Rubio, rap and Republicans' well-deserved electoral backlash: Column

As Marco Rubio struggles to reestablish himself as a frontrunner after his cringe-worthy performance in Saturday night’s Republican debate and his dismal finish in New Hampshire, he clearly has his work cut out for him if he wants to remain a legitimate contender for the GOP presidential nomination.  If he can regain his momentum from the Iowa caucuses, however, he has the potential to make history as America’s first Latino president. He also has the opportunity to make history in an unexpected way: he could become the GOP’s first “hip hop” nominee.  

For years, Rubio has claimed that his identity has been shaped in part by hip hop, a culture that is largely associated with black and Latino communities. In 2013, for example, he boasted that he was the only member of the Hip Hop Caucus in the Senate, and since then he has routinely given enthusiastic, even if not completely accurate, mini-lectures on the history of 1990s “gangsta” rap.

In a variety of interviews, he has also singled out his favorite rappers, including Tupac Shakur, who Rubio claims got into a shootout with East Coast rival Notorious B.I.G. (that never happened), Eminem (“the only guy that speaks at any sort of depth,” claims Rubio), and evidently the Wu-Tang Clan (though the senator struggles when asked to name any of the group’s nine members).

Although Rubio’s knowledge of hip hop is about as sure-footed as his debating performances, his interest in the genre appears to be somewhat sincere. That is hardly the case for the other Republican candidates who have made questionable overtures to hip hop in order to court young voters, particularly young voters of color, who will be crucial in the 2016 election.

In November 2015, for example, Dr. Ben Carson’s campaign released a rap “Freedom,” which included tortured rhymes like “Vote and support Ben Carson / For our next president and be awesome.” Carson, who previously claimed that hip hop had “destroy(ed)” faith and traditional values in the black community, quickly distanced himself from the song when the public response was overwhelmingly derisive.

How to make our votes matter: Column

Carson's clumsy use of rap music is no isolated example. In July of 2015, Donald Trump gave an interview during which he played Mac Miller’s track “Donald Trump” — which includes lines like “Find a big butt bitch somewhere, get my nuts kissed” — and called it a “great song.” (Miller recently responded by telling his fans, “Just please don't elect this (expletive) man.”) And in March of 2015, Jeb Bush Tweeted a picture of himself with Ludacris, not knowing that minutes later the rapper would criticize the Bush family — something Jeb might have expected from an artist who had previously characterized his brother, George W. Bush, as “mentally handicapped.”

These candidates might have anticipated that their superficial use of hip hop would backfire, particularly in light of their platforms, some of which include a continued commitment to the failed War on Drugs and reducing spending on the social safety net for America’s most vulnerable citizens. These positions and others are antithetical to hip hop politics, leaving Republicans susceptible to a backlash among the very voters they are trying to attract.

Just ask President Obama, the so-called "hip hop president." After harnessing the energy of hip hop to motivate young voters in 2008, he has been accused, sometimes viciously, by many hip hop artists and activists of falling short in his responsibilities to marginalized communities.

College views: Students rise up on campuses nationwide

Rubio only looks foolish when he tries to out-trump Trump: Column

If Obama of all people is facing this kind of criticism today, Republicans should wake up to the reality that politically expedient references to popular culture are likely to do more harm than good. Likewise, Democratic candidates, who have traditionally been better poised to attract young voters of color, should begin to take meaningful steps to engage them beyond making awkward dancing appearances on the Ellen show, à la Hillary Clinton.

Bernie Sanders’ willingness to acknowledge the Black Lives Matter movement by making racial justice a central component of his campaign, as well as enlisting the support of well-known rapper and activist Killer Mike, are solid first steps ones that other candidates would be wise to consider if they want to capture the youth vote in November.

These voters, like hip hop generally, demand authenticity and have little tolerance for anyone who isn’t “keepin’ it real.”

Travis L. Gosa is assistant professor of Africana Studies at Cornell University. Erik Nielson is assistant professor of Liberal Arts at the University of Richmond. They are co-editors of The Hip Hop & Obama Reader, published by Oxford University Press in October.

In addition to its own editorials, USA TODAY publishes diverse opinions from outside writers, including our Board of Contributors. To read more columns like this, go to the Opinion front page.