The last person you would’ve expected to go political in 2008 was Young Jeezy. He declared himself “your favorite rapper’s favorite rapper” and “favorite trapper’s favorite trapper.” The idea that he’d go all in on the Obama campaign while being the face of trap music was a bit jarring back then. Eventually, it manifested in “My President” featuring Nas, which triumphantly declared his president is Black and his Lamborghini blue. “And I be goddamned if my rims ain’t too,” he exclaimed.
Back in 2008, conservative news pundit Bill O’Reilly expressed his disgust on Fox News over Jeezy collaborating with Jay-Z for a performance in Washington, D.C. He called it a “rant that offended people,” though MTV reported that the crowd gave a roaring ovation for the pair.
The Atlanta legend admitted to MTV News that he was never particularly interested in politics in the past. He was jaded by how the political system treated Black people and didn’t engage accordingly. But Obama’s inclusion made him feel like someone would actually speak for his interests for once. Consequently, “My President” became “necessary” for him to make, hoping to capture the important moment.
Jeezy Talked Politics and Why Bill O’Reilly Was Wrong About ‘My President’
“Music is how you feel. But if I can say one word, I’ll say ‘necessary.’ I felt it was necessary. I never ever paid attention to any election. Not really [into] politics or anything like that. It never benefited us. This time around, it’s not a black-or-white thing,” Jeezy said. “You got somebody in there for us that’s well-spoken and gonna handle their business. I just wanted to do my part and let them know we need change, we need help, it’s rough out there.”
Jeezy found it particularly important to capture the cultural zeitgeist as a whole in 2008. In a separate interview at the time, he revealed that the album title The Recession came right in the middle of recording the album. At the time, he realized that he was making a more politically charged album than he thought.
As a result, he figured the rest of the album should feel triumphant, helping power people out of a brutal time in American society. “Now I want to make them for everybody. You don’t even just have to be from the streets to know where I am coming from,” Jeezy said. “Even though that’s what the music is intended for, I want to put it into terms where everyone can get it.”
(Photo by Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images)