Hip-hop came out in force on Thursday night for the New York Premiere of Hip-Hop and the White House, a new documentary examining the 50-year relationship between the cultural movement and the office of the president.
Narrated by Atlanta rap giant Jeezy, the film illustrates how presidential policies in the 1970s and '80s "created conditions of oppression and neglect that birthed hip-hop," before diving into the influence rappers and politicians court within the intersection of hip-hop culture and presidential administrations.
The film was written and directed by Jesse Washington, a veteran editor and storyteller who has been documenting Black culture and music since the 1990s.
Commentary throughout the film comes from voices like Bun B, Common, Chika, Waka Flocka Flame, KRS-One, Roxanne Shante, Curren$y, Grandmaster Caz, as well as U.S. Representative Maxine Waters and Newark Mayor Ras J. Baraka.
Jeezy, who speaks in the film about the impact Tupac's political leanings had on him, recorded his anthem "My President" after Barack Obama won the Democratic nomination, five months before Obama was elected president in 2008. Featuring a chorus that begins "my president is Black" and a video that has Obama iconography and crowds of people rallying support, the song was a defining moment for the influence that hip-hop and its community could have in national politics.
The film opens with footage of Jeezy and Jay-Z performing their remix in a Washington, D.C. nightclub on the night of Obama's inauguration.
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Political advocacy was a big theme at the event, both on the red carpet and during the post-screening discussion panel featuring Jeezy, Washington, and producer Jordan Benston, moderated by MSNBC's Ari Melber.
"I want to see us understand the power that our platform has at other levels that maybe we don't exercise as often," rapper Bun B, who provides commentary in the film, told reporter Asheea Smith of Enstarz. "The more we understand where we have to go and who we have to be engaged with in order to affect those changes, the farther we can go."
As for who the next big politically minded voice in hip-hop will be, director Jesse Washington shouted out documentary participant Chika as an "intelligent, lyrical rap genius" who can "help to raise the consciousness of hip-hop and those who want to try to engage with us."
"I've still got my eyes open," Jeezy told Music Times, saying he's still on the lookout for that next big voice. "Everybody's kinda playing it safe right now. I'm looking for the album, somebody who is just going to go against the grain."
He's not concerned though, because as the documentary illustrates, hip-hop and politics are now intrinsically linked and the hip-hop community is now more influential than ever.
"It's gonna happen!" Jeezy says. "Somebody's gonna come out of the woodwork and have a lot to say, and everybody's gonna be like 'yup!'
Hip-Hop and the White House will premiere on Hulu on Monday, April 22.
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