03/03/08
Text: Scott Indrisek
Mos Def recently came out in favor of Barack Obama—sort of. “America's too vain, and he appeals to America's sense of vanity,” he recently told the New York Post. “It's the A&R guy in me... When I saw him on the cover of Men's Vogue, I said, 'This guy's gonna win because he looks good.' So, the best-looking guy for the job is a black guy. I'm cool with that. People also want a rock-star quality to the president, which he has.”
We have to agree—the junior Senator from Illinois cuts a pretty dashing figure, especially when you remix him dancing to Soulja Boy. Also: we dig the fact that he admits to doing “a little blow” in his youth—although we’re glad he’s clean now, since a cokehead holding the nation’s nuclear codes is a recipe for disaster. And we’re all about substance when it comes to politics, but let’s wax superficial for one minute—do we really want to be looking at Hillary Clinton’s wrinkled mug for the next four years? Or John McCain’s potato-head, for that matter?
This is far from the first time that Mos Def has weighed in on politics. The outspoken rapper and film star can get vitriolic when he wants to—and while we might not agree with everything he has to say, we do applaud his conviction. (Though he can at times veer into downright silly territory—check out this classic clip of an appearance on the Bill Maher show for a further taste.)
And enough about Barack on the cover of Vogue—how about Mos Def on the cover of Anthem? Call us anytime, man. We’re waiting by the phone.
