(editor's note: another oldie but I figured what better way to start the New Year off by pissing some people off...Vote or Die Nigga!)

What’s up Fam…I hope all has went well this week. We are just about 2 months away from the next presidential election and our Hip Hop moguls, Russell Simmons and Sean “P Diddy” Combs, are getting into the election spirit by hitting the streets to get young people registered to vote. Sean Combs is out promoting his “Vote or Die” campaign and Russell Simmons is out trying to gain support for his Hip Hop Youth Summit for Voter Registration. Now on the surface these guys seem to be on the road to a very noble mission, but I myself believe they are more about public relation than public service. Both Combs and Simmons come from middle class backgrounds, with middle class values, but they have chosen to build their empires on the exaggeration and exploitation of the Black underclass through the music and videos that they produce. They have felt no moral or social responsibility in marketing overpriced clothing and accessories to a people who cannot afford their high price-tagged fashions, but I’m supposed to believe these same cats have all of sudden become politically conscious. Simmons has gathered a collective of popular Hip Hop artist, such as Jay-Z, Jadakiss, Lloyd Banks, and many others to help promote his cause. Simmons feels that young people pay more attention to what Lloyd Banks, and other rappers of equal celebrity, have to say than either of the current presidential candidates, and sadly, this is absolutely true. Its sad because I recently saw Lloyd Banks, one of the new face men for the G-Unit crew, during an interview on BET. When asked if HE was registered to vote, he not only answered “no”, but also proudly stated that he really knew nothing about the candidates or their political agendas. It is unconscionable to encourage people to just vote without first encouraging them to know what or who they are voting for. I hear people saying quite often: "It doesn't matter who you vote for, just vote." WHAT!?! If it doesn't matter who you vote for then why vote? Voting without knowing anything about the candidates or the issuses is like giving a child a loaded gun. All this jet setting around the country with an entourage of celebrity rappers looks great for the cameras, but is a horrible attempt at mobilizing the people. If Simmons and Combs really believe in the power they and their artist possess to encourage change through their music, how come neither one of them have put together some type of compilation album that is relevant to the issues of the current campaign or explains why voting is so important? I’ll tell you why…because the money is in the sickness, not the cure..."its all about the Benjamins, baby!!"