Saturday, June 2, 2012

Songs to Fight the Plutocracy By: "Walker's Got 99 Problems"

Kenneth Quinnell at Crooks and Liars:

Ahead of the June 5 recall vote in Wisconsin, rapper Head-Roc, in conjunction with We Are Wisconsin, released a music video targeting Scott Walker to the tune of Jay-Z's hit song "99 Problems." The song is a brilliant attack on Walker and is also a good song, musically speaking, with a compelling video. I've touched on this before and will continue to do so, that it is this type of genre-crossing political outreach that will continue to expand who participates in politics and what they know about what conservatives are doing to the country. With the mass of talent on the progressive side, there is no reason that we can't make massive strides in educating the public and expanding the electorate through the use of creative content like this.

My transcript (e-mail me at quinnelk@gmail.com for corrections):

If you uneployed and broke, I feel bad for you son
I got 99 problems but the rich ain't one
I canceled the cops, so no block patrols
Need help from the police, the station's closed
When I need assistance, I just ask my billionaire bros
Charles and David Koch are the friends I chose
Don’t care if you got holes in yo zapatos
And either do my friends with their gang of dough
Too busy poppin bubbly up in they chateau
Talkin sh*t and some mo', eatin escargot
Funny voters believed my little dance & show
The people? I care more about my bordeaux
Rich donors manipulate the middle class
Deceive the people by giving me cash for ads
I don't know what you take me as
Like ?#@*&%! I ain't concerned with the lower class
We all think that working families are bums
I got 99 problems but the rich got funds

99 problems but the rich ain't one
If you unemployed and broke I feel bad for you son
I got 99 problems but the rich ain't one

Snatched the win in 2010, but governor, that's raw
In my rearview mirror, it's me with no flaws
I got two choices ya’ll
Work for Wisconsin or erode workers rights
Strip em’ down to the floor
I got a few Fed dollars
But I don't bake that cake
Cause I ain't trying to see railways built in this place
Said I'd protect jobs
Threw that to the side of the road
And heard "jobs that's what we fighting for"
With a labor rights record so terrible
Don't have to be a mind reader for you to know
How many jobs lost? You wanna guess some more?
About 35,604
People plead "Mr. Walker step out of the car"
You hopin [?], I know a lot of you are
But I ain't comin out of it
My kingship is legit
And while I'm here
I'ma push up on your earnings a bit
Cough up your health care and pensions
So we can pad our stats
We want bargaining rights
We got a recall for that
[?]
Y'all organize or something
Y'all feelin empowered or something
But y'all ain't in power now
But that's about to switch
Enough to free Wisconsin from your death grip
But we'll see how smart you are when the recall comes
I got 99 problems but the rich got funds

99 problems but the rich ain't one
And if you unemployed and broke I feel bad for you son
I got 99 problems but the rich ain't one

It is still possible to help out in Wisconsin by contacting We Are Wisconsin.


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