Kanye West performs on sidelines of Dem convention

AP, Aug 28, 2008 10:00 am PDT
Kanye West's regret on the day Barack Obama was nominated for president: That his mother, Donda, hadn't lived to experience it.

"It's an incredible time to be around. I wish my momma could have seen this day," the 31-year-old rapper told a crowd gathered for his performance early Thursday morning.

Jamie Foxx then joined West onstage and delivered what was easily the strangest Obama song dedication at this week's Democratic National Convention.

"We make history, man," Foxx declared at the ONE campaign party. "With Obama, we make history. If you ready for Obama, make some noise. Yo man, let's do this for Obama."

Nobody said politics and entertainment always mix smoothly: The pair then launched into their hit "Gold Digger," about money-grubbing women.

The party, sponsored by Bono's ONE anti-poverty campaign and the Recording Industry Association of America, drew celebrities including Forest Whitaker and Ashley Judd, who arrived with Foxx waving an American flag. Pennsylvania Sen. Bob Casey, former Virginia Gov. Mark Warner and former South Dakota Sen. Tom Daschle also walked the red carpet.

Some, including Daschle, left the club before West took the stage and roared through hits such as "Touch the Sky," "Home" and "Stronger."

Backed by a band clad in black outfits that seemed inspired both by Mad Max and the riot police ringing the convention arena, the hip-hop star also tried out two new songs he said he'd written in the past several days — both more focused on relationships and heartbreak than politics.

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