Obama, You Got Me
Yeah, I know I've been quiet this summer. I've been running so hard it's been a minute since I had the time to blog in this space. But something got me fired up last week. It got me so inspired I feel like I'm 19 years old and ready to take on the world again. It was Barack Obama's convention speech.
I've read and heard all the opinions. Plenty of people have had something to say about this. So why do I feel the need to weigh in now? I've always been the guy who found politics boring, and I haven't trusted anyone in Washington to do anything for me for a long while. It had no relevance to me, and I never really got what all the hype about Obama was about. But now I get it. The guy won me over. He touched me in a way no politician ever has before. He hit all the right notes and he hit 'em hard. I was the undecided voter Obama needed to reach with his words, and now he has my full attention.
What resonated with me the most was when he said: "It's not because John McCain doesn't care. It's because John McCain doesn't get it."
That to me sums up what's been the problem with the old way of doing this on all fronts. The old guard ain't bad necessarily. It's just that they don't understand that there's a new reality, and a new way of doing things that's a better fit for our times. When these guys fight change they stand in the way of progress and push back the energy and drive of the young. It hurts their future, and everybody else's.
But Obama's words gave me an energy I haven't felt since I got started in the music business, when I believed anything was possible. That's a powerful thing.
So when I woke up the next day and checked out all the blogs in the black media, I was shocked. I read that Tavis Smiley thought King's legacy was being "glossed over" and that Rev. Jesse Jackson was mad that King's famous speech was "being reduced to a soundbite." A whole bunch of commentators were complaining that Martin Luther King wasn't getting enough respect, and that referring to him as "a young preacher from Georgia" was somehow a dis. It felt like they didn't even hear the same words I heard. But what hurt me the most was when Dr. Cornel West, a man I really admire and respect, said Obama was "running from history."
For real?! Exactly why was Obama supposed to be giving everyone a history lesson in his speech when the whole point was to talk about the future? What he said was exactly what he needed to say to introduce himself to apolitical folks like me and get us fired up and ready to make a change. It was his job to lay out the plan that will bring America into the 21st century, and that's what he did.
I want to know where we're going and how we're going to get there, not where we've already been. It's his actions that carry the torch for MLK, not some boring tribute to the past that other people expect him to make. That's the kind of bullshit that old people who've been here forever get stuck on. They're missing the point. They're forgetting that when they followed Martin Luther King they were young themselves. They were looking ahead, not backwards.
You name me one single politician or president in living memory who could get a standing ovation from 84,000 people before he even spoke. More than 40 million people were watching -- more than anyone paying attention to the Olympics. If anything, even a leader of Clinton's caliber might get a few boos. I've been in the music business my whole life and I've never seen anything close to that kind of excitement in a crowd.
It was intriguing to me to see how the dude caught these people. Obama came out with a power that no world leader has. He commands that kind of crowd because he brings something that goes beyond politics. What I was watching from my home in Los Angeles, Obama had me through the whole 45 minute speech. No one can grab my attention like that! Anyone who knows me can tell you I can't even sit still for five minutes, but I watched that speech from begin to end. His words and mindset spoke to me in a way that's relevant to my life.
Obama's movement is about us, and what we can do to shake things up. He delivers the drive in people to want to do things that make change. That's why older people who've held their spot forever -- the John McCains and Jesse Jacksons of this world -- find him a threat. They have to fuss about the small stuff that has no relevance to the big picture of our future because they got nothin'!
It reminds me of the beef between Ice T and Soulja Boy. Ice T said Soulja Boy was "single-handedly killing hip hop." But whose hip hop? Soulja Boy speaks to his own generation. He makes songs that sound great on a ringtone and get millions of hits on YouTube -- something Ice T could never do today.
No disrespect to these older dudes, but it's not about you, it's about the destiny of our kids. Just because it's new and different doesn't mean it's bad. I run into the same kind of mentality with older executives in the music industry. The business is failing because they're stuck in the old ways of doing things, but they resist the ideas of younger people like me. I've been battling this way of thinking my whole life. When I first started making music in Atlanta, people said I was too country, and that the music of the South would never have the flava of what was going on in New York or LA. Now everyone's coming to Atlanta. It's the mecca of music. Times change.
Things don't need to stay stuck in one gear. If we keep trying to fight progress, it's gonna march right past us. We need to be inspiring young people instead of always telling them what they're doing wrong. That's why I wrote my book, "Young, Rich and Dangerous." There aren't enough people with credentials who can speak to the younger generation and influence them the right way. A few months ago I blogged about the fact that young black people fall off because they don't have a bridge generation that can listen to them without judging them and set them on a path to a better future. Black or white, Obama is a good bridge. We have a long way to go, but he's a start.
