"What the fuck is a Barack?!"

I am spending half of the year in Germany, the other half in Canada and to an extent in the USA. After I had returned to Hamburg last november I sometimes literally forgot where I was after turning on the TV. Since the pre-elections started it is nearly impossible to miss any news on Hillary, Barack and the other guys. It´a all over German internet sites, there are discussions, reports, insights and gossip. It seems like people all over the world can´t wait until Bush finally can go back to be an alcoholic again. The interest in the quest for the democratic candidate is amazing and the presence in the non-US-media is overwhelming.

I even know who DMX is, after he released a seminal hip-hop album ten years ago. So I was quite surprised when I read this interview with him on XXLmag.com. Oh boy, he must be living under a pretty large and expensive rock in Arizona.

According to the interview he has neither heard of Barack Obama, nor the fact that the USA might have a black man as president soon. This is how it goes:

"...You know there’s a Black guy running, Barack Obama and then there’s Hillary Clinton.
His name is Barack?!

Barack Obama, yeah.
Barack?!

Barack.
What the fuck is a Barack?! Barack Obama. Where he from, Africa?

Yeah, his dad is from Kenya.
Barack Obama?

Yeah.
What the fuck?! That ain’t no fuckin’ name, yo. That ain’t that nigga’s name. You can’t be serious. Barack Obama. Get the fuck outta here.

You’re telling me you haven’t heard about him before.
I ain’t really paying much attention.

I mean, it’s pretty big if a Black…
Wow, Barack! The nigga’s name is Barack. Barack? Nigga named Barack Obama. What the fuck, man?! Is he serious? That ain’t his fuckin’ name. Ima tell this nigga when I see him, “Stop that bullshit. Stop that bullshit” [laughs] “That ain’t your fuckin’ name.” Your momma ain’t name you no damn Barack."


After the first shock and the slight embarassing amusement over his rather childish reaction wears off, he offers an honest, yet rather depressing view on things. As a convict he has lost his rights to vote. But he explains that this is not the reason for his colossal lack of interest:

"Is that why you’re not following it?
No, because it’s just—it doesn’t matter. They’re gonna do what they’re gonna do. It doesn’t really make a difference. These are the last years.

But it would be pretty big if we had a first Black president. That would be huge.
I mean, I guess…. What, they gon’ give a dog a bone? There you go. Ooh, we have a Black president now. They should’ve done that shit a long time ago, we wouldn’t be in the fuckin’ position we in now. With world war coming up right now. They done fucked this shit up then give it to the Black people, “Here you take it. Take my mess.”

Right, exactly.
It’s all a fuckin’ setup. It’s all a setup. All fuckin’ bullshit. All bullshit. I don’t give a fuck about none of that."
...
"The president…they don’t have that much authority basically?
Nah, never.

But Bush pretty much…
You think Bush is making fuckin’ decisions?

He did, yeah, he fucked up the country.
He act like he making decisions. He could barely speak! He could barely fuckin’speak!
Can’t be serious. He ain’t making no damn decisions."

This is a pretty nihilsitic answer to Obama´s "race speach".
The full online interview can be read here.