Obama Name-Checks Lil Wayne at Georgia Town Hall Meeting

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Given the contents of Barack Obama's iPod, it comes as no surprise that the Democratic presidential nominee has a pretty good knowledge of music. That knowledge was put on display last night at a town hall meeting in Powder Springs, Georgia, as Obama name-checked chart-topping rapper Lil Wayne in a speech discussing the importance of staying in school. Addressing the subject of dropping out of high school to pursue a hip-hop or basketball career, Obama said "You are probably not that good a rapper. Maybe you are the next Lil Wayne, but probably not, in which case you need to stay in school." The crowd responded with a standing ovation, as they could all agree that Tha Carter III is a classic. Obama also had a message for all the wanna-be Kobe Bryants out there, saying "I know you think you are, but you're not. You are over-rated in your own mind. You will not play in the NBA." There have been countless cases thus far of rappers name-checking Obama; this marks the first time Obama has returned the favor. Meanwhile, John McCain still thinks we should ban 2 Live Crew.

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Song Stories

“Everyday People”

Sly and the Family Stone | 1968

"Everyday People" managed to trailblaze in two different ways -- it was one of the first pop hits to deal with the subject of racial harmony, and it utilized Larry Graham's "slap" technique on the bass guitar, which would soon be copied by countless other bassists. Graham once said about his pulsating style, "I'd never done that before … that's where the freedom of creativity came in for the band, that we'd be allowed to do that." In 1978, the song's line "Different strokes for different folks" would be borrowed for the title of the hit television show Diff'rent Strokes.

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