On Monday February 4 rapper Q-Tip was on campus in an effort to incite some interest in Barrack Obama. With Super Tuesday rapidly approaching Democratic candidate, Barrack Obama was looking to get the younger crowd to get out and vote.
Obama, who has already admitted that he listens to Hip Hop music, recruited New York rapper Q-Tip to help him get the young vote. Kamal Ibn John Fareed or Q-Tip, started his speech by reading off of his palm pilot.
For most of his speech he kept his head focused on the palm pilot. He read off statistics about Obama’s campaign and Obama’s competition Democratic candidate, Hillary Clinton. Q-Tip also threw in some jabs at the current administration.
Questioning whether or not experience has anything to do with Obama being able to run the country. “Look at where experience has gotten us so far.” Said Q-Tip. Which was followed by laughter from the roomful of students and professors from UB. Q-Tip said. “Change has to start somewhere.”
He proceeded to take questions from the audience of students who were eager to speak to him. He seemed excited to take the questions, even exceeding his time limit. Hip Hop has had so much bad publicity, especially in Washington, that it can make you wonder why Obama would use a rapper to speak about him. “Hip Hop is the voice of America.” Said Wayne Winston, who is a Bridgeport campaign manager and who was up front with Q-Tip during the speech.
In response to the negative press Hip Hop has gotten in Washington Winston said. ” There are different types of Hip Hop, we tend to focus on the bad too much.” All of the extra, last minute efforts by Obama’s people proved to be successful as he won the Connecticut primary on Tuesday, February 5.