I can’t believe that I actually want to transfer to this school…

Obama impersonators are a dime a dozen, but you can’t deny the genius and hillarity of this Music Video Spoof of Beyonce’s single ladies.

Here’s a preview of Element’s Spring ’09 footwear line under their Power to the Planet initiative. With the recent Obama Mclandslide, a renewed sense of social/environmental consciousness rising from a post Bush administration debauch hangover, and the dire fact that we can no longer ignore the challenges facing our world, look for a lot more sustainable resource themed products from all your favorite brands soon.

In the meantime, Element leads the way by offering up shoes both constructed of and by means that limit their burden on Mother Nature’s delicate till. Like Barack, these will be available in the immediate future.

Words by: Preach Jacobs

There hasn’t been an emcee that has grown in the eyes of the public as much as Common. Since his debut in 1992, Common (formally Common Sense) has transformed into an icon, becoming a poster-child for authentic hip-hop. Now with his eighth album, Common maintains a calm demeanor about his music and other career paths. Acting is his next undertaking. The Chicago emcee has starred in blockbusters like ‘Smoking Aces,’ ‘American Gangster’ and will appear in this summer’s ‘Wanted.” It’s apparent that Common’s focus is shifting but he assures us that music is still in play.

“Right now, I want to do movies more than music. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not planning on retiring or anything from music; I just feel as an artist I want to challenge myself. Movies are just more exciting to me right now, and I’m having fun doing them.”

Even though film is taking the front seat in his career, he is confident that his new album will offer a side the public hasn’t seen with him before. After Common’s “Like Water For Chocolate” album, featuring the Grammy-Winning “The Light” produced by Jay Dee, I wondered if there was going to be more Dilla production on this new project or any other Dilla related efforts in the making.

“There’s not any Dilla joints on this new album, but God bless him. He’s the best that did it. There’s been ideas going around to have the artists that worked with Dilla put something out, but we’re waiting for the right idea to move forward and help out the family as best we can. We want to find the best thing to introduce him to people who aren’t familiar with him.”

Instead production duties are handled by The Neptunes, will.i.am and Mr. DJ; with his first two singles, the album entitled “Universal Mind Control” is a step away from the crochet-hat wearing wordsmith that the public may know him as. Having associations with groups like The Roots and a highly publicized relationship and break-up with Erykah Badu can make the stigma of a conscious-incense-burning-rapper hard to get away from. Common is aware but pays little attention to the rumors.

“Right after ‘Like Water For Chocolate,’ I told myself I never wanted to repeat the same album. I just do what I feel. If I don’t feel it, I don’t like it. I don’t even use the term neo-soul that everyone puts out there; I just want to make my music. This new album is a real light-hearted album. It’s simple and to the point; I just wanted to have fun with it. I wanted to re-create the feeling of being in a club. It’s crazy because people think that just because you may be considered conscious, that you can’t put out a party record or have fun. It’s like, just because you’re conscious, a brother can’t have a drink? You can still be a human being, do the right thing and still party. That’s something I didn’t really realize until I hung out with people like Assata Shakur. We were hanging out, and I got a chance to freestyle with her. I freestyled with Assata Shakur! You feel me? It was something to see your heroes be human.”

In these days and times, it maybe a good idea to use music to get their minds away from the perils of the financial crisis. Things couldn’t be more surreal. The stock market crashed, the banks and big three car companies are looking for bailouts and there’s a black president. From the beginning, Common supported the fellow Illinois-native Barack Obama and he couldn’t be happier with the outcome. He comments about November 4th 2008. “I was at Grant Park on the 4th. I was in the car listening to his speech on my way to host my own election party. It was amazing to finally see a day like this can come.”

If the country proved that they can put aside racial tension enough to elect a black president, does that type of optimism trickle down into the music? Now, that we have a Commander-in-Chief that speaks about love, discipline and family, can a rapper have the same success with similar content? Family is a concept that is dear to Common. Since his second album his father, better known as Pops, has been featured giving his spoken word lessons to his son throughout the record. This time his father’s presence is absent, something that hasn’t occurred in some time.

“It’s weird that my Pops ain’t on this new album. He’s been on just about every one of them. He’s been such a supporting factor in everything I do. At first he thought I was going to be a ball player until he discovered my gift in music. Ever since then, he’s always been supportive of my art and my dream. His support is something I want to pass on as a parent.”

Somewhere between the 40-guzzling 18-year old we heard on ‘Can I Borrow A Dollar’ til now, an adult has emerged. From underground rapper to the main character in middle-aged black women’s wet dream, Common has balanced acting, music and parenthood with grace, cool and style. This proves that while he was entertaining us for all of these years, he represented the best in our young culture. He proved that in fact, hip-hop is all grown up.

Check out the photo stream here on Flickr—a pretty interesting look at the Obamas watching the results come in on election night. (For some reason I have that horrible People Magazine thing in my head, “They watch election coverage just like us!” Shameful.)

I was watching the Lakers edge out the Mavs last night with my neighbor, and he was like, “One of my people is President.” (My neighbor is black, in case you couldn’t sort that out from the context.) Then we had a good laugh when I was like, “He’s half one of my people, too.” (I’m white.) Needless to say we’re both really happy with the election results.

We’re both pretty happy with the Lakers 6-0 start with an average margin of victory near 20 points, too.

Now that’s some funny shit!

Paris is a successful independent hip-hop artist and founder of Guerrilla Funk Recordings. Visit www.guerrillafunk.com. Peep his latest album, Acid Reflex. His opinions are his, not that we disagree.

