Video: Barack Obama's Victory Speech

(Part One)


(Part Two)


(Part three)


I was there in Grant Park. While Obama's speech was much more low-key than past speeches of his, I couldn't have been more proud to have seen, in person, a turning point in the nation's history. Watch this video.

Cross-published on CIMI

Video: Broken Social Scene - "Put Down The Bong and Vote For Obama" (Live @ Bonnaroo)

Title says it all.

Cross-Published on CIMI

Heiruspecs do expert impression of Barack Obama in new video for "Get Up"

We got an announcement of a CD release show and new self-titled album from Minneapolis hip-hop group Heiruspecs back in September. That show and record won't happen until December, which is still a bit off (although, to be fair, when the hell did October decide it had to come to an end?). But we're starting to see some signs of life from the 'specs.

First off, the group premiered a new song from the upcoming full-length as part of Culture Bully's blog-a-thon for charity. Now, the band has debuted a new video for their song "Get Up". You can watch the Obama-flavored video, which is sure to be the stuff of Michele Bachmann's nightmares, at the top of the post. Listen to their new track at the bottom:

Download: Heiruspecs - "Let it Fly"(via)

Check out what Sean McPherson of Heiruspecs said about music education here. It's a pretty remarkable story about how one teacher can make a world of difference in the life of a student.

Heiruspecs MySpace Page

Speaking of Minneapolis rappers and Obama, have you heard M.anifest's new jam?

Download: M.anifest & Budo - "Age of Obama" (via)

While you're at it, read his essay too.

M.anifest MySpace Page

(Jonathan Graef)
jon@minneapolisfuckingrocks.com

Barack Obama Becomes the First African-American Presidential Nominee In History (Video Of His Speech In St. Paul)

As I'm sure you've heard, Illinois Junior Senator Barack Obama has made history as the first bi-racial nominee for the President of the United States--from either party. Obama did so yesterday by obtaining enough votes from delegates and superdelegates to earn the nomination. What you see above is his victory speech from the Xcel Center in none other than St. Paul, Minnesota, the site of the Republican National Convention. Watch it at the top of the post.

(Jonathan Graef)

The Dodos's Music Used In MoveOn.Org Barack Obama Ad Contest

Download: The Dodos - "Walking"

Progressive political organization Move On may inspire hope or rage, depending on one's view of the world. But, after viewing one submission from the group's Obama in 30 Seconds contest (in which readers are encouraged to create their own political advertisements for Move On's preferred candidate for president, Barack Obama), one thing is for certain: Move On subscribers seem to have great taste in music. Or, rather, two of them do.

If the rumbling arpeggios of a guitar tuned in unorthodox manner which is used on loop in the ad you see at the top of the post sounds familiar, that's because the song is "Walking" by San Francisco-based, MFR-beloved alt-folk duo The Dodos (who recently have been tearing shit up on their tour behind this year's exquisite Visiter LP). As far as whether or not the band approves of the ad, the answer seems to be on the affirmative side: The pair posted this video on their MySpace Bulletin.

The ad, by Tova Goodman and Harris Danow, is called "Changing", and its concept is simple, tasteful, and effective. Creating artful images using plastic toys, the ad imagines a more united United States of America. Watch for yourself at the top of the post.

Vote for the ad here

The Dodos's MySpace Page

(Jonathan Graef)

Barack Obama Gets Medieval On The Ass Of America's False Dichotomies (Or: The Most Insightful Speech on Race Relations Ever)

In one fell oratorical swoop, Barack Obama managed to not only condemn his former Pastor's inflammatory remarks about America, but also put into historical context the anger fueling those statements, while acknowledging the presence, influence and humanity that Rev. Wright has had on his own life. Furthermore, Obama stated that while the African-American community needs to take more responsibility for its own standing, Caucasian-Americans must also be more understanding about, and acknowledge, the frustration, hurt, and dehumanization which are the legacy of State-sanctioned discrimination from the 50s and 60s is alive and well in modern-day society.

This is the reality in which Reverend Wright and other African-Americans of his generation grew up. They came of age in the late fifties and early sixties, a time when segregation was still the law of the land and opportunity was systematically constricted. What's remarkable is not how many failed in the face of discrimination, but rather how many men and women overcame the odds; how many were able to make a way out of no way for those like me who would come after them.

But for all those who scratched and clawed their way to get a piece of the American Dream, there were many who didn't make it -- those who were ultimately defeated, in one way or another, by discrimination. That legacy of defeat was passed on to future generations -- those young men and increasingly young women who we see standing on street corners or languishing in our prisons, without hope or prospects for the future.

Even for those blacks who did make it, questions of race, and racism, continue to define their worldview in fundamental ways. For the men and women of Reverend Wright's generation, the memories of humiliation and doubt and fear have not gone away; nor have the anger and the bitterness of those years...That anger is not always productive; indeed, all too often it distracts attention from solving real problems; it keeps us from squarely facing our own complicity in our condition, and prevents the African-American community from forging the alliances it needs to bring about real change. But the anger is real; it is powerful; and to simply wish it away, to condemn it without understanding its roots, only serves to widen the chasm of misunderstanding that exists between the races.

