I was having trouble sleeping last night (as usual), so I decided to take my favorite sleeping pills: music! Instead of making me sleep, it made me dream... Public Enemy once sang about America's "Fear of a Black Planet". Well, today, the President of the US is of African descent, hip hop is THE main cultural movement in the world, and Africa is rising from the doom... so I don't know if the black planet is already here, but it sure as hell is getting less "white dominated". So in my "rêverie", I was wondering... what if hip hop was more than just a music, a culture, what if it was A NATION!? Who would rule the United States of Hip Hop!?!?!?
This is how I got to joke about it with Nina, my hip hop female alter ego, just as passionate as I am, and having the same problem sleeping... We got delirious, talking about OUR culture taking over the White House (we most definitely wouldn't paint it black, sorry George Clinton...) and blessing the world with a real NEW ORDER, where Beats, Rhymes and Life would be the motto. Here's the Government that came out of this "dream" of ours:
President: Shawn Carter, aka Jay-Z
I already hear the purists arguing with our choice: "he went pop, too mainstream, we need an underground nigga that represents the culture to the core, not a sellout!"
Let me tell you that Hip Hop culture evolved a lot through the years; commercial success was the greatest achievement after years of struggle in the underground. Today, hip hop is a force to be reckoned with, and entrepreneurship made it an economical asset with a lot of weight in the world. Rappers are no longer behind the mic only. They are behind the desk running their own businesses, making huge profits, and giving back to their communities.
Jay-Z did just that, becoming one of the most successful and respected businessmen in AMERICA (CEO of ROC, ROC-A-WEAR, Def Jam, shareholder of the New York Yankees and New Jersey Nets... should I continue?)!
He is also about the only rapper today that is able to gather all the families inside the Movement, and still not compromise his integrity and street credibility. Jay-Z is not a sellout, he's a SELLER! And a goddamn visionary too!
"When your cents got that much in common
And you've been hustlin' since, your inception,
Fuck perception, go with what makes sense
Since I know what I'm up against
We as rappers must decide what's most important
and I can't help the poor if I'm one of them
so I got rich and gave back , to me that's the win-win".
Enough said!
Vice President: Lonnie Rashid Lynn, aka Common
When you think about hip hop the way it should be, no gimmicks, no catchy dumb hooks and hollow contents, when you think about writing skills, mad wordplay and a sharp look at the world, you have got to think about Common. He represents what is right and righteous about Hip Hop, he is in a quest of inner peace and political awareness, of love for the arts and ego tripping humouristic songs (all of them with a message), he is that futuristic rapper not afraid to explore new musical dimensions while at the same time paying hommage to the elderly... Common is every rapper's favorite rapper, the one they wish they were... Common is The Light to be followed.
"If revolution had a music I'd be theme music
My music you either fight, fuck or dream to it
My life is one big rhyme I try to scheme through it
Through my shell, never knew what the divine would bring to it
I'd be lying if I said I didn't want millions
But more than money saved I wanna save children
Dealing with alcoholism and afrocentricity
A complex man drawn off of simplicity."
Secretary of State: John Legend (+Robin Thicke)
Foreign Affairs are a serious business to take into consideration, and since it's hip hop culture in its wide form we are talking about, I think John Legend would be perfect to assume the role of pacifier and bond with other countries/ musical nations. He is a Soul/ R&B singer whose songs have a very hip hop feeling. His first album in particular, mostly produced by Kanye West, has set an example of hip hop beat and R&B melody. Songs like I Can Change or Number One are very much on the border, so he is perfect to understand other Nations's sensitivity and bring hip hop to them in a non hostile manner. Robin Thicke's smooth falsetto might just provide the perfect support for the mission of taking hip hop out to the world (plus, we needed a white dude in the government!)
State's Spokesperson: Kanye West
He is known for speaking his mind rather freely. He is not afraid to tackle George Bush Live on national television, he will get up his seat and snatch the microphone from another person's hand and steal her momentum just because he disagrees with an award... But most of all, he expresses himself in his music, talking about issues we are all aware of but unable to face in the bold way he does. This man made a song about his dying grandmother, about black people in the US spending money they don't have, about a car accident that almost killed him but eventually drove him to stardom, damn it, he even had the WORLD dancing in the name of Jesus...IN THE CLUBS!!!!!!!!! So he epitomizes freedom of speech to a point that we could not have anyone else being Hip Hop's spokesperson. With him speaking out for us, THE WORLD WILL LISTEN! Wether they want to or not...
