Rapper Lupe Fiasco: "To me, the biggest terrorist is Obama"

[Terminator X]

“In my fight against terrorism, to me, the biggest terrorist is Obama, in the United States of America,” the platinum-selling artist said. “For me, I’m trying to fight the terrorism that’s actually causing the other forms of terrorism. The root cause of the terrorism is the stuff that you as a government allow to happen and the foreign policies that we have in place in different countries that inspire people to become terrorists. And it’s easy for us because it’s really just some oil, which we can really get on our own.”

Fiasco went on to say he does not vote and wondered aloud what might happen if nobody did.

http://www.rawstory.com/rawreplay/2011/06/rapper-lupe-fiasco-to-me-the-biggest-terrorist-is-obama/

:thumbup1:

[Terminator X]

And the rest of his quote:


I don’t vote. I don’t get involved in the political process because it’s meaningless, to be honest. I’m a real big believer if I’m gonna vouch for someone, then I’m gonna stand behind everything that they do. So politicians aren’t gonna do that because I don’t want you to bomb some village in the middle of nowhere.”

http://rapradar.com/2011/06/08/lupe-calls-obama-the-biggest-terrorist/

[AmericanSocialist]

I also can't help but see the United States as an icon of terrorism. We have really inflicted so much deaths even to this day. America is the leader of the "free world" The freedom to exploit the poor all around the world. Overthrow democratically elected leaders around the world, backing of terrorists regimes, and other such atrocities. Plus they arrest millions for indulging in a harmless (healing) plant for the sake of suppressing anything that will take away their profit from other corporations and big businesses.

[Comrade_Oscar]

Man I love Lupe he is pretty mainstream but he is one of the only mainstream artists with a good message. (the mention of Palestine in his songs 'The Show Goes On' & 'Words I Never Said' as well as his denouncing of the "war on terror".

[Ocean Seal]

That's pretty kick ass. That a mainstream rapper would adopt a decent anti-imperialist attitude. Looks somewhat promising, I wonder how far he'll go.

[The_Outernationalist]

That's pretty kick ass. That a mainstream rapper would adopt a decent anti-imperialist attitude. Looks somewhat promising, I wonder how far he'll go.

Just because he doesn't like Obama doesn't mean he's some ally of the left.

[Robocommie]

Just because he doesn't like Obama doesn't mean he's some ally of the left.

I love how some Leftists are always so quick to respond to, "Maybe he's a friend" with a swift "NO."

[tbasherizer]

Maybe he's a cryptofascist ;)

I've got a good collection of Lupe songs, and they're nice to listen to. He's started what he calls a movement: LASERS, with a circle-A. I remember one of the first images promoting it was the word "LOSERS" with an A spray-painted inside the O. I'm not sure if he's implying anarchism with this or anything; the "Lasers manifesto" was kind of obscure for me.

But honestly guys, he was onto the whole American terrorism thing with "American Terrorist" on Food and Liquor.

[RedSonRising]

It's good that a rapper like Lupe is bold enough to come out with this, because his politics aren't refined and he's not an overt symbol of revolutionary politics . While at first that may seem like a hindrance, it actually helps popularize ideas that peel away the layers of false consciousness that plague the working classes, particularly in the USA, by using logic akin to common moral sense rather than broader ideological/political implications.

His quote about every politician in power not representing his views because "getting oil" and "bombing a village somewhere" has nothing to do with his personal wants and needs can resonate with people based on a very simple sentiment. Imperialism = violence against innocents that I didn't ever choose, and the system is broken. Simple and true. For him to be brave enough to attach Obama to those ideas is a good thing for the left. He doesn't have to be handing out red leaflets to radicalize people and open them up to systemic alternatives to older notions of freedom and justice. That's where we step in and take advantage of popular discontent and sophisticate the popular goals fueled by the discontent caused by the hierarchy of capitalism. Once vaguely popular figures can identify with these types of ideas more casually, alternatives like revolutionary socialism will become more acceptable and less of a cause for outrage among working people exposed to politics.

[incogweedo]

Gotta love Lupe, one of the ONLY mainstream rappers that can be considered leftist. Also, if your into his music, you should check out Common (his raps and poetry). Even though Obama had him over at the whitehouse, some of his stuff is very leftist. But i have to give a :thumbup1: for Lupe

[Magón]

He's got some good songs, even from his earlier albums before Laser. His father was a member of the Black Panthers also.

[Geiseric]

Wow i instantly like this guy. anybody know about Rage Against the Machine's politics?

[Obs]

Wow i instantly like this guy. anybody know about Rage Against the Machine's politics?

http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQrqy-QHspX2mX0GOpvY8pw6UmC1yjjgHfjOjquqowDE1gyQI4f

[Geiseric]

I was kidding, he might be out for shock value in all seriousness. Just like rage against the machine, and most punk rock bands.

[tachosomoza]

My father was a member of the Panthers. It wasn't all it's cracked up to be. The organization was plagued with prejudice (they called white comrades "rabbits" and Hispanic comrades "spics") and misogyny. That being said, they did do a lot to combat police oppression and brought a lot of attention to issues affecting the urban proletariat.

As for Lupe, he's alright, but he may be doing it for shock value, like Barrett said. I do like what he says about Palestine, though.

[W1N5T0N]

Some really good points he makes there, although i think calling Obama a "terrorist" de facto is a bit harsh, he certainly doesn't advocate violence like other presidents did. The american foreign policies of the past years were more terrorist than under his rule, and he is trying to change them. I think he is just an American president who has to deal with the shitty foreign policy of his predecessors and popular opinion (the right has a lot of influence in america, i gather). Im sure he is not so fond of war as reagan or bush I+II, he is just part of a slow system stuck in a certain paradigm. But i definately agree, many american foreign policies suck. I would hope that more mainstream rappers had an interest further than "*****es, money and cocaine", then i might actually listen to them. At the moment, the lyrics just piss me off as they are simply mysoginist and pro-violence. "You never need an argument against the use of violence, you need an argument for it" - Chomsky

[Rocky Rococo]

i think calling Obama a "terrorist" de facto is a bit harsh, he certainly doesn't advocate violence like other presidents did.

What you talking about W1N5T0N? We have more wars going now than we did when Obama took office.

[Terminator X]

Some really good points he makes there, although i think calling Obama a "terrorist" de facto is a bit harsh, he certainly doesn't advocate violence like other presidents did.

He has authorized assassinations of US citizens anywhere in the world, at any time, without trial. This is more extreme than the policy under George W. Bush.

[Stand Your Ground]

Man I love Lupe he is pretty mainstream but he is one of the only mainstream artists with a good message. (the mention of Palestine in his songs 'The Show Goes On' & 'Words I Never Said' as well as his denouncing of the "war on terror".
Does he have any other politcal songs?

[LegendZ]

Does he have any other politcal songs?
He has one against the police not letting a kid skate and the kid growing up while skateboarding. It's called kick Push.

[W1N5T0N]

He has authorized assassinations of US citizens anywhere in the world, at any time, without trial. This is more extreme than the policy under George W. Bush.

I know. There is no change in the foreign policy which is war.
yet he has improved certain policies in america itself. As i said, America i stuck in a paradigm. I still think Obama is less fucked up than bush, though he certainly aint no saint.

[Stand Your Ground]

He has one against the police not letting a kid skate and the kid growing up while skateboarding. It's called kick Push.
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