However, Obama stressed that concerns about crime, poverty, and job-loss that White Americans may have must not be dismissed outright as racial intolerance. In sum, Obama stated that, while anger in all communities must be acknowledged, it also must not be a destructive force. Instead, a dialogue must take place where common ground is sought:

Most working- and middle-class white Americans don't feel that they have been particularly privileged by their race...as far as they're concerned, no one's handed them anything, they've built it from scratch. They've worked hard all their lives, many times only to see their jobs shipped overseas or their pension dumped after a lifetime of labor. They are anxious about their futures, and feel their dreams slipping away; in an era of stagnant wages and global competition, opportunity comes to be seen as a zero sum game, in which your dreams come at my expense.

So when they are told to bus their children to a school across town; when they hear that an African American is getting an advantage in landing a good job or a spot in a good college because of an injustice that they themselves never committed; when they're told that their fears about crime in urban neighborhoods are somehow prejudiced, resentment builds over time.

Just as black anger often proved counterproductive, so have these white resentments distracted attention from the real culprits of the middle class squeeze -- a corporate culture rife with inside dealing, questionable accounting practices, and short-term greed; a Washington dominated by lobbyists and special interests; economic policies that favor the few over the many. And yet, to wish away the resentments of white Americans, to label them as misguided or even racist, without recognizing they are grounded in legitimate concerns -- this too widens the racial divide, and blocks the path to understanding.

In conclusion, Obama said that Wright's mistake was not addressing racism, but rather assuming that "our society was static" had nothing had changed. Obama stated that both Whites and Blacks must work together and acknowledge problems in both communities so that tangible change can be realized. Only by rejecting the cynicism that modern politics breeds can we form a more perfect union.

Read the speech in its entirety here or watch it at the top of the post.

(Jonathan Graef)

Pearl Jam "Baracks Around The Clock" By Re-Writing An Old Classic

Download: Pearl Jam - "Rock Around Barack" (via the Ten Club)

From their slow metamorphosis from platinum-selling, reluctant mega-stars to the Grateful Dead for the Gen-X set, Pearl Jam have been one of the most consistently politically progressive groups in existence, from Ed Ved scrawling "Pro-Choice" on his arm while playing MTV Unplugged back in 1992, to the band's protest of the second Iraq war at a time when few acts were voicing such an opinion (turns out putting a boot up your ass isn't the American way after all). So it should be no surprise, then, that the band has endorsed Barack Obama for President. What's truly surprising is that the band has recorded a tribute to him by re-writing an old rock n' roll standby. That's right: "Rock Around The Clock" has become "Barack Around The Clock".

Pearl Jam's Stone Gossard, who sings on the track, elaborates:

("Rock Around The Clock") is a track I've been thinking about for a while. "Rock Around The Clock" was the first mainstream rock and roll hit in 1955 and it had a transforming effect on American music. At that time, rock and rhythm and blues music was traditionally only played on black radio. I am, by no means, an expert on the history of rock & roll, but this was a big deal. The rhythm of rock music and its energy were so overwhelming that traditional barriers of race and culture broke down with an enormous crash. So here's to new energy, rock and the breaking down of cultural barriers: "Barack Around The Clock!"

Well said. And there you have it. Roll your eyes, if you must. At the very least, Pearl Jam appear to be having fun on the song and have their hearts in the right place. One can't ask for much more. Listen to "Barack Around The Clock" at the top of the post.

Pearl Jam MySpace Page

PS - Not too late to vote in the primary! Polls close at 7 p.m. You still have two more hours!

(Jonathan Graef)

Lupe Fiasco And Rhymefest Engage In On-Line Battle Of Wits

Rhymefest


Lupe Fiasco

Download: Lupe Fiasco - "Hurt Me Soul" (from Food And Liquor)
Download: Lupe Fiasco - "Paris, Tokyo" (from The Cool)
Download: Rhymefest - "Dynamite (Going Postal)" (from Blue Collar)
Download: Rhymefest - "Devil's Pie" from Blue Collar)

With the New Hampshire primaries set to make or break certain presidential candidacies today, it's no doubt that a miracle will occur if cooler heads prevail while debating the merits of one candidate versus another. The world of hip-hop is no exception. However, should more debate arise surrounding the candidates, those debaters could take a few notes from the constructive and informative on-line debate taking place between two Chicago-based rappers--Lupe Fiasco and Rhymefest.

