White House Poetry Controversy

[Al B. Sure!]

In the most absurd thing I've seen from Karl Rove, Sean Hannity, Sarah Palin, and others, rapper Common is called a "thug", "vile", "misogynistic", "encourages violence against police", etc.

Common.

This guy:



The guy with the Pro-Life 1997 single "Retrospect for Life".

The soft, dorky guy with the strong female fan-base known for songs like this:



Or you may know him as an actor on Terminator Salvation, Smokin Aces and romantic comedies like Date Night and Just Wright.

To Hannity et al, he is a misogynistic thug who encourages violence against police and women and he has no business being invited to a White House poetry event and that we should think of the children who could be influenced by this "vile" rapper.



What the ****?

What's next? Will Smith gets called a gangsta rapper?


What is this? Have any of them any passing familiarity with him before they attack him and the administration for inviting him? Is there an assumption that because he is a rapper, among other things, that he must be a copkilling thug? Is it because he's a successful Black man and that scares certain Tea Partyist demographics?

[Al B. Sure!]

Apparently also singer/poet Jill Scott is also in the hoopla being accused of being racist

[-Jrabbit]

Gee, the Faux media and GOP right criticizing Obama?

Quelle surprise!

Seriously, you should know by now that there's nothing Obama can do that won't draw immediate and panicky criticism from the right: ZOMFG a rapper was allowed in the White House!!! He might be a secret Muslim and get his hands on the nuke codes!!!! He probably has drugs!! Maybe for Obama!!!!

This is a great example, too, since Common is one of the most positive, non-threatening rappers around. In fact, didn't he catch a lot of flak for dissing West Coast Gangsta style several years ago?

I think Common should go on all these conservative talk shows and calmly address the concerns of the Fox gang. That would be freaking hilarious!

[-Jrabbit]

On second thought, they're probably upset that rap is now considered poetry...

[Al B. Sure!]

Gee, the Faux media and GOP right criticizing Obama?

Quelle surprise!

Seriously, you should know by now that there's nothing Obama can do that won't draw immediate and panicky criticism from the right: ZOMFG a rapper was allowed in the White House!!! He might be a secret Muslim and get his hands on the nuke codes!!!! He probably has drugs!! Maybe for Obama!!!!

This is a great example, too, since Common is one of the most positive, non-threatening rappers around. In fact, didn't he catch a lot of flak for dissing West Coast Gangsta style several years ago?

I think Common should go on all these conservative talk shows and calmly address the concerns of the Fox gang. That would be freaking hilarious!

On his twitter, Common said:
"Politics is politics and everyone is entitled to their own opinion, I respect that. The one thing that shouldn’t be questioned is my support for the police officers and troops that protect us every day. Peace yall!"

And yes. He actually had a rap feud with Ice Cube in the early 90's over it. Common made a diss song called "The ***** in You" in response to Cube's diss track; probably the only time Common used the word ***** on a song.


It's just I google this stuff and see all these articles with headlines like "White House Promotes Gangster Rapper Common", etc. Like what the ****?

[-Jrabbit]

After a bit more research, I see Common is a little further "left" than I realized. I can see how a few of his raps might rile up the right a bit. But you have to ask yourself, would a similar representative of any other art form draw such a firestorm?

ABOUT A POETRY READING???

[Al B. Sure!]

On second thought, they're probably upset that rap is now considered poetry...

Well Hannity has been quoting these lyrics from a poem Common performed on Def Poetry Jam in 2007:




Shakespeare is more violent.

I suppose it's a bit rough but Common judging by his altered voice and cadence seems to be in a character and some poetic allusions are too good to pass up on hence the burning Bush reference.

[Al B. Sure!]

After a bit more research, I see Common is a little further "left" than I realized. I can see how a few of his raps might rile up the right a bit. But you have to ask yourself, would a similar representative of any other art form draw such a firestorm?

ABOUT A POETRY READING???

I suppose the song about, coincidentally, Tupac Shakur's aunt, Assata Shakur, a convicted cop killer, could rile people up but one song or poem means what? And it's not like other celebrities haven't shown support for certain Black Panther cop killers like Shakur and Mumia Abu Jamal.

[-Jrabbit]

There you have it. That's enough to raise the alarm with these people.

I'm already seeing "speculation" (i.e., hope on the right) that it's going to cost Obama the support of police unions in 2012.

