Hip-hop

Sen. Barack Obama, whose wide-ranging musical tastes include hip hop, took a swipe last week at the less than savory manifestations of the hip-hop genre. “I am troubled sometimes by the misogyny and materialism of a lot of rap lyrics,” the Democratic presidential nominee said in his highly publicized interview with Rolling Stone magazine.

“It would be nice if I could have my daughters listen to their music without me worrying that they were getting bad images of themselves.” But Obama, who if elected in November would become the youngest president in history, added that hip hop has also been a positive force in America. “I think the genius of the art form has shifted the culture and helped to desegregate music,” he said, referring to hip-hop moguls Russell Simmons, Jay-Z and Ludacris” as “great talents and great businessmen.”