HIP HOP + POLITICS
4 the People: Cardi B. 4 The $: Ice Cube, 50 Cent.
Opinions are credible as the general public makes it out to be. Whether it is based on one’s claim to fame, wealth, or affiliations, we tend to look at them with keen eyes.
On one end, we take it with a grain of salt. On another, we take it as gospel.
That is the risk celebrities tend to take in discussing societal issues. Especially now, as the reigning Head of State exists in the public eye not through politics, but The Apprentice.
Public figures have now made a call to action in ways they never have before, in cultures that have ever rarely felt involved in evoking change for America.
In hip hop, a genre heavily populated by the black community, artists have historically made mention of the many injustices in society, mostly in direct relation to them.
From Kendrick to Tupac to Nas, they’ve always acted as the voice of the voiceless in the sociopolitical realm. But with the #blacklivesmatter movement in full effect, they have looked to act, instead of speak. Artists shedding light on the minority struggle and how it should be fixed.
Cardi B spoke with Presidential nominee, Joe Biden for Elle magazine, seeking equality for black people. To some, that holds no value.
Rappers are meant to entertain, not to offer an opinion. Yet to many, it is encouraging, as artists may share the same opinion as to the masses. So what happens when they don’t? When actions don’t appeal to the very public they align with?
(Hold the Kanye) Insert Ice Cube and 50 Cent.
News went rampant last week when rapper Ice Cube was revealed to be a consultant for the Trump Administration’s “Platinum Plan”.
The plan, sought out to give direct aid to Black America, is widely seen as a last-ditch effort for Trump to maintain his status as the POTUS next month.
Between that, and the controversial past with Trump and Black America, the news garnered a reaction that made many want to either “cancel” the rapper, or downplay his intellect for public policy in America.
“Every side is the Darkside for us here in America.” Cube, in response to critics. “They all lie and they all cheat but we can’t afford to negotiate with whoever is in power or our condition in this country will never change.”
Not to be outdone, fellow rapper/entrepreneur, 50 Cent put his vote in the ballot for Donald Trump, following the news of Biden’s tax rate plan.
In turn, Eric Trump put out a post with both rappers donning #MAGA hats, which made the N.W.A. legend respond in kind.
Ice Cube in the public eye is like society today, divisive.
At the end of the day, regardless of political knowledge, he’s human. Who deals with similar issues and are trying to find different avenues to fix it, for better or worse.
The question is, should we be at war off of action? Opinion? Or both? Like art, it is up for interpretation.
