CD Review: OBomb - fear of a black president

by Pablo Jose Cortes

It is an interesting experience as a music critic and a politically conscious individual to see these two disparate interests of mine converge in the context of the campaign trail. Bill Clinton running for reelection invented the image for himself of the rock-and-roll president, appearing as a musical guest on the Arseneo Hall Show to thrill the voting public to his skills on the saxophone. Clinton was not the first President to try and tap into music as a way to boost support for himself and his image. Richard Nixon got support for his presidency from no less a figure than the king of rock-and-roll himself, Elvis Presley. On December 21, 1970 Elvis met President Nixon at the White House for a visit. The photograph of the two men shaking hands has become according to several sources, the single most requested reproduction sought from the National Archives in Washington, beating out both the Bill of Rights and the Constitution of the United States. While some media analysts try to characterize Barack Obama as the “Black John F. Kennedy,” clearly he is taking cues from the campaign of Clinton and the presidency of Nixon with the release of his first album. Answering criticism about whether he is “Black enough” to be the “black president” as some pundits have questioned, Obama’s first hip-hop album, (under the stage name O-Bomb), can be seen as a follow up to his powerful speech addressing race in America. Produced by the legendary record producer “Uncle” Sam Smith, (who produced John Ashcroft’s hit single “Let the Eagle Soar”), O-Bomb’s album, “Fear of a Black President” breaks down barriers, reaches across the aisle, and shows just who Barack Obama is and why he should be the next president. From the first track of the album, “Straight Outta da Ivy League,” O-Bomb establishes his hip-hop credentials and puts all haters to shame. The album has excellent beats reminiscent of classic groups like Public Enemy, and more recent artists, but it is the intelligent lyrics that make this album truly off the map. Speaking in a language that anyone can relate to, O-Bomb addresses the dissatisfaction that Americans are feeling today with the track “State of the Union,” criticizing the current administration for dragging the country into war, and pushing us into an economic recession. The track “Stand for Change,” is the song that will be best remembered, posing a solution to the problems plaguing the nation described in “State of the Union”, and encouraging Americans everywhere to get behind the Obama campaign. “Fear of a Black President” is more than just “Change We Can Believe In,” it is sweet beats that I will be bumping when I watch Obama being sworn in as President of the United States.