Hell, given their cozy relationship with President Obama, it would not surprise me to learn that he personally sanctioned their visit as goodwill ambassadors pursuant to the ‘people-to-people’ program he initiated to promote greater cultural exchange between Americans and Cubans.
(“Beyoncé and Jay-Z Representing Pop and Hip Hop in Cuba,” The iPINIONS Journal, April 8, 2013)
President Obama should have known better than to treat Jay-Z like a friend instead of like just another VIP supporter.
Because today Jay proved, yet again, that you can take the boy outta the hood, but you can’t take the hood outta the boy. Specifically, instead of ignoring ignorant and inconsequential political criticisms about his trip to Cuba, he did what boyz from the hood do: he answered with a bodacious, braggadocios and profanity-laced diss rap titled “Open Letter.”
Embarrassingly, as if dignifying his political critics with a song were not juvenile enough, he treated Obama like just another star-struck groupie with these choice lyrics:
Boy from the hood but got White House clearance…
Politicians never did shit for me, except lie to me, distort history…
Obama said chill ‘You gonna get me impeached … we don’t need this shit anyway, chill with me on the beach’.
(Huffington Post, April 11)
Alas, standard grammar and composition are anathema to rap; so understanding exactly what Jay is saying is a bit of a crap shoot: I don’t need Obama. Obama needs me. That’s why he’s begging me to hang by the sea?
Whatever the case, the point is that even Obama’s Republican nemeses have more respect for him than to betray his confidence by repeating in an “open letter” words he clearly intended to remain private.
Frankly, Obama should have learned from Kennedy’s ill-fated fraternizing with Sinatra that presidents should use celebrities for nothing more than entertainment, fundraising, and pop appeal; and should never, ever be so solicitous for their friendship as to confide anything in crowd-pleasing minstrels like actors, rappers, and rock stars.
This serves Obama right. He famously dismissed Kanye as a Jackass a few years ago. But I suspect far more profane words came to mind when he heard the way Jay exploited his friendship and office just to score a few stupid rap lyrics.
What is certain is that you’ll never see him hanging with this hood-rapper again, let alone inviting him to the White House … even if he brings along his truly redeeming better half, Beyoncé.
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Beyoncé and Jay-Z…