut any ties that may, at some point, deem the less than electable. Politicians do any and everything to get the power the so badly covet. Nothings sacred, not your pastor, your momma or even your kid. Especially not, you Hip Hop.

Hip Hop, I say this to you now, as part of you, and as gently yet matter of factly as I know how, because well… its better you hear it and accept it now than when the election heats up and Barack publicly shuns you and leaves you off the guest list, publicly disclosing how little he gives a fuck about you.  This doesn’t mean reject him, stop acting like such a cry baby Hip Hop. It’s bigger than you. As it should be. 

So stop sulking, pay attention to the election and don’t get your panties twisted if you are disowned by Barack. If he doesn’t return your calls right away, don’t act out like a crazy ex lover and slash his tires.  Just take it in stride, stay on your lane and realize his lane is bigger than Hip Hop. 

As always, with all my love,

Greenie