Hip(ocrite)-Hop Music

Trump surrogates have been adamant about their “defense” (if you want to call it that) for the now… President-Elect Donald Trump. Before the election last night though, an interesting attack on hip-hop artists Jay-Z and Beyonce surfaced after the married duo performed at a Cleveland, Ohio rally for Hillary Clinton just days before the election. Many of the surrogates including Trump campaign manager, Kellyanne Conway, shamed Hillary for the choice of these artists and their lyrics saying, “because our children are listening” right Hillary?”. Scottie Nell Hughes continues this argument as well digging deep into the hard right Trump supporters identifying well with the evangelical-Christian audience as she slams Hillary’s choice of musical guests. She goes on to say, “As an Evangelical Christian, I can actually say I think he was more bothered by the multiple uses of the ‘M-F-word’ that night and the N-word that was used, within the lyrics in the songs” (speaking about Trump being bothered). While I find this highly tunnel-visioned and hypocritical, it is a hallmark example of rhetorical disassociation used for the past years and a half by Trump and his surrogates. By slamming Hillary for bringing in hip-hop artists who use expletives in their music and weeding out the fact that Trump himself has multiple videos of him using the exact same language shows that disassociation that doubles down on their Trump cause now and as he eventually becomes the 45th president..

What this does now that the election is over? Well, I can’t say for sure. It has alienated much of pop culture (for better or worse) with Trump openly mocking Clinton, boasting to a crowd in Grand Rapids, Michigan on election day yesterday, “We don’t need Jay Z or Beyoncé… We don’t need Jon Bon Jovi. We don’t need Lady Gaga. All we need is great ideas to make America great again”. While this is identification, it’s identifying with those who conspire against the “liberal media”, “liberal Hollywood” and pop culture. He finds the common value of mostly an older generation who hates pop culture along with younger voters who might feel they are cool or on the “in-crowd” by associating with “great ideas” and “making America great again”.

If I had to guess his rhetoric will continue to divide America on extreme levels. Even if his rhetoric is tamed even a bit, what he has said over the past year has inflamed a scary movement built on fear, divisiveness and anger. That’s something that WON’T “make America great again” or keep the greatness that is the “united” part of our states here in America. What makes this a harder and harder pill to swallow is the real issues that are behind the rage and hate. The real people who have real issues and need desperate help have been hijacked rhetorically and this kind of polarization threatens much of the work our country has done over the past 100 years whether it’s women’s rights, race relations or LGBTQ rights to work for “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” for ALL.

Once again drawing on the now famous answer to any question whether it’s appropriate, makes sense or not at all, Trump and his surrogates want to make America Great Again… I guess now we’ll find out what that means.