Oh, it’s on. Another hip-hop feud involving an Atlanta rapper has set the Internet aflame —and thankfully, this one has nothing to do with 18-year-old “Crank That” performer Soulja Boy. A spokesman for Barack Obama’s presidential campaign issued a stinging rebuke to A-town heavy hitter Ludacris last week, in response to “Politics (Obama is Here),” a mixtape track by Luda and DJ Drama.
In the song, Ludacris notes that Obama has named him as one of his favorite rappers. Apparently not content with his lot in life as a restaurateur, Grammy-winning rapper and respected actor (“Fred Claus” notwithstanding), Luda throws his hat into the ring for consideration as a running mate, drawling “put me in office/make me your vice president.”
He then leaps into attack-dog mode against President Bush and Senators Hillary Clinton and John McCain, with such lines as “Hillary hated on you so that bitch is irrelevant” and “McCain don’t belong in any chair unless he’s paralyzed.” (Our favorite, in response to Jesse Jackson: “If you said it then you meant it/Where you want it, head or gut?”—a clear reference to the immortal 1991 Bruce Willis/Damon Wayans action vehicle “The Last Boy Scout.”)
Obama spokesperson Ben Burton was quoted as saying that “while Ludacris is a talented individual, he should be ashamed of these lyrics.” At the time of this posting, Ludacris had not responded to the statement, and rumors that Sen. McCain was composing his own diss track with Luda’s “Battleground Earth” co-star Tommy Lee were unconfirmed.
But the news wasn’t all bad for Ludacris last week: On July 28 it was announced that Chris Bridges himself is slated for induction into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame next month, along with Athens jam-rockers Widespread Panic, songwriter Keith Sweat, guitar makers Fred and Dinah Gretsch, deejay Hamp Swain and the late singer and songwriter Dottie Rambo. The Georgia Music Hall of Fame Awards will take place Saturday, Sept. 20 at the Georgia World Congress Center. Tickets are $75-$1,000 (for a table of 10). For more information, please call 770-491-9494, ext. 15, or visit www.georgiamusic.org.