A few weeks ago, the political right criticized President Barack Obama for having Common, a Chicago-native rapper, to the White House for a poetry reading.
Now, the situation's turned on its head, as a Chicago rapper is attacking the President for being too far right in his foreign policy.
In an interview on "What's Trending," a CBS News video segment, Lupe Fiasco -- a rapper known for his socially conscious and politically charged lyrics -- had some harsh words for the president.
"In my fight against terrorism, to me, the biggest terrorist is Obama, and the United States of America," Lupe told host Shira Lazar. (See video in link to watch the interview.) He went on to explain the comment:
"I'm trying to fight the terrorism that's actually causing the other forms of terrorism. You know, the root cause of terrorism is the stuff that the U.S. government allows to happen, and the foreign policies that we have in place in different countries that inspire people to become terrorists. And it's easy for us because it's just some oil."
The remarks echo the lyrics of Lupe's song, "American Terrorist," from his 2006 release Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor. In the song, he likens episodes from American history to terrorist attacks: "We came through the storm / nooses on our necks / and a smallpox blanket to keep us warm / On a 747 on the Pentagon lawn / Wake up, the alarm clock is connected to a bomb / Anthrax lab on a West Virginia farm / Shorty ain't learned to walk already heavily armed..."
And he had criticized Obama in a recent single, "Words I Never Said," for refusing to speak out against Israeli bombings of civilians in the Gaza Strip.
Lupe, born Wasalu Muhammad Jaco, is an observant Muslim who originally disdained hip-hop for its use of vulgarity and degradation of women. He still doesn't use drugs, drink alcohol, or behave wantonly. In fact, he's long been a leader in philanthropy in the hip-hop community, including working with a clean water initiative and releasing a charity single for victims of the Haiti earthquake.
He followed up his comments about terrorism by explaining why he doesn't vote, saying that casting a ballot for a politician for him is an endorsement of everything that person does. He won't do that for any presidential candidates because "I don't want you to bomb some village in the middle of nowhere," he said.
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