New Rap Video Asks ‘What if the Tea Party Was Black?’

In a bit of wise timing, Pittsburgh rapper  Jasiri X has just released a rap video, based on a Tim Wise essay, that imagines “What if the Tea Party Was Black?” Amid a war of words between the NAACP and the Tea Party, and the racially-charged hype surrounding the New Black Panther Party, the host of This Week with Jasiri X may have found the perfect storm for viral video success. Who knows? Maybe this will inspire other flights of fancy, like “What if the President was White?” (h/t Oliver Willis)

Aside from the fact that Jasiri repeatedly rhymes “Souljah” with “soldiers,” this video makes an interesting point, overall. If the current frenzy over the two year-old New Black Panther case doesn’t convince you of the power of black anger to freak out white people, think back a few weeks. Remember when the media fretted that Barack Obama, who is known for his super-cool temper, might suddenly transform into Nat X in the public’s mind if he showed some ire toward BP?

If Jasiri’s song does take off, look for the inevitable mash-up with Krista Branch‘s Tea Party anthem, “I am America,” possibly entitled “What if Krista Branch was Black,” examining what the reaction to this apocalyptic lyric would be: “Pretend you’re kings, sit on your throne. Look down your nose at the peasants below. I’ve got some news, we’re taking names – we’re waiting now for the judgment day.”

This is an opinion piece. The views expressed in this article are those of just the author.

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