Barack Obama Digs Jay-Z But Wishes He Was A Little Kinder, Gentler

So after slogging through hours of Giuliani’s justifications for tying with Ron friggin’ Paul and McCain supporters chanting “USA! USA!” on MSNBC, I finally gave up and went to bed before the Democratic results were called in New Hampshire, only to wake up this a.m. to learn that, yes, Barry O finished second last night to Hillary C. And after he conceded, he went back to his hotel room and played “Ignorant Shit” a few dozen times while weeping into his pillow. Well, maybe.

“I gotta admit – lately I’ve been listening to a lot of Jay-Z,” he recently told BET. “This new American Gangster album is [good]. Kanye, I like. I enjoy some of the newer stuff. Honestly, I love the art of Hip-Hop. I don’t always love the message of Hip-Hop.” He’s totally one of those rock critics who turns a blind eye to gangsta rap nastiness if it’s coming from the famous guy that everyone likes! Actually to be serious for a moment (I know, I know): maybe I’m just a soft touch when it comes to folks appealing to my hope for a more nuanced discussion of art and morality in the current, particularly puritanical public sphere, but I’ll admit I think it’s totally boss that a (serious, non-crazy) presidential candidate is actually admitting to a conflict over his love for popular music that crosses traditional lines of good taste, rather than simply trashing it on its PMRC-stamped face. So boss, in fact, that I won’t even close out with a snarky one-liner. Barack Obama just melts my cynicism away like Calgon.

Obama: “I Love The Art Of Hip-Hop” [AllHipHop]