Hating Trump Is Officially Hip-Hop’s Newest Cliche
The diss tracks are coming fast and thick
Many among the pop culture-informed populace are no doubt familiar with Eminem’s fiery “Campaign Speech.” The rapper released the almost eight minute track just weeks before the elections. It had more than a few choice words for then-candidate Trump.
To wit:
You say Trump don’t kiss ass like a puppet
’Cause he runs his campaign with his own cash for the fundin’
And that’s what you wanted
A fuckin’ loose cannon who’s blunt with his hand on the button
This broadside aimed at Trump formed an epic tapestry of wit and verse spread over the track’s running time. More an exercise in wordplay and humor than a full political tirade, “Campaign Speech” wasn’t the only salvo from the hip-hop community hating on the Republican candidate.
In March 2016 one disgruntled rapper, Mac Miller, came out swinging against Trump. He had good reason to. His lighthearted platinum single from 2011 titled “Donald Trump” brought on threats of a lawsuit in 2013 from its namesake.
Donald Trump has been a fixture in rap lyrics since the late ‘80s, a symbol of privilege hip-hop artists cited as a role model. Referencing him in lyrics is a tradition of sorts. Oh, how the times have changed.
Last year, just when Trump’s momentum was gaining steam among disgruntled white voters, Miller delivered this scathing monologue:
I fucking hate you Donald Trump.
So you wanted to sue me, then you realized you couldn’t sue someone for being super-talented and good-looking.
You say you want to make America great again but we all know what that means.
You’ll ban Muslims. Mexicans are rapists. Black lives don’t matter.
Make America Great Again? I think you want to make America white again!
Watch it in full:
That’s Mac Miller in March last year. Almost 12 months later, with President Trump lording over a chaotic White House, the rapper’s words have assumed the gravitas of prophecy — America was warned.
Even no-name rappers took their turn. Trump’s immortal catchphrase “Grab ’Em By the Pussy” inspired one bodybuilder to release a parody. The track got lost in a stream of amateur music mocking the election.
During the Grammy’s on Feb. 12, a rare performance by A Tribe Called Quest not only delighted hip-hop heads everywhere but had Busta Rhymes’ onstage delivering a mouthful about a “President Agent Orange”:
I just want to thank President Agent Orange
For perpetuating all of the evil that you have been perpetuating across the United States.
I just want to thank President Agent Orange
For his unsuccessful attempt at a Muslim ban.
When we come together — We the People! We the People!
I’m not trying to stitch together a narrative about musicians hating on Trump. It’s bigger than that. Trump has gone from a hero to a villain. He’s an object of scorn now and the entire hip-hop genre hates him with a passion.
It’s so pervasive that it’s become a cliche. For the next four years, every new album will feature the rapper asking the producer to turn up his headphones, a track where he threatens to steal the listeners girl and at least one lyrical assault on Trump.
It’s not even a case of random beefs by select artists. While George W. Bush was also a target for multiple diss tracks — some of them calling for his death — these came well into his second term. Trump hasn’t even finished his first 100 days.
America has gone through a month of Trump and the hate from hip-hop is monumental. The lukewarm support by Kanye West, who met with President-elect Trump in December last year, has since disappeared while the ire from his peers is frothing. The remarkable part is much of the angry musical content started before he was president.
The hands down most brutal is YG and Nipsey Hussle’s “Fuck Donald Trump,” or FDT for short, released in June 2016.
Here’s the sickest verse:
I’m about to turn Black Panther
Don’t let Donald Trump win, that nigger cancer
He too rich, he ain’t got the answers
He can’t make decisions for this country, he gonna crash us
No, we can’t be a slave for him
He got me appreciatin’ Obama way more
YG’s epic diss offered up a requisite assassination threat with “All the niggas in the hood want to fight you/Surprised El Chapo ain’t tried to snipe you.”
This tradition carried over to other anti-Trump anthems like Rick Ross’ “Free Enterprise” that came out on election day. A week after that Pusha T’s new single “Untouchable” mentioned “fuck Donald and his pledge.”
The most stylish insult hurled at Trump yet came in September 2016 with Isaiah Rashad’s The Sun’s Tirade. The album featured the single “What’s Wrong” where Kendrick Lamar fantasized about vandalizing Trump Tower, if he could.
Might stay in the Trump Tower for one week
spray paint all the walls and smoke weed
Fuck them and fuck y’all and fuck me
Hip-hop gave it a rest from New Year’s Day until the inauguration. It was only a brief respite.
Baba Brinkman’s humourous single was a pleasant surprise. The Canadian rapper based in New York, who’s known for tackling science topics in his albums, released “Erosion” to school Trump on climate change. Devoid of grit and threats of violence, Brinkman’s effort was was too calm for what came next.
A single from Big Sean’s new album I Decided had Eminem as a featured artist on the song “No Favors.” In it, Eminem swore to “fuck Ann Coulter with a Klan poster” and followed up with “Trump’s a bitch, I’ll make his whole brand go under.”
The venom directed at Trump isn’t confined to lyrics. The entire living pantheon of hip-hop, from Snoop Dogg to Ice T and mainstream favorites such as 50 Cent and T.I., have weighed in on the President’s character and conduct.
Is there any hip-hop that’s nice to poor Donnie? There is but it’s horrible. It came from, of course, a white rapper. The self-styled “country rap” written and recorded by Youtuber CowboyCole celebrates Trump’s victory with a so bad it’s good anti-Hillary rant. It’s a shit song blessed by stupid lyrics.
The reasons why hip-hop artists don’t like Trump has nothing to do with “liberal propaganda” or the Democratic Party. It’s because he is, and always has been, a racist.
During the 1970s he instructed staff and doormen working in apartments run by the Trump Management Company to turn away “black persons.” This resulted in a 1973 civil rights case that forced the Trumps, father and son, to settle with the government and open their doors to minorities.
At the height of Trump’s campaign he launched a belated attempt to win over African-Americans with the battle cry “What the hell do you have to lose?” and seemed obsessed with “inner cities.”
His awful press conference on Feb. 16 was another moment where Trump’s condescending approach to African-Americans erupted in cringing awfulness. Reporter April Ryan asked if he would meet with the Congressional Black Caucus and his response was horrible.
“Do you want to set up the meeting?” he asked. “Are they friends of yours? Set up the meeting. I would love to meet with the Black Caucus.”
Yup, the President ordered an Africa-American reporter to arrange a meeting with “the Black” Caucus. Worse, the CBC — a group of elected African-American members of congress — had already tried to meet with The Donald. He ignored them.
Things like this are the reason hip-hop hates Trump. He’s a full-blown racist surrounded by hand-picked racists. Expect a lot of angry music directed at the White House for the next four years.
Call it a musical fountain of defiance.
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