Attorney General (Justice): Nasir Jones, aka Nas
Here is the son of a Jazz musician from Mississipi, who has known the darkest hours of segregation and racism at the very heart of the dirty racist south... Here is a child raised in QueensBridge, grew up during the crack epidemic in the ghetto, the black on black crime, has had friends arrested or killed in the cold mean streets of QB. He depicted this sad reality the best in his debut album, 5 mic earner Illmatic. With a heritage of strength and courage to face the adversity, after witnessing misery, injustice and brutality in the poor black population of America, Nas has developped a heightened sense of Justice, and would definitely use his leadership to ensure its enforcement throughout the Nation.
Supreme Court: Robert Kelly, aka R. Kelly
This man has been persecuted; this man has been accused; this man has been dragged in the mud; this man has been indicted; this man has been taken to court under 14 counts of child abuse and child pornography; this man has been hated; this man has created one of the biggest controversies in America these last years concerning sex scandals (only topped by Michael Jackson); this man has made a living writing, singing and performing songs mainly about love and SEX; this man has been cleared of all charges after almost 10 years of trial; this man has all the reasons to love the United States Courts and the way it serves its Justice: being on top of it makes total sense. Revenge is a dish best served cold.
Department of Economy: Sean Combs, aka Puff Daddy, aka P Diddy, aka Diddy
If you think of hip hop in the early nineties, and its Grand Leap into mainstream audience, you have to have this man in mind. Puff Daddy has proven himself to be a talented record company owner, music producer and IMAGE WIZARD! He almost single handedly made hip hop family friendly for corporate America, while still dropping some of the hardest Classic albums hip hop has known (did you really think Ready to Die was a pop album?). He made Shiny Suits the shit, he took FLOSSIN' to a whole different level, he made Hype Williams a superstar with the craziest, most expensive videos at the time, where reality met rapidly his dreams of grandeur. Yes folks, diddy knows how to multiply his dollar stacks. Don't worry if he writes rhymes. He writes checks. Big fat ones.
Department of Education: Talib Greene, aka Talib Kweli
Hip Hop's most prominent backpacker. He took the world by storm with just two albums: Reflection Eternal, with DJ Hi Tek and Black Star, with Mos Def. He is the posterboy for conscious hip hop. His name, Talib, means student in arabic. And he has been trying to share his knowledge, make a wake up call for every man woman and child, so that we find in ourselves the ressources to fight this Beautiful Struggle we call life. Talib is the big brother we would love to have, he is the soft spoken patient brother that will educate you and make you think about what you are really doing with your life. Talib, you studied enough. It's time to teach, now.
Department of Agriculture: Calvin Broadus, aka Snoop Dogg
This Dogg has made his fame and fortune by letting the world know he had the Green Thumb. In Hip Hop Nation, the weed is like official, if not mandatory! No one would be a better promoter than the Big Snoop from Long Beach, he sure as hell would provide top quality for the whole population to be stress free and laid back. Just the way he is. Just the way we like him.
Department of Energy: Andre Benjamin, aka Andre 3000 and Antwon Patton, aka Big Boi (OutKast)
Outkast's duo has been one of the most inovative hip hop acts of the last 20 years. Since their debut album Southernplayalistikcadillacmusik, they evolved in many diferent directions, exploring, going back and forth, reinventing their own unique sound. One thing that defines this group more than anything, in my opinion, is their versatility, the way they are able to float on different waters without losing their identity. That identity is one of an energetic duo, who matured over the years, went fom boys to men, affirmed their individual personalities and still managed to get together and make perfect alchemy. OutKast is all about alchemy. It's putting together RAW ENERGY and crafting it with maestria to turn it into clean cut diamond-like music gems. They transform without changing the core of the product. They wear many costumes and masks, express many moods and issues, but stay the same beneath the layers: they are the closest thing to the future of hip hop one could ever imagine (and wish)! Dealing with Energy is just a natural task for them, and they will transform it into some clean non-nuclear fuel for the Nation to ride on!
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