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Young Jeezy Raps About Obama

Posted Wed Jan 21, 2009 1:57am PST by Billy Johnson, Jr. in Hip-Hop Media Training

I consume some of my hip-hip like an anorexic binge eats. I intake all the beats and rhymes I can load up on my laptop and before they can properly digest I figuratively drag myself over to my computer's recycle bin to throw up all of the violence, misogyny and dope slanging that just doesn't fit the image of the phat dude in the mirror.

Non hip-hop lovers wonder how I can listen to some of the most foul and be unaffected.

I shrug. I've been compartmentalizing for, what, 39 years now?

There's one aspect of binging on gangsta rap that justifies the high. It's the inadvertent discovery of a poignant message.

I've come to expect hustling lessons from Young Jeezy and took a listen to The Recession because I dug the Kanye collab "Put On" and thought the album title was especially timely and cool. I was just looking for a couple more club bangers, but when I scanned the back of the CD and saw the track called "My President" featuring Nas I smirked. 

Naw.

(See Jeezy discuss Obama in exclusive clip below.)

 

The Recession didn't have a "You Must Love Me" (Jay-Z, In My Lifetime, Vol. 1), "Somethin' 2 Live 4" (WC, Ghetto Heisman) or "Freedom Of Preach" (Ludacris, Release Therapy) moment? 

You know the moment. It comes at the end of an otherwise perfectly good sensationalistic hip-hop record. It's that final song that snaps you out of the trance with a Spike Lee "Wake Up" urgency.

Considering my fascination with these anchor records, I wanted to fast forward to the end of the album to see what the Atlanta rapper had to say. But I waited patiently, listening to all of the preceding songs. 

I had a sense that Jeezy wasn't going to go the route that Ludacris did on "Politics As Usual" and attack Obama's opponents. And he didn't.

While there are still numerous references to rims, the great white and prison, the most salient part of the song is the opening line of the repeated chorus, "My president is Black." 

It was hard not to feel the hype when listening to this song in September, then still two months before Barack Obama was elected the 44th president of the United States and the first of African American heritage.

It was fitting that Jeezy released the video for this song during the week of Obama's inauguration. Also see him discuss Obama in the above special Yahoo! video intro.

This is just one reason why I've never been too concerned about my listening disorder. Plus, I can stop binge listening whenever I want. 

553 Comments

1. James -
MY PRESIDENT IS BLACK AND I'M GOING TO BE WHATEVER I WANT TO BE CHEAAA

2. Blaque Boy -
IT IS TIME FOR A CHANGE, I AM VERY PROUD OF OBAMA, I JUST WISH OUR GRANDPARENTS COULD OF LIVE 2 C THIS MOVEMENT, THEY WOULD B PROUD...

3. Richard E -
My President is black but that song is wack. People need to stop caring about color. Are we still living in grass huts. Come on educate your soul not just your mind. Racism is a trait of the ingorant. Open your eyes to the truth. We are all the same we all struggle to survive. Lets do it together so the days are a little easier.

4. AbdurrahmanU -
is`nt it so touchin my president is black my fellow black pple

5. Franchesca -
Thank God he heard my prayers.

6. Yahoo! Music User -
I very excited to have President Obama as our nations leader, but when need to stop caring about skin color and judge someone by their actions not what color there skin is.

7. Yahoo! Music User -
my president is black
in fact he's half white
so even in a racist mind he's half right
if you have racist mind you'll be aight
my president is black but his house is all white

8. Lady -
LOOK AFTER 400 YEARS OF SLAVERY AND STILL TO THIS DAY RACISM US BLACK PEOPLE HAVE THE RIGHT TO PRAISE THE FACT OUR PRESIDENT IS BLACK..... IT'S A PRIDE THING IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH OTHER RACES ITS A BIG SIGN OF CHANGE. I CAN NOW TELL MY SON WHEN HE GET OLDER HE CAN BECOME PRESIDENT AND IT MIGHT HAPPEN!!!!!

9. Tredarrius -
Man I am 14 and we needed a change in this courty thanks Barack Obama. Also Young Jeezy I like your music man keep up the good work.

10. Allison aka -
I am very happy to have an honest president that I see accomplishing great things for ALL AMERICA. This is no longer about color of your skin but a unity of one people coming together to vote for a change for a better America a better unity. The days of segretion are over can't you see Dr. King's dream is a realization so why we still hate we are one people skin color no longer matters we are an American Family of all cultures all beliefs all with the same dream and the same struggles. So rejoice and forget color. I see a brother or a sister not a person of color or any one any better or worse I see someone who just like me is trying to get by with dreams and goals and if fallen I would help cause that to me is America helping one another.

11. jimmy j -
Richard E. You don't know the struggle that black people have been through and still going through it. I agree we do need to get over the race factor but with Obama in office that will help.

12. Puff -
Yes! I love this song! And the video is great!

13. Yahoo! Music User -
sweet music

14. Shelby -
stop lookin at this as a color thing. he is here to help all people not just 1 race. but this song is bumpin i like all of your songs on the recession jeezy(CTE).

15. TejaM -
im very happy about there being an african american persident but what the point of this song u talk about the obama and your car those are two different things.

16. Vannesta -
Jeeze I think your the best. You've come a long way and I know God is going to carrie you just like he's carried our BLACK PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA!!!!!!!!!!!!! Great job on this song, and hats go's off to your up coming success on this song. Your going to blow up like the world trade. Meaning your in a different bracket of life now!!!!!!!!!!!!!

17. Billy J -
@Washington, did you just say, Negro? LOL. I prefer Black or African American, please.

18. Latisha -
Our President being black is a beautiful things to the world. It is a soul thing to black people. From what happen in the past slavery history. and up to date it was more of a color thing still had linger around to today. Obama has let all our ancestor rest in peace now. and we as people feel like all the shackles are broken free. we are a rainbow now.

19. JeFe -
I love your blogs.

Please keep them comin' consistently!

20. Treasure -
I really don't care that he's black.I'm just happy he's president!!!Obama!!!!
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