Ludacris Raps About Obama, Upsetting Many

July 30, 2008, 7:11 pm

By Mike Nizza

Ludacris has a crush on Obama, and all would be well today if he had created a song as inviting as some other musically-inclined supporters.

Instead, in the song, “Politics,” he did what he does best when matched with a booming baseline — rapping without regard for anyone who might be offended. (You can listen to it here).
Offended, as it turns out, is precisely how many people should feel, according to a wide range of commentators — including Senator Obama’s spokesman.

“This song is not only outrageously offensive to Senator Clinton, Reverend Jackson, Senator McCain, and President Bush,” a spokesman, Bill Burton, said in a statement. “It is offensive to all of us who are trying to raise our children with the values we hold dear.”

At a time in the presidential campaign when both sides stand accused of going too negative, Ludacris — who once bragged in a song that he was “from the school of hard knocks, sneak peeks and low blows” — most certainly did.

Senator Clinton was called “irrelevant” and also a nasty name common in hip-hop lyrics but not in the remarks of presidential candidates. Senator McCain was the recipient of something that could be a schoolyard joke or an especially repulsive malediction, depending on the audience: “McCain don’t belong in any chair unless he’s paralyzed.”

President Bush was also declared irrelevant, as well as “the worst of all 43 presidents” and “mentally handicapped.” Reverend Jackson got off relatively easy as a “slick” politician.
Of course, this is precisely the kind of performance that won Ludacris fans around the world, three Grammy awards and Hollywood appeal.

It also earned him a place on Senator Obama’s iPod, a detail reported in June that Ludacris bragged about in the song:
With a slot in the president’s iPod, Obama shouted himSaid I handle my biz and I’m one of his favorite rappers.

He was referring to a Rolling Stone interview in which Mr. Obama mentioned Ludacris, Jay-Z and Russell Simmons as “great talents and great businessmen.” He also said that “it would be nice if I could have my daughters listen to their music without me worrying that they were getting bad images of themselves.”

Both points were reiterated today by Mr. Burton, “While Ludacris is a talented individual he should be ashamed of these lyrics.” But the campaign was apparently referring to the misogyny and materialism, and not Ludacris’ bold prediction that would suit it just fine: “The first black president is destined and it’s meant to be.”