That's why it's time for people like myself, who have real influence with kids, to inspire them to get out there and vote. Obama's not going to be able to bring America into the future if the younger generation doesn't get behind him in a way that counts at the polls. He's got my vote, but he needs yours. Now I'm gonna go out there and do everything I can. Because it is time for a change.
Jermaine Dupri, who was named the most successful R&B producer of all time by the Guinness World Records 2007, is a Grammy-award winning music producer, president of Island Urban Records and author of Young, Rich and Dangerous: The Making of a Music Mogul (Atria, October 2007). For more information about this blogger, click here.
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Thanks, Mr. Dupri. This article is an inspiration as well. Now go out there and turn out the vote! :)
Jermaine - I'm 50 years old and I can tell you it's the "crab mentality" that has always brought us down. That's what you've got with the older Black folks. They're upset because Obama is not like them, i.e., didn't grow up in the ghetto streets, didn't come from the civil rights movement, has a white mother, doesn't focus on racism, etc. just fill-in the blanks, it doesn't matter. They're upset because he didn't go to Jesse Jackson, kiss the ring of the self-appointed almighty leader of Black folks and ask them if he could run for president.
His speech was an acceptance speech of his party's nomination. It was not an I Have A Dream speech. And that's what these so called Black leaders don't get. They want everything to be about race. Their dreams have limits. Obama's dreams have no limits. Just like you, Jermaine, and all the young hip-hop folks who have come after you. You guys are going for broke! And I say, why not.
I'm with you. I don't know how anyone could have watched Obama's speech at the DNC and not be totally moved by it to one's core. Obama is making history and I for one am honored to be witnessing it firsthand.
Prisoner of War
P.O.W. you survived and now
you are hailed as a hero
strange. for in this same land that sees you as such
i've missed the platform on which we celebrate those (P.O.W.s) who made it through slavery.
the platform on which we celebrate those who made it through the civil rights movement
i've missed that platform and i'm sure you have too
if "america" is all about hailing those who have fought for the common good
where's the fight - where has it ever been - to bring attention to those heroes
men, women and children who got bombed to death for going to school
dogs sic'd on them, high pressure water on the flames of justice for all
jim crow, lynchings, rape, three fifths of a man
and i'm guessing though i'm pretty sure, medical experiments
much like the ones Nazi Germany performed on the Jews
aren't then the Jews heroes
and if so, aren't we black people heroes
not to diminish "our" military, it's coverage or McCain
but where's the platform America on which you celebrate these black heroes
if only black people provided it, we would be accused of confinement, racism & pride
what's funny is that (... continued on http://blo
--Written by Errol Chase http://pag
There is hope for America because of men of JD's ilk. One JD is worth 500 Dick Cheney's. Pundits, academics & their ilk have had their day. These so called older & wiser mature adults gave us W & the American warfare state. They richly merit the contempt youth give them. The time for SS/DD is long gone. They may bleet but they are ignored. We adults have screwed things up real big time. The young adults are ready, willing & able to rebuild America & the world. To be trite-if you aren't part of the solution, you are the problem.
Welcome to the team JD! Keep writing...
Good job! I too was surprised by those who - as you say it so well - thought it was Obama's place to give a history lesson. If you haven't been paying attention to what's been your history for the past 50 years or so I don't know why the DNC is suddenly supposed to be place you get Cliff Notes on what you missed! He talked about the future. The future of America. Our future. And that's what we wanted him to focus on and wanted him to help us understand how we can get there - with his leadership. He did. I got it. It was a speech with perfect pitch.
I am one of those older folks, and I appreciate your thoughts. I find Obama a great thinker and leader, and have supported him since I read his books. He does speak to the older generation. We need someone who cares about people of all kinds, who has vision for the world to come together instead of fighting on for more generations. I do not want the Republicans to continue in power. They have dug a hole and dropped all of us in it. Those powerful rich folks cannot get us out - Obama/Biden can.
I agree with you Jermaine, I think the comments from Drs. West and Malveaux, Tavis Smiley and Jesse Jackson, were off base. I respect Jesse Jackson even though I have been disappointed with his comments during this election, but I've never cared for Tavis Smiley. In my opinion, Smiley is mainly an opportunist who wants to be the most influential person in the Black community, and unfortunately many Black Americans do listen to him and they purchase his many books. I think that Tavis is threatened by Obama and the popularity that Obama has in the Black community, and he will feel even more threatened if Obama becomes President and surpasses Smiley's level of influence in the Black community. I think that Tavis was expecting Obama to attend his State of the Black Union event because Obama would need him in order to gain the support of Black Americans. When Obama could not attend the event and was able to gain the support of Black voters without the help of people like Tavis, I think Tavis's ego was bruised. Ever since, he's been insinuating that Obama doesn't speak enough about "black issues" and that he's taking the Black voters for granted, when Tavis is smart enough to know that any perception of favoritism toward Blacks will hurt Obama's support among Whites and other groups.
