Politwix

Between Media and Mania

99 Problems? Make it 100

By Pamela Hamilton • Apr 18th, 2008 • Category: Top Story

Barack Obama tried to “Wipe the Dirt Off His Shoulder” after a poor performance in the debate two nights ago.

What most of us “typical white people” don’t know is that Obama’s gesture is part of the Hip Hop Gangsta culture, and it stems from a song by artist Jay-Z.Jay-Z has endorsed Obama publicly and even did campaign robo-calls for Obama in Ohio. Obama told Angie Martinez of New York’s Hot 97 FM:“On my iPod, I’ve got a little bit of Jay-Z and a little bit of Beyonce,” said the senator. “A little bit of that stuff. I don’t want to pretend that I know as much as my 9-year old or 6-year old daughter.” Holy smoke, do his daughters listen to Jay-Z? Why not, I guess, when they hear Reverend Jeremiah Wright every Sunday.Here are the lyrics to Dirt Off Your Shoulder: 

JAY-Z LYRICS

You’re now tuned into the motherfucking greatest
Turn the music up in the headphones
Tim, you can go and brush your shoulder off nigga
I got you, yeah

If you feeling like a pimp nigga, go and brush your shoulders off
Ladies is pimps too, go and brush your shoulders off
Niggas is crazy baby, don’t forget that boy told you
Get, that, dirt off your shoulder

I probably owe it to you all, proud to be locked by the force
Trying to hustle some things, that go with the Porsche
Feeling no remorse, feeling like my hand was forced
Middle finger to the law, nigga griping my balls
All the ladies they love me, from the bleachers they screaming
All the ballers is bouncing they like the way I be leaning
All the rappers be hating, off the track that I’m making
But all the hustlers they love it just to see one of us make it
Came from the bottom the bottom, to the “Top of the Pops”
Nigga London, Japan and I’m straight off the block
Like a running back, get it man, I’m straight off the block
I can run it back nigga ’cause I’m straight with the Roc

You gotta get, that, dirt off your shoulder
You gotta get, that, dirt off your shoulder
You gotta get, that, dirt off your shoulder
You gotta get, that, dirt off your shoulder

Your homey Hov’ in position, in the kitchen with soda
I just whipped up a watch, trying to get me a Rover
Trying to stretch out the coca, like a wrestler, yes sir
Keep the Heckler close, you know them smokers’ll test you
But like, fifty-two cards when I’m, I’m through dealing
Now fifty-two bars come out, now you feel ‘em
Now, fifty-two cars roll out, remove ceiling
In case fifty-two broads come out, now you chilling
with a boss bitch of course S.C. on the sleeve
At the 40/40 club, ESPN on the screen
I paid a grip for the jeans, plus the slippers is clean
No chrome on the wheels, I’m a grown-up for real

Your boy back in the building, Brooklyn we back on the map
Me and my beautiful beeeeeeeitch in the back of that ‘Bach
I’m the realest that run it, I just happen to rap
I ain’t gotta clap at ‘em, niggas scared of that black
I drop that +Black, Album+ then I back, out it
As the best rapper alive nigga ask about me
From Bricks to Billboards, from grams to Grammies
The O’s to opposite, Orphan Annie
You gotta pardon Jay, for selling out the Garden in a day
I’m like a young Marvin in his hey
I’m a hustler homey, you a customer crony
Got some, dirt on my shoulder, could you brush it off for me?

You’re now tuned into the motherfucking greatest
Best rapper alive, best rapper alive

The line “middle finger to the law” highlighted, because that is exactly what Obama did to Clinton in that “wipe the dirt off” diatribe. He did it slyly, in such a way that one could argue that he was just scratching an itch off his face, but coupled with the “wipe off gesture”, his intent was unmistakable.

I guess we were all a little slow to catch on to his schtick, but Obama is nothing more than a two-bit hustler.

According to a January 14th New York Post, Obama played Jay-Z’s song “I got 99 problems (but a bitch ain’t one) at a victory speech. 

“PRESIDENTIAL hopeful Barack Obama claims to run a clean campaign, but someone in his camp took a swipe at Hillary Clinton through the candidate’s theme song.As Obama and his wife, Michelle, strolled triumphantly into his victory party in Des Moines, Iowa, on Jan. 3, Jay-Z’s “99 Problems” was blaring. In it, Jay raps, “I got 99 problems, but a bitch ain’t one.””Some listeners took it as a not-so-sly reference to Hillary.“We didn’t know he used that,” a shocked Clinton spokesperson said.

Maybe I’m just old-fashioned, but what ever happened to respect? I have to tell you that I find this absolutely repugnant. Is this the kind of person we want in the White House? Please, please, tell me it isn’t!

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Pamela Hamilton is a freelance writer, corporate culture evacuee and vocational gypsy. She attended the school of hard knocks and graduated with a degree in satire.
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4 Responses »

  1. Hell no, we don’t want or need any gangsta for President. Obama is a loose cannon and I don’t want his finger on the red button. He might get jiggy wit it.

  2. I have decided to leave the democratic party if Obama is nominated. It no longer represents my values.

  3. let’s sweep obama off america’s shoulder by voting aganst him. GO HILLARY GO!!

  4. It is like he has one face for the rich white folks and another when he is talking to a primarily black audience. Who is he really? You know, we only have his associations to judge him by, really, and his books, but his books don’t really make you feel too comfortable.

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