Consequently, Hip-hop artists like Will.I.Am. were on the campaign trail with Barrack Obama from the beginning. After his election, Young Jeezy released the voracious “My President is Black”, a bombastic track that aspired to be the new black anthem and seemed to imply a melding between Hip-Hop culture and mainstream society. On the night of the inauguration, Barrack Obama was showered in praises, blessings, and performances dedicated in his honor by powerful hip-hop luminaries like Jay-Z and Kanye West.

Can you imagine the Juice Crew dedicating a rendition of “The Symphony” at the inauguration of Jesse Jackson in 88′? More likely it would have been The Four Tops or The Temptations. It certainly wouldn’t have been Gil Scott Heron.

These spectacles would appear to signify that American politics had moved so far left, that hip-hop and urban culture had become acceptable to political elites. But it is quite the opposite. Hip Hop culture has embraced political elitism, because Hip-Hop has become elitist. However it has more to do with Social status then political ideology. If you examine closely Hip Hop and urban black culture you will discover that hip-hop is less progressive than it appears in your rear view mirror.

They can listen to a song and dream of living “the good life” but that same artist turns around and advocates for more public housing, food stamps, and overall government dependency. When will Hip Hop draw the line and share the whole story about their success with the very people that need the most inspiration?

Hip-hop artists like Will.I.Am. were on the campaign trail with Barrack Obama from the beginning. After his election, Young Jeezy released the voracious “My President is Black”, a bombastic track that aspired to be the new black anthem and seemed to imply a melding between Hip-Hop culture and mainstream society. On the night of the inauguration, Barrack Obama was showered in praises, blessings, and performances dedicated in his honor by powerful hip-hop luminaries like Jay-Z and Kanye West. Can you imagine the Juice Crew dedicating a rendition of “The Symphony” at the inauguration of Jesse Jackson in 88′? More likely it would have been The Four Tops or The Temptations.

It certainly wouldn’t have been Gil Scott Heron.

by Esteban G. Camacho The economy is in rapid decline, the government has spent record amounts in an attempt to “fix” the economy, and the country is seeing a rise in unemployment levels. To some, there seems to be no end in sight. According to Ben Bernanke, “2009 will see a rise in unemployment…greater than [...]