@common @barackObama #elections
This week Common became the latest artist to become involved in the political “environment.”  There’s no secret that although overstated, Hip Hop played a vital role back in ’08 in having Obama elected to office but an increasingly desperate Democratic party has turned again to the culture to inject a boost prior to next week’s elections.

President Barack Obama himself has asked fellow Chicagoan, Common to headline a upcoming political rally this Saturday Oct. 30 in the city’s Hyde Park and Midway Plaisance Park.  The event follows much in the same vain of the even held in Philly earlier this month in which the President recruited The Roots to drum up support for Democratic Senate hopeful Joe Sestak. Of course there are also rumors that the very generational and culturally influential, Jay-Z might be tapped for a high ranking post in the potential 2012 Obama re-election bid.

And while this type of association between politics and music or entertainment is nothing new, its a formula that’s been used since the beginning of time, the influx of political alliances within the hip hop community has grown exponentially since the Obama candidacy.  Prior to that time, Diddy and his “Vote or Die” campaign was an isolated case.  But what affect or toll can that really have on the party?

Maybe I’m cynical but Hip Hop is not credible.  Is it viable? yes.  Hip Hop has a sustained economy but for anyone to place their eggs in the Hip Hop basket and expect for it to be responsible to the cause is a recipe for disaster.  Those outside of the Hip Hop fandom don’t respect it and given the constant string of arrests by T.I., Lil Wayne and countless others who could blame them.

The lyrics and culture, although they represent many of us, only do so for a small subset of Americans and in reality piss more people off than they attract. The oft-used term “nigga” for instance strikes a nerve with the vast majority of middle America and thus can’t get down with the culture. Let one of these artists slip up and the opposing GOP will pounce at every opportunity.  I understand that such associations can reap tremendous rewards by attracting these artists very loyal, mindless followings and “pied piper” them to the polls but doesn’t the risk of the eventual outweigh the reward?