Hip-hop pioneer Prince Paul’s 2003 release, Politics of the Business, features an answering machine message, left by a frustrated colleague, indicative of a broader disconnect between rap music and American electoral politics. Without enthusiasm, Paul’s friend invites him to an event at Madison Square Garden where he will be performing for “this dude Ralph Nader. He’s like the third party presidential candidate, something stupid, blah.” The message-leaver’s voice accelerates its cadence and passion only to highlight the absurdity that, to a show at MSG, he has been asked to bring his own turntables: “This guy’s running for president, and he can’t rent turntables? And he’s going to run the country? Come on.”

Supporters and detractors have taken turns highlighting the fact that the genre -- though adopting the posture of the political -- rarely tackles issues of policy-making. The “politics” outlined by hip hop tend to be quotidian, visceral. Certainly, American partisan politics are seldom addressed, and normally are only brought up in order to be dismissed. In the classic “By the Time I Get to Arizona,” Public Enemy’s Chuck D. fires “Neither party is mine/not the jackass or the elephant.” On their 1992 release, Kill My Landlord, Oakland rappers the Coup send bipartisan “shots out” -- the kind you have to reload -- making no distinction between Bush the First and his wolf-in-stained-clothing successor, welfare reformer Bill Clinton. In fact, most direct shots at rap, whether Tipper Gore’s censorship crusades or Clinton’s tirade against Sister Souljah, have come from within the Democratic party.

So it’s no small feat for a Dem to inspire even kind words, let alone a tribute anthem, from the hip hop world. The line “you ain’t livin’ ‘til you voted for Dennis Kucinich,” poured over a slick horn sample, seems nothing short of miraculous. Fact is, it’s happened twice.

Two quixotic Democratic presidential bids in 20 years have scored themselves these rapper’s delights. Anti-war candidate Dennis Kucinich, object of Ursa Minor’s affection in their “Weapons of Mass Distraction,” is one of them. The other produced enough excitement to set Grandmaster Melle Mel down to the task of producing an old skool track laced with hyper-produced funk and robotic voices: “He’s coming. He’s coming. He’s coming. [Repeat X 3] / He’s here! / [Robot:] His name is Jesse.” Compare as we dare, then, the hip-hoppin’, non-stoppin’ musical candidacies of the Progressive Caucus co-chair and the good Reverend Jesse Jackson, Sr.

While left-leaning, progressive outsider candidacies may produce a positive tenor in primary debates and campaign-trail politicking, their effects on artistic output may be less overtly positive. Neither “Weapons of Mass Distraction” nor “Jesse” is a particularly proud moment in the aesthetic history of rap. The former lends itself to the bizarre marriage of actual sound bytes from Kucinich and over-the-top tributes from deep-throated hype men: “Our lives in the hands of war profiteers / We need Kucinich / to reflect the people’s image.” The latter boasts one of the cheesiest hooks in human history: “He started on the bottom / now he’s on the top… So vote! / Vote! Vote! / Everybody get up and vote” (on paper, it lacks the grandeur provided on the track by laser sound effects).

Nevertheless, each is full of warm, sunny moments, particularly when aiming their fire at Republican incumbents. “See Ronald Reagan / talkin’ on TV / actin’ like everything’s fine and dandy…” is happening, if less direct than Ursa Minor’s explicit denunciations of Bush the Second’s non-existent evidence of WMD(estruction, this time) in Iraq. And in both cases, it is nice to hear hip-hop machismo abandoned, if temporarily, for the earnest endorsement of progressive electoral politics.

Ultimately, Ursa Minor’s un-ironic testament to the little vegetarian who would be president stands about the same chance to be heard against the polished 50 Cent as their candidate stands to be heard against the warmonger -- both Jackson as well as Melle Mel have already secured their spots in their respective canons. “Weapons of Mass Distraction” is, in even more ways, a lot like hearing Kucinich himself: Even if the cheesiness makes you giggle, it’s still, admittedly, nice to hear.

Home Features David and Goliath Stop smirking, Bettman Books this week Essays & Reviews The Big Sellout Operation Filmmaker Salud!