(ThyBlackMan.com) The rapper Lupe Fiasco is not your average hip-hop artist. He doesn’t buy into the buffoonery that has come to define the industry that makes itself into one of the hottest minstrel shows in America. He’s thoughtful, empowered and everything that rappers and black men are taught not to be. That is one of the reasons that I truly fear for his life.
Lupe recently opened the door to a massive wave of controversy by pointing his finger at the United States political system, most specifically the war on terror. In an interview on CBS News, Lupe said the following:
“My fight against terrorism, to me, the biggest terrorist is Obama in the United States of America. I’m trying to fight the terrorism that’s actually causing the other forms of terrorism. You know, the root cause of terrorism is the stuff the U.S. government allows to happen. The foreign policies that we have in place in different countries that inspire people to become terrorists.”
There are a couple of mistakes that Lupe made in his remarks. First, he challenged the prevailing assumption that the United States is a sweet, 
innocent country who, for whatever strange reason, is constantly being victimized by these horrible people who want to harm us. Lupe’s second mistake is that he had the audacity to contradict the widely-held belief that President Obama is different from every other commander-in-chief to occupy the White House.
Here’s the deal. The United States government has engaged in such a degree of heinous activity around the world that we can’t keep up with the number of enemies we’ve created. By not confronting US foreign policy and blinding buying into government propaganda, we only make ourselves more vulnerable to those who’ve watched their entire families be killed by activities that have been committed in the name of the U.S. taxpayer.
While I would not align myself with Fiasco’s disturbingly vicious remark about President Obama being a terrorist, one can easily argue that anyone occupying the White House is certainly expected to be an international bully. It is mandated that the bully continue the pattern of US abuse and arrogance around the world, leading us to make destructive choices without an ounce of accountability. Many of these choices are driven by corporate America’s hunger for global resources and many of our political leaders blindly follow the agenda of those who write the biggest checks.
If you want to know my opinion of Lupe, I think that he represents everything that hip-hop is supposed to be: Anti-establishment, thoughtful, and willing to take a stand on issues that matter most. So, similar to Muhammad Ali in boxing, Lupe’s remarks have elevated him to being one of the greatest rappers of all-time.
I don’t agree with everything Lupe said, but any artist who chooses not to spend all his time “blinging” at the club, gulping down Grey Goose and carrying a gun on his hip instantly has my respect. Rather than soaking up the “shine” that comes with being affiliated with presidential power, Lupe has chosen to take the tough road of advocating for those who don’t have a voice. This is the road that would be taken by Jesus, Father Michael Pfleger and many other inspirational leaders who understand that leading means serving the people and not feeding the beast of your own arrogance.
Black male unemployment is at 17 percent, and black male incarceration is at holocaust levels. Black teens are dying in the streets because they have no jobs and education. We must solemnly confront the fact that black men aren’t going to find many answers within the current political system. While we can’t all agree with Lupe’s personal decision not to vote, it’s very difficult to explain to him or any other black man why they should care about the outcome of any national election. Whether we like him or not, Lupe Fiasco is a leader. At least we can say that he’s thinking outside the box.
Staff Writer; Dr. Boyce Watkins
Dr. Boyce Watkins is the founder of the Your Black World Coalition. For more information, please visit http://BoyceWatkins.com.