Here we are, another election year cycle, on the brink of witnessing history. Or so many of us think. The real question in our communities is not whether or not Barack Obama is ‘black enuff’—the real question is whether or not America will be capable of overcoming its own racism when the curtain is pulled in the booth.

I’ll be the first to admit it. I am skeptical when it comes to wholeheartedly embracing Barack Obama. Sure, he’s likable enough, a handsome, articulate brother who says what many of us want to hear (more often than not). And yes, he has achieved much, has single-handedly made many, many people interested in electoral politics who otherwise wouldn’t be. And yes, it’s worth noting that he has a beautiful black family and genuinely seems to cherish his wife. But what I can’t get past is the fact that so many traditional politicians, Washington insiders and general status-quo folks are co-signing for this cat. How could he really be an agent of the change we so desperately crave (but don’t necessarily deserve)? I don’t know.

This simple answer is, of course, he can’t. No amount of feel good rhetoric will change the everyday circumstance of oppressed people in this country. Some would argue that Obama really can’t say what we want him to say anyway, or else he won’t get elected. This is most certainly true. I’m still holding out hope though, and am mildly intrigued by the notion that maybe Mr. Obama is a Trojan horse for social justice, and that maybe, just maybe, his backtracking on troop withdrawal, willingness to reach out to the Right, and pandering to Israel are simply methods he needs to employ to get elected. We’ll see.

Remember that the black community has been giving a pass to white politicians since we were allowed to partake in the process. Bill Clinton was given almost unconditional love by us before he showed his ass on behalf of his wife, and for ages we have wondered when it would be Our Turn—or the turn of anyone of color in the Oval Office (sorry Bill, you’re not the first black Prez). It’s for this reason alone that I’m willing to cast aside my progressive hat and put on my black one. We need this. Barack is inspirational for many, if nothing else, and the black community is in desperate need of positive influences and role models.

George Bush’s administration has made what was once viewed as being impossible look almost certain— that a black man could be Commander in Chief. That’s how bad G-Dub has fucked up. No, the economy is not in its current state because of the Clintons, and no, the so-called ‘War on Terror’ was not a result of the Clinton years. As an economist I can tell you that many of the financial woes currently being experienced in America were either brought about or accelerated by the Bush administration’s out-of-control military spending. And while every administration has been guilty of at least some degree of wrongdoing, not one has even come close to the damage currently being inflicted by this regime. Even GOP suckers have realized that Bushco is not looking out for them. That’s what they get for parroting the party line. Now the GOP is damaged beyond repair…or at least it should be. Which brings us back to Barack.

What it’s really boiling down to is this: Will America allow its racism to trump the fact that the economy is in shambles, gas prices are to the moon, unemployment and inflation are rising, housing is in crisis, and illegal and immoral wars are frequently fought without a second thought? Will America actually vote for an old, same-as-usual, white, male, pro-war elitist who’s damaged goods, and who will further damage the off-kilter balance of the Supreme Court? Maybe, but it would be a shame. This is the ultimate racial litmus test for the good ‘ole US of A. Of course, Barack better not fail us, either.

Hello my name is…
Kelly Bird.

I was raised in…
I heard Geto Boys on the radio a lot when I was in high school.

The reason that you’re reading about me is…
Most likely because I know Canale, but being the Brand Manager for Lakai might have helped a little.

I work for…
Lakai Limited Footwear.

Right now I’m working on…
Ideas for this year’s Halloween costume.

But I’d rather be…
Shotgunning Monster Energy drink until I have a permanently irregular heartbeat.

My most prized possessions are…
Signed print from the first Danny Way mega-ramp shoot, my wedding ring and Fully Flared.

But I’d give it all away for…
The opportunity to witness Barak Obama take the Presidential Oath of Office in January.

The first thing I do in the morning is…
Awkwardly hunch over the toilet in an effort not to pee all over it, then hit the kitchen for some green tea.

The last thing I do at night is…
Usually Colbert.

My mom always said…
“Because I said so, that’s why.”

I love it when people…
Who make $28 grand a year and have no health care vote Republican because they can’t stand the idea of abortion. Pure brilliance.

I can’t stand when people…
Are full-fledged adults and can’t properly dress themselves when their friends get married.

The most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen is…
Hakeem Olajuwon completely dismantling Shaq in the 1995 NBA Finals after he’d just annihilated MVP David Robinson in the Western Conference Finals.

The ugliest thing I’ve ever seen is…
Sam Cassell.

I am what I drive, which is…
Magnetic Grey Toyota Prius, aka the new black Jetta. It’s pretty much every third car in LA, so would that mean I’m a waiter/Scientologist?

If you ever see me walking down the street…
This question obviously wasn’t written with Angelenos in mind. Uhh, if you ever see me walking down the street…uh, I don’t know. I guess say what’s up before I get into my car.

My most notable run-in with the law…
Arrested in Memphis at the 2007 MTV Sports and Music festival for destruction of property. If you’ve ever caught an episode of The First 48, you can understand why spending 36 hours in Shelby County jail could be sketchy for someone such as myself.

If I had to say sorry it would be because…
You slept outside a store on a sidewalk for something that cost $18 to manufacture.

I lose control when…
I hear George Bush talk.

The last time I swore I’d never drink was after a night of…
Getting barreled.

Future projects and plans…
November 4th, do or die.

And before I leave I’d like to give a shout out to…
David Cross.

Not really sure how long Obamamania is going to last, but at least he captures folks’ imagination. Hopefully the hype lasts long enough to get US a black president.

Check it out (or buy one) from Robust Flavor.

Black to the future.