Hip Hop painted the White House Black

- If I was the president, then I would state facts/You leave it up to me, I paint the white house black- MC Breed ain’t no future in your frontin

In 1991, Eric Breed better known as MC Breed, an up and coming Emcee from Flint, Michigan declared that there was no future in your frontin. He also stated that he would paint the White House Black. At that moment no one ever conceived that the White House could be or would be occupied by a man that looked decidedly more like Eric Breed than House Minority Leader Eric Cantor. If Eric Breed was with us today, he would no doubt share a playlist that sounds strikingly like the man that now sits in the Oval Office.

Barack Hussein Obama was sworn into office January 20, 2008. At the time, Tupac and Biggie had been dead more than a decade. Jay’z was the undisputed King of cash in Hip Hop and Lil Wayne was selling more albums than anyone. Yet, the question remains; how did we get here? How did this world where America could elect an African American and select “street griots” the kings of popular culture come to exist? The answers exist somewhere between “The Message” by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five and Public Enemy’s” Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos”.

Hip Hop since its inception has always been about an Emcee grabbing a mic from the DJ booth and telling his or her story. The more people feel your story, the better the reception of the Emcee. So Melle Mell told the story of life on the street, cocaine as an instrument of death and what graffiti art means to the urban youth. Chuck D., growled haunting tales of the angst and struggle of the Black male in an inner city environment. So what does all this have to do with Presidential politics? Well, enough Emcees tell their story and enough radio stations tell those stories and suddenly NWA’s “Straight Outta Compton” is no longer shocking. Hell, on some level it becomes downright relatable to even the most discerning critic. The nation quickly began to understand that the way the urban youth were being raised in this country was not like the after school specials we saw on T.V.

So what of those special urban (code word for Black) youths that excelled and beat the odds. Those that struggled early on in life, but somehow defied the odds to educate themselves at the highest levels, that achieved some form of success in their respective career fields. These Black men were shining examples that if you just do the right things, well, than for you the American dream could be achieved! This made America feel good, feel all indignant about the fact that this is America and if you just pull yourself up by your straps…you get the picture. After all a lanky big eared kid from Philly helped turned his gift of a big mouth into a successful, long running television sitcom. Will Smith parlayed a few catchy, pop tunes into a Hollywood A-List career. Not far behind was Oshea Jackson, you remember Oshea, he of the NWA fame. He came out a brash, loud, articulate and boisterous jerhi curl wearing, grandmother frightening thug! Now kids flock to his family friendly movies by the 100’s of thousands and parents just love them some Ice Cube.

Since 1968, we have had a number of African American’s run for Presidential office. From Shirley Chisholm to Al Sharpton, there runs were largely symbolic. A good showing meant some campaign cash in the pockets and politically they could claim any number of moral victories. “We showed little Black kids you can do anything you want”, is what they would cry as they shuffled off with some political favors in the pocket and a brand new national audience. In 2006, a junior Senator from Illinois seemed to be heading down that same desperate path to superstardom via a Presidential Run.

-Why is Bush acting like he trying to get Osama/Why don't we impeach him and elect Obama “Why” –Jadakiss featuring Nas, Styles P, and Anthony Hamilton with verse by Common

By 2007 the nation and world had come to know the brash young man from Hawaii that gave the keynote speech at the Democratic National Conventional. The Chicago community organizer and Constitutional Law Professor that climbed his way to the Illinois Senate and then the US Senate. With Oprah Winfrey as his wing woman and Common mentioning him in rap lyrics, this guy with the funny name and big ears was out polling the political first family-Bill and Hilary Clinton. With an eye on the White House, the brash and often precocious Obama had an iPod that included both Lil Wayne and Jay’Z. He openly admitted both marijuana and cocaine use. No other national political figure had admitted to both drug use and a deep abiding affection for Hip Hop. Had Will Smith made this possible? Was this the work of Oshea Jackson? Maybe. But definitely no less than it was the work of KRS-1 and Public Enemy. You see while Will and Cube were preparing White America for the resurrection of the Black man from dubious circumstances that rises to the height of their careers; KRS-1 and Chuck D were educating the youth on being prepared to support such a leader. We needed both, this country had to have both simultaneously for the unthinkable to happen. If a Black man was ever to be President of these United States both factions had to have their say. Will Smith had to be able to date your daughter and Chuck D. had to give the brothers a plan to work it out!

Michelle Obama grew up on the far south side of Chicago, she lived Hip Hop. Barak Obama grew up in Hawaii, he observed Hip Hop! Yet no one in America embodies what Hip Hop is all about more than Barak Obama. Despite the obstruction, despite the lies and falsehoods and misunderstandings Hip Hop like Obama continues to morph and redefine itself in order to survive. Which in turns is the ultimate success, right? Hip Hop only lives because the streets live, because the struggle and pain and poetry lives. Hip Hop like Obama, has circumnavigated the globe in both reputation and physically because they recognize the opportunity covered in the problems. You see, America would have not handed Obama a country that was fiscally sound and thriving; he would not have inherited a country that was stable and not riddled with some the worst problems America has ever seen. Obama had to inherit Hip Hop! Hip Hop is trying to buy Cristal when you have J. Roget money; Hip Hop is driving a Benz with little too no gas; Hip Hop is telling the world that things are looking up from the most desperate of positions-then making it happen!

So Maybe, just maybe Hip Hop helped paint the White House Black.