Posted on 05/11/2011 7:43:09 AM PDT by kristinn
Conservatives including Fox News host Sean Hannity and former Alaska Republican governor Sarah Palin were critical of the White House for inviting the rapper Common to perform at the White House on Wednesday.
"Common is a pretty peaceful loving poet. A poet’s job is to say things people think, even if you don’t like it. That’s their job," said Def Jams Hip Hop mogul Russell Simmons," when I interviewed him on Tuesday about his recent meeting with Donald Trump.
Mr. Simmons defended not only Common but other rappers in the music community, like Snoop Doggy Dog. The hip hop mogul noted he sent rappers from his Def Poetry Jam to the White House during the last Bush administration saying, "They didn’t say nothing when I sent the Def Poetry Jam during George Bush’s administration." He added, "There’s nothing that Common could say that was more critical of the U.S. government than all the poets of my Broadway show. It won a Tony."
"Every rapper that’s famous is less gangster, less homophobic, less racist, and less sexist than Sean Hannity. I like him [Hannity], but that’s what I’m saying about the rappers I know," said Mr. Simmons. "Snoop Dog is less sexist than [Hannity]. Snoop Dog is less racist than him. Snoop Dog is less homophobic than him and Snoop Dog is a lot less gangster than him. So Sean Hannity has to handle his own business. He’s got his own issues." Mr. Simmons said.
He added, "All that is are songs that talk about police brutality in a kind of poetic way and say mean things. They promote dialogue. Poets always create controversy by saying what people think.They’re less sexist. They’re less homophobic. They’re less racist and they’re certainly less gangster than Sean Hannity...all of them rappers. (SNIP)"
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
Good for Sean for taking the heat on this.
People can say whatever they want. I just don’t think that means you invite someone like this to the WH. But the Obamas have no class, so I’m not surprised at their choice.
So, Mr. Simmons, Evil is Good, right?
Simmons has a point - except that Common’s audience isn’t made up of Leftist literary critics sipping tea at an Upper East Side symposium on police brutality. It’s made up of teenagers who take his words literally, as an inducement to act.
“A poet’s job is to say things people think, even if you don’t like it. That’s their job,” said Def Jams Hip Hop mogul Russell Simmons”
####
Yo Simmons, I’m a poet:
Black culture, with HipHop trash taking a leading role, is a festering sewer of dead-end destruction, producing life-long parasites and criminals, that are a drag on the rest of American society.
See, I’m being brave and edgy and saying things people think, even if they don’t like to hear it.
Its my job....
...and Sarah, so much so that her Tweet about this guy was mentioned on WMAL's top of the hour news break.
So much for Simmons' credibility. And good for Sean for standing up on this issue. Granted, the Obamas dislike America and support our enemies, both foreign and domestic, so it's not surprising that they would invite one to the White House.
PING!
by police brutality, they mean brutality to police. few are fooled by that kind of jargon.
“They didn’t say nothing when I sent..yada yada yada”
Hey Russell, here’s a novel thought... How about a “poet” who can at least speak English properly?
So if if Country and Western Star writes a song about Obama’s war for Libyan oil, he won’t be attacked for racism?
Black culture, with HipHop trash taking a leading role, is a festering sewer of dead-end destruction, producing life-long parasites and criminals, that are a drag on the rest of American society.
See, I’m being brave and edgy and saying things people think, even if they don’t like to hear it. Its my job....
LOL! Excellent post.
if my tomcats could write rap, this is what they’d write.
Translation: Hannity disagrees with nObama and "Da First Wookiee".
Can you make it rhyme?
“A poet’s job is to say things people think, even if you don’t like it. That’s their job”
Okay, whatever. So it’d be cool with Simmons for the White House to honor, for instance, neonazi- or KKK-sponsored poems. There’s probably one called “Hang ‘Em From the Trees” or “Burn That N*gger!” Because people think about racism, even if I don’t like it. Provocation is the poet’s vocation [so long as it doesn’t provoke politically important interest groups].
The only way most of these rappas get away with it is their culla. Seen any prominent white rappas other than Eminem?
Every reference to this guy as a “poet” should include quotes.
Racist, sexist, bigoted, homophobic. Blah blah blah.
Russell Simmons doesn’t even know how to engage his brain, it’s on lib autopilot.
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