Young Jeezy Collaborates with Nas
"My President" Unites Once-Feuding MC's, Shows Support for Obama
Aug 21, 2008
It was only about 20 months ago when Young Jeezy blasted Nas on a Philadelphia radio show by asking if he "bust his gun" or had any friends in a federal penitentiary. Those questions sharply pointed to Hip-Hop's ugly side that consists of, but isn't limited to, prison glorification and the condemnation of rappers who don't fully follow trends.
Nas' declaration that Hip-Hop was dead spurred Jeezy's diss, which sparked confusion and yet another senseless feud. It served as proof that some rappers will get at anyone — even a legend — for the simplest reasons. Even though Jeezy later apologized, few could have expected a collaboration between the two.
"My President" from The Recession
The song leaked on the Web Wednesday and figures to be an anthem in heavy rotation through November. Much like Nas' "Black President" and a recent Ludacris freestyle, the song is clearly in support of presidential candidate Barack Obama.
But unlike those two tracks, "My President" isn't merely hopeful about Obama's chances, it plays as if he's already in the White House. At the close of his second verse, Jeezy says an Obama win is a manifestation of Martin Luther King Jr.'s dream.
With Young's album not due until Sept. 2, it's unclear who deserves the credit for producing this heater. It suits Jeezy's flow much better than that of Nas. But the Snowman shocks us all when he admits off-top that he didn't even write the song. It's an unheralded move, but most will probably respect his honesty (why not, they already accepted a Baby-Lil' Wayne smooch or two).
Even more than his own performance, Jeezy is ecstatic to be rapping with one of Queen's finest. A recent MTV interview has Young singin' a very different tune than he did during his infamous battle with Monie Love over those Philly airwaves.
"Murdered it. Esco went in!" he said. "He went in on the record. I don't know what you're gonna think of it ... I can't even begin to tell you what he said. I'm just telling you, Esco went in."
Young Jeezy, Nas and Obama
Jeezy and Nas can't take all the credit for what could be a unification movement in Hip-Hop. The squashing of the Ludacris-T.I. beef on "Wish You Would" was more than welcome earlier this month. Beanie Sigel and Jadakiss worked on each other's albums last year, and KRS-ONE brought nearly 50 MCs together for a series of "Self Destruction"-inspired tracks for the Stop the Violence Movement's 20th anniversary.
The point is, we haven't seen this type of activity in years. So long as the beefs are based on skills, they're fine. But ones that began with queries about gun-bustin' offer nothing positive. That's mostly what we've seen lately, so collaborations like "My President" shift the focus from the nonsense back to hot beats and lyrics.
Hip-Hop Obama and Politics
Whether Obama becomes the victor or not, it's clear his candidacy has galvanized Hip-Hoppers all over. Some of that energy seems to have trickled into the game with this newest collaboration and Ludacris' stumping for Obama. Four years ago, most of these rappers probably didn't care about the election. "Who ya gonna elect Satan or Satan," Nas asked on 2004's "American Way."
While Public Enemy and others remained political through the zenith in their careers, the current generation of MCs have actual politicians to back and rally around. It's a new, exciting, and suddenly vibrant climate.
It's not perfect, with recent incidents between DJ Vlad and Rick Ross, and Trae vs. Mike Jones, but top-flight artists like Nas and Jeezy can change all that with their Def Jam influence and trend-setting verbage. Everyone won't agree with their views, but the collaboration is good for a genre that has been marred by beefs that promote violence and sometimes result in it. Regardless where your political views lay, you can't be mad at that.