[C0ckney]

the guy in the background (in the coat) on the video you posted is the spit of obama.

[Al B. Sure!]

There you have it. That's enough to raise the alarm with these people.

I'm already seeing "speculation" (i.e., hope on the right) that it's going to cost Obama the support of police unions in 2012.

The thing that gets me is how do they find these things? I mean to be familiar with a random poem he did on Def Poetry Jam in 2007 or a song that was not a single on a 2000 album, they would have had to come across the rest of his work and had to have been like okay there's these two things but this guy is not a gangster rapper or thug...

I mean what does Hannity or Palin think about Retrospect for Life where Common, in reference to abortion, raps, "I'm a use self control instead of birth control cause $315 aint worth your soul"?

Like how do they find the song for Assata Shakur buried on a decade old album but miss the rest of his discography?

[SpencerH]

Al B

While Hannity et al may, or may not, have overdone their response, that doesnt change that Common has published some questionable poetry and opinions on interracial marriage that if they had come from a white man would have immediately begun the 'racist' diatribe from the left. If Common is entitled to express his opinion, then so is Hannity et al. Given the scumbags that actually frequent the White House and have access to the President, this is a tempest in a teapot.

[Al B. Sure!]

Al B

While Hannity et al may, or may not, have overdone their response, that doesnt change that Common has published some questionable poetry and opinions on interracial marriage that if they had come from a white man would have immediately begun the 'racist' diatribe from the left. If Common is entitled to express his opinion, then so is Hannity et al. Given the scumbags that actually frequent the White House and have access to the President, this is a tempest in a teapot.

Yeah and Jill Scott is getting criticized for the same thing.

The thing is the Common thing comes from a Touch Magazine interview done in 2005 and Common explained it in that interview:

TOUCH: This is a lyric from the track ‘Heat’ on your ‘Like Water For Chocolate’ album: "State senators, life twirls, most sell out – like a dread with a white girl." Explain please.
COMMON: Rastafarianism is a black culture. When you see dreadlocked dudes with white girls that’s like they going against what the dreadlock’s purpose was. The dreadlock was a symbol of black love and the black people gettin’ to a certain level. In America we’ve got a lot of dreadlocked dudes and all you see them with is white girls. I don’t think there’s anything the matter with somebody loving somebody from another race but it’s almost like a stereotype that if you’ve got dreadlocks you go out with a white girl. I just feel like, as black men, we do have to be aware that, yo, every time we step out with some woman it’s setting an example for our daughters and it’s also representing something for our mothers. If you can’t really love your own, how can you really love others?

COMMON: It was good that we talked about that. I talked about it even more after I hung up. I was talking to my team about it and they had their own views. My whole thing is that black women have been so put down – whether it’s due to the oppression of a white government or we [black men] putting our own women down. When dudes say they only gonna focus on white girls, to me, it’s like a slap in a black girl’s face. What’s ironic is when you hear this song on my new album called ‘Real People’. It deals with something almost of the same nature. I say: "Black men walking with white girls on they arms. I be mad at ’em as if I know they mums. Told to go beyond the surface, a person’s a person. When we lessen our women our conditions seem to worsen". I’m glad we got to discuss this though. Ya know, I still feel like because I’m an artist and I say certain things, I have a responsibility to let people know what I mean. I can’t claim to be perfect. I’m working too to be a better guy."

Common dislikes the idea that Black men who become successful, 'arrive' when they marry a white woman... Since Frederick Douglas, many accomplished Black men, whether politicians, athletes, actors, or whatever else, have gone the white woman route.

I doubt Common takes issue with interracial marriages out of love (he says it himself that he does not) but he is taking issue with this logic of 'arrival' being consummated by a white woman.


Once again, how does someone find this stuff in an interview but miss Common's entire point and context?

He says in specific language "I don’t think there’s anything the matter with somebody loving somebody from another race"

[Guynemer]

Is it because he's a ... Black man and that scares certain Tea Partyist demographics?

FTFY, and yes.

[SpencerH]

"If you can’t really love your own, how can you really love others?"

Isnt that a direct quote from David Duke?

Again, I dont really give a **** one way or the other. I'm simply pointing out that if this idea was being expressed by a white man that Jesse Jackson would be trying to organize a rally.