Jermaine, I agree with you that the comments from Drs. West and Malveaux, and Tavis Smiley were off base regarding Obama's speech. As a black person, I never cared for Tavis Smiley or his commentary, I see him as mainly an opportunist who thinks of himself as one of the most influential people in the Black community, and unfortunately many Black Americans do listen to him and are buying his many books. I think that Smiley feels threatened by Obama and will therefore use any opportunity to criticize him concerning much he focuses on black issues. He's threatened by the influence that Obama could have in the Black community should he become President, and he's probably already threatened by the popularity that Obama has among Black Americans. Ever since Obama did not attend his State of the Black Union address, Tavis has been insinuating that Obama is taking Black voters for granted, when Tavis is smart enough to know that any perceptions of favoritism toward Blacks will hurt his support among many White voters and other groups. I assume that Tavis wanted Obama to attend the event so that he could feed Smiley's ego by making him feel that he needed him in order to gain the support of Black Americans, but he didn't.
And as for Dr. West, while I usually agree with him most of the time I believe that to some degree he is simply trying to pacify Tavis's bitter feelings toward Obama, because Tavis gives people like Dr. West a regular platform to publicly state their views whereas Obama would be hesitant to publicly associate himself with someone who talks about White supremacy and the injustices that continue to exist in this country.
I have no doubt that nearly every Black person who watched the speech realized how historical and important a moment it was not only for Black Americans, but for the entire country. And I also believe that Obama recognizes this and is grateful to those who made sacrifices, who risked their lives and even gave their lives, so that he (or someone like him) could have this opportunity. And for them to generalize and say that "Black people didn't FEEL Obama's speech" is insulting because they don't speak for the entire population of Black Americans. I felt the importance of that night and Obama didn't have to go into detail about the tragic history of Black Americans in this country in order for myself and other Black Americans to understand the significance of that moment.
Obama isn't running for the President of SCLC or the NAACP, nor does he have to pass some kind of negritude history test administered by the likes of Tavi Smiley, Jesses Jackson, and Cornel West. He is running to represent all people as President, the symbolism notwithstanding. I believe MLK would admire and support him wholeheartedly in this "historic" endeavor. The celebration of MLK anniversaries have gone on for decades and will continue as long as there is an America. These self-anointed (mis)leaders and critics are carping over nothing. And the so-called Reverend Jackson, with his strange fetish for castrating black men, should have his portable pulpit permanently revoked.
thank you thank you thank you. I said this same thing the following morning when Iheard a caller on Al Sharpton's show complain about Obama not being there to speak up for the Jena 6 or Michael Bell...
Obama is not a black activist..
Obama is not here to fight the fights of civil rights, as President he has to show and understanding of people from all walks of life. Show an undersanding of the diversity of this nation.
He cannot go around black powering everyone to death, that is Al and Jessie' job, and more so AL sharpton's job cause jessie lost some glamor recently..
Obama's presidency is a legitimate opportunity for our country to confront the truth, Is america ready to be really equal, do they understand african americans enough to see our value are rooted in american values of hard work and dedication, do we see them as people and can identify with them as well.
This election is huge, if and when Obama/Biden win Our citizens can and will have alot more of our day to day issues address by the new administra
I agree wholeheartedly with what you've written, especially the part where you say that people like yourself, "who have real influence with kids, [must] inspire them to get out there and vote." You truly need to consider that all these older people (not to mention fundamentalists and neocons) are DESPERATE to hold on to what they've got, so they will be going to the polls in droves. Young people will have to vote in completely unsuspected numbers to counter that. And don't merely encourage voting -- REGISTER new voters.
Jermaine, welcome to the race! Now take that excitement out to the streets and let's get young people registered to vote and active in the political process. You can help turn Georgia. I was totally prepared for some our our "black elite" to be critical of Obama's speech. Many of us have felt this frustration and disappointment for months. I thought it was totally classy how Obama lightly touched on MLK, Jr. during his speech. We all knew who he was talking about. I was actually nervous that he would spend too much time talking about the anniversary of the "I Have A Dream" speech, so I was pleasantly surprised how it was handled. Kudos Jermaine - allow yourself to be used as a vessel for change!
Obama got me too. This was written so beautifully. I appreciate you sharing your insight into this man who is the best representative of hope for the future of our youth and all of us grown folks. We got to have vision in order to grow in all aspects of life, otherwise we stay stuck in the quicksand of the past.. Thank you and much respect..
Great post. Very well written.
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