Rappers Talk Politics

Chris Ritter, Head Visual Editor

This election year more than any, unfiltered opinions are everywhere. Wherever you look, you will not not have to look very hard to find someone shamelessly unloading on a politician. That includes the world of music.

And no genre of music has a richer history in the boisterous unloading of opinions than hip hop, so it is no surprise that the 2016 election has gotten its fair share of criticism from the rap game.

It is also no surprise that Donald Trump, whose controversial remarks on African Americans, Latinos and Muslims, is bearing the brunt of the disses.

Trump has a long history in rap, which had been mainly positive until recently. Rappers since the 90s have been dropping Trump references to describe their cash flow, like Raekwon calling himself the “black Trump” in 1995’s “Incarcerated Scarfaces.” Since 1990, Trump has been name dropped by Ludacris, Ice Cube, JAY Z, and even Shaq, all in positive light, always referring to the only shared interest Donald Trump and any rapper will ever have: making bank.

It was not until 2010 that Donald Trump’s relationship with hip hop got dicey. When Mac Miller released his now gold-certified song, “Donald Trump,” Trump originally praised Miller as the “next Eminem.” However in 2013, just before the release of Miller’s sophomore album, Trump took to Twitter to bash Miller for using his name in the song, threatening to sue him for it and saying that his new album would flop because he would not be able to use his name. Days later, Miller dropped his album “Watching Movies With the Sound Off,” which sold 102,000 copies in its first week. Trump did not follow through on suing Miller.

Trump has since attracted mass criticism from rappers, especially during this election season. This August on “Nas Album Done,” Nas subtly takes a jab at Trump for his racist remarks about Africans and Mexicans, “Celebrity Apprentice a devil show / Big up to Africa, Mexico.”

Some are not as subtle, like Kendrick Lamar in a guest verse in “Wat’s Wrong” by Isaiah Rashad: “Might stay in the Trump Tower for one week / Spray paint all the walls and smoke weed / F*** them and f*** y’all and f*** me.”

YG, however, takes the prize for the blatant Trump diss, with a song he released back in March alongside Nipsey Hussle. The song is called “FDT,” an acronym that you may be able to figure out with a little imagination.

Even before Trump was the GOP nominee, YG released this political attack ad of a song, saying “I like white people but I don’t like you … /…  Surprised El Chapo ain’t tried to snipe you.”

While the original version of “FDT” focused on why blacks and Latinos hate on Trump, in July’s “FDT Pt. 2,” YG brought in white rappers Macklemore and G-Eazy to show rap’s multiracial disdain for Trump. While G-Eazy frustratedly bashes Trump, “How’d he make it this far? / How the f*** did it begin? / A Trump rally sounds like Hitler in Berlin,” Macklemore takes a more comical approach: “Your politics are like a Starburst pack (why?) / ‘Cause nobody f**** with the orange one.”

Hip hop is a vibrant part of black culture, and it should not come as a shock that the widespread disapproval of Trump among African Americans is reflected in hip hop.

But what about Hillary?

When it comes to rap, Hillary Clinton does not get near the airplay of Trump, but even Clinton has gotten her fair share of references in rap.

Usually, rappers reference Hillary Clinton to brag about being with powerful women, such as JAY Z’s verse in Kendrick Lamar’s “B**** Don’t Kill My Vibe (Remix)” from 2013: “Sittin’ next to Hillary smellin’ like dank / Presidential pardon.” Big Sean does this as well in 2010’s “Whatever You Want,” referring to his girl as, “Leading lady like Hillary, grabbing big Bills.”

When all is said and done and rapped, it is clear to see who hip hop would have endorsed for president. But rap, in its noisy world of opinionated artists, is hailed for its unpredictability. Who knows? Maybe someone will drop a counter to YG’s attack on Trump titled “FHC.” Until then, rap will remain almost unanimously anti-Trump.

But whatever opinion you are looking for, you can count on hip hop to express it unfiltered and authentic, or as G-Eazy puts it, “off the top like the toupee on Donald Trump’s head.”