Looks like Common is coming to the White House! He’s just been announced as one of the performers set to hit the stage at a celebration honoring American poetry. The event will be held today.
First Lady Michelle Obama is hosting the event and Common will join Jill Scott, Elizabeth Alexander and Alison Knowles as they celebrate all that is poetry. Common will even be participating in a workshop before his performance this evening.
So what’s the big deal?
Well the Republicans on Fox News and other political websites seem to have issue with his lyrics saying they are riddled with violence and labeling him a gangster rapper. They’re using lyrics from a performance at HBO’s Def Poetry Jam back in 2007 as leverage. The poem “A Letter To the Law” has been quoted all over the place specifically the lines:
“With that happening, why they messing with Saddam? Burn a Bush ’cause for peace he no push no button/ Killing over oil and grease/ No weapons of destruction/ How can we follow a leader when this a corrupt one?”
What does Common have to say? Today he tweeted to CNN political Analyst “So apparently Sarah Palin and Fox News doesn’t like me,” and also asked his followers to send him links with websites offended that he’s involved in the event.
So whats going on Fox News? Slow News Day?
What do you think about the controversy surrounding rapper Common?
Palin and FOX only say what they think their audience wants to hear as far as Neocon propaganda. This imprudent commentary has caused damage to the world view of America including critical comments such as this which expose not only racism and bigotry but the obtuse world-view of the people this kind of rhetoric seems fit to represent. I was compelled to create a visual commentary about this very thing on my artist’s blog at http://dregstudiosart.blogspot.com/2011/01/sarah-palin-made-me-do-it.html