Obama's back: Dems eye lessons on the 'politics of cool' and new 'voices for the disenfranchised'
Barack Obama's first time back in the White House since leaving office has many Democrats reflecting on how he tapped style and substance in his politics. Angie Martinez, who Obama hailed as "The Voice of New York," talks about how hip hop has impacted American culture and politics, including the artform taking center stage at the recent Super Bowl. "There are people that have been overlooked, disenfranchised and didn't have a voice for a really long time," she says on The Beat, "and I think hip hop gave a lot of people voice." The Grammy-nominated Martinez has established herself as an essential stop on rap and pop artists' roads to stardom, which is why she's sat with everyone from 2Pac and Biggie to Drake, Queen Latifah, A$AP Rocky, Cardi B, and Ice Cube. In this in-depth interview with MSNBC anchor and music obsessive Ari Melber, Martinez explores the bias against Black poetry in hip hop; the accomplishments and challenges for women in the industry; and shares the best advice she's received about life. (This is an excerpt from a longer interview.)