Hip-hop responds to Bin Laden’s death (in tweet form)

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With apologies to Bono, Billy Bragg and those outback vagabonds in Midnight Oil, hip-hop has always been one of the most explictly political genres of music. From ‘The Message’ to ‘Muse-Sick-N-Hour Mess Age,’ rappers have used their words to attack inequities and social issues of all stripes.

Even in today’s largely apoliticized rap world, artists such as Kanye West repeatedly address a wide range of topics (some of which end up causing widespread censure).

Understandably, the events of the last 24 hours have sent the rap world into a Twitter frenzy. Here are some opinions expressed by its more prominent members.

Bun B: ‘November 2012 is a long ways from now. The GOP isn’t even giving him credit. Trust me, this changes nothing politically. Don’t get it twisted. I’m voting for him, but the people celebrating are chanting USA not Obama. The haters are waiting to spin it.’

Chuck D: ‘USA is at it again. Number one in the rankings of Killing Championships. Stealing the Gold in the Murder Olympics, and the crowd goes wild! New Whirl Odor,... I smell. And with all these whippings of mass distractions , Amerikkkans now can look forward to 95 cent gas and hummers. One..dude in a cave, gimme a break please, would some UFO come down and straighten this human race out, even if you gotta devour us. Of course this was thrown in President Obama’s lap from jump. And most Twidiots will believe that this will be the Prez’s legacy.’

Lupe Fiasco: ‘Osama Dead!?! Afghan Operation done now??? Now kill poverty, wack schools, and US imperialism.’

MC Hammer: ‘Evil has an expiration date and it has offspring. We rejoice with our heads up, hearts warm and our eyes open and locked in.’

Styles P: ‘I ain’t even gonna lie! U will only know what the they want u to know so I don’t even know why we acting like we gonna here the truth!! Gonna be mad osama dead songs and references ! I can hear them allready! And don’t want to! Well dear gov since Bin Laden is dead! Bring the the troops home!!!!!!’

Big Boi: ‘Buried at sea? That’s the same thang that happened to Megatron in ‘Transformers Part 2.’ ‘

Soulja Boy: ‘The US Dollar has decreased 20% in value over the past two years. Wake up America! This country will not be a good place for any of us to live in unless we make it a good place for all of us to live in.’

Russell Simmons: ‘I’m not rejoicing at the killing of Khadafy’s son or even the killing of Bin laden. Violence promotes Violence, luv promotes luv. Killing can’t promote luv r destination is God consciousness or pure luv. Islamaphobia is the disease that helps create supporters of Bin Laden’s mindset. Until we are conscious of the hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians we kill, (like Iraq) we will always have a new Bin laden waiting.

‘We can’t count the 4 thousand U.S soldiers without out counting the 200,000 Iraqi civilians? Their children are the next Bin Ladens. I’m not saying I’m not glad we got Bin Laden. I’m saying the loud celebration outside my apt (World Trade) hurt my spirit.’

Fabolous: ‘#TwitPicOsamaBinLadenBody... We dont believe you though. When they first told me Osama died, first thing I said was ‘Word, I jus’ seen Osama’...’

?uestlove: ‘I hope those rejoicing can hear O’s words that to engage in anti-Islam/Muslim rhetoric is missing the point.’

Busta Rhymes: ‘We are living in the middle of and witnessing very interesting times. Pay close attention to everything but also read between the lines.’

Freddie Gibbs: ‘US just said they just killed Osama Bin Laden and they got his body....yeah...right.’

Blockhead: ‘The first rapper to say a variation of ‘I bring the drama like Obama did to Osama’ should be publicly executed live on the Fuse network.’

See also, Heems of Das Racist, who has been cataloging xenophobic sentiments on his Twitter page.

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-- Jeff Weiss