What set off the back-and-forth were some comments made by Lupe in an article on hip-hop news site SOHH about his endorsement of Hillary Clinton, and why he prefers the New York senator over Illinois Senator Barack Obama. From the mouth of Lupe:

"Obama doesn't really impress me like that...It's not a shot at him but some of his agendas, the bombing of Iran and all that stuff.* He ain't gonna do nothing but perpetuate the nonsense that all the Presidents before have done, and what Bush is doing now. It's to the point now where the world is so twisted and so messed up that we need somebody to come in..."I think Hillary will set an example for women all around the world and hopefully effect some change, as opposed to another man pushing for agendas and pushing policies

You may have noticed an asterisk in the previous paragraph. The editors of SOHH rightfully corrected Lupe's erroneous statement about Obama's desire to bomb Iran. Rhymefest, in a post on his MySpace blog titled "Don’t Let Your Arrogance Fuel Your Ignorance", also corrected Lupe's statement by writing the following:

Barack Obama has stated he is not opposed to military action against Iran if they were persistent in their ambitions to obtain nuclear weapons; weapons being the operative word. However, he also states that as president, he plans to talk to Iran without preconditions about certain assurances in the context of them showing some good faith, as well. Barack Obama stated 'I think it is important for us to send a signal that we are not hell-bent on regime change, just for the sake of regime change, but expect changes in behavior. And there are both carrots and there are sticks available to them for those changes in behavior.' This clearly does not describe the agenda of a candidate who supports 'the bombing of Iran and all that stuff.'

After a poster on hip-hop message board Okay Player asked Lupe directly if he was going to respond to Rhymefest's post, Lupe wrote back saying that he would do so in private, but not in public--by giving 'Fest a call. Rhymefest then beat Lupe to the responding punch by writing to him directly on the Okayplayer message board, due to Lupe not having 'Fest's number:

Please fam...don't let some of these people on the boards get the situation twisted for you. I'm not dissing or coming at you on any level. In fact, I love the song "Go Go Gadget Flow" off of your new album, and I encourage everyone to purchase The Cool...As a brother, all I'm asking you to do is tell the people that you really don't know what Barack Obama's position is on Iran, or at least not when you did the SOHH interview. In my original post, I did not mention your name or the actual source of the interview. Just to let you know, my mission is not to down you, but to big up Barack Obama...Lupe, please tell the people Barack Obama does NOT support bombing Iran.

Lupe responds by saying that he doesn't have much faith in the democratic process and that he isn't bothered by what might have been misconstrued on the Okayplayer message board. Fiasco then went into further, ellipsis-heavy detail about what he feels is the "abomination of true democracy":

I've been around politics and politicians my whole life...I say this to let you know first off I'm educated in the process...so much so that I don't agree with it..more importantly I wasn't out to slander Obama..they (Clinton and Obama) both still tow the line and champion the ideals of their respective party...which is flawed in its nature...I don't hear Justice and Equality from any of these candidates that are on the forefront...not even Hillary...I'm not impressed...I'm not impressed like i was impressed by Malcolm or Martin or continue to be impressed by Chomsky or Cornel West...I dont hear true Social Equality...

in closing I think that if I said all that in response to SOHH it might have been clearer that Lupe Fiasco doesnt even support the system as a whole so what he thinks of the candidates who are running to head it up isn't even relevant...maybe I'm wrong...

Lupe then ends with wishing his fellow Muslim Rhymefest "blessings and godspeed in (Rhymefest's) struggles for truth. Rhymefest then responds by thanking God that such a constructive dialogue was able to take place in the first place, and that the reason he is able to relate to Obama's message "hope and its audacity" is because, unlike Fiasco, whose parents were Black Panther-supporting intellectuals, Rhymefest was born to "a crackhead alcoholic". Fest elaborates:

Being raised on the Southside of Chicago under the conditions that many of us are subject to, I haven't had the opportunity to become desensitized to the political and social ramifications of a Black president...I don't believe that Barack Obama is the 'same ol' same'. Did you know that in a recent poll 69% of whites think it's possible for a Black president, while only 47% of Blacks thought it was? This suggests to me that our cynicism and disbelief will surely be the death of us...It seems to me as if you're not sure if change can or cannot happen. Our recent successes, and Barack's recent success in Iowa, is proof that with faith all things are possible.

Lupe then responds by saying that he admires 'Fest for triumphing over adversity, but that the reason why he (he being Lupe) distrusts the system because of similar harsh circumstances in his upbringing. Lupe says that he "looks for beacons of hope as well and where I see it is not in the face of a politician in this day and age...Sadly and Happily I see it where it's always been...in the face of the people" Lupe concludes by saying that "I pray for change...and change will come...i dont know in what form...is it Obama? maybe...God gave us the ability to have faith."

And that's where the dialogue last ended. As big as a fan I am of both Rhymefest and Lupe Fiasco, the winner (not that this was a competition in any sense whatsoever) here clearly is Rhymefest. It seemed like Lupe spent too much time talking about how informed about the political process and not enough time actually demonstrating that knowledge, at least the way of statistics. There's certain more than enough anecdotal truth to what Lupe Fiasco is saying. But Rhymefest made his case in a concise, well-reasoned way. Furthermore, Rhymefest had the facts right to begin with regarding Barack Obama's position on Iran. Either way, they both make great music and you can listen to tracks from their records at the top of the post.

Buy Rhymefest's music here.
Buy Lupe Fiasco's music here

Rhymefest MySpace Page
Lupe Fiasco MySpace Page

(Jonathan Graef)