Rhymefest’s raps become campaign fodder in aldermanic race
By Mark Konkol and Abdon M. Pallasch Staff Reporters February 28, 2011 6:32PM
Updated: August 4, 2011 4:20PM
In his songs, Grammy-winner Che “Rhymefest” Smith spits and stutters curse words, homophobic slurs and the N-word.
He sometimes busts rhymes about shooting guns and selling drugs.
In his song, “Chicago” — a tale of his hometown where he’s running for 20th Ward alderman — Rhymefest raps, “Ain’t sorry that I did it/ I’m sorry I got caught.”
Smith’s opponent in the April ballot showdown, incumbent Ald. Willie Cochran, says the rapper-candidate’s lyrics bring “scorn on society” — and Smith’s rap sheet convictions for misdemeanor weapons and domestic battery are the kind of things that keep other people from working at public schools and park districts.
“When you’re in a position where you influence people and you use it to bring a scorn on our society and you promote get your gun, promote calling people bitches, promote treating people like that ... what makes him think he should make decisions for the community?” Cochran said. “And that what he’s preaching on ... That’s what he says in his music — how to be contrary to the law, and now he wants to be a lawmaker.”
But on the campaign trail, Smith looks polished in a suit and tie wrapped in a thick Windsor knot. He speaks clearly about his vision for better neighborhoods and without venom for his ballot rival. And today, Smith expects to be endorsed by the three other aldermanic candidates who fell short on the February ballot, according to his campaign manager.
Ask him about his music and Smith says it’s unfair to judge him — or his candidacy — by his rap lyrics, which he says wouldn’t come under the microscope if he was a rock n’ roller or a country music singer.
“These people [complaining about my lyrics] never listen to my music. These people don’t want to talk about the song I won a Grammy for called, ‘Jesus Walks.’ We talk about God on the mainstream radio,” Smith said. “There’s a difference between NWA and Rhymefest.”
Smith liberally uses the crude language of hip-hop in his raps, but some consider him a “positive” and politically “conscientious” rapper whose lyrics hit on topical issues. Known as Kanye West’s protégé, Smith got his start writing rhymes while working as a bus driver, janitor and prison guard for a highway cleanup crew.
“Rhymefest is one of the most conscience-filled, moral, and inspiring artists in the history of hip-hop,” said music critic Jim DeRogatis, a Columbia College English professor. “He could have sold 4 million albums had he pandered to the violence and the sexism, and he never did. He settled for selling 500,000 because he isn’t about disrespecting women or shooting drugs or having a gun.”
As for that “dis song” floating on the internet that Smith used to repeatedly call a rival rapper homosexual slur, Smith says was part of the rap “battle” culture — not that he’s proud of it.
After all, he’s battled Eminem — and won — in a freestyle rap-off. Both rappers called each other all kinds of nasty things and “`that didn’t mean I don’t like white people ... or Eminem doesn’t like black people,” Smith said.
“In a rap beef you just throw words out to hurt a person’s feelings. Is that appropriate for the City Council, for the position that I have been elected in the community even if I don’t become alderman? No,” Smith said. “As a far as my music I have to change how I go about my responsibilities as a musician because more people are listening. You think as an artist, ‘Well, I’m an underground rapper .. I’m catering to my fan base.’ ... Now. I’m catering to that 5-year-old. I’m catering to that senior. ... I’m a servant now, and that comes before rapper.”
Don’t believe it, Cochran says.
“It’s an invalid rationalization. Someone will listen to him and believe it and take it for the truth. But people in the ward are more intelligent than to believe that,” Cochran said. “People have to resign from positions for using language [Smith uses in his songs]. I don’t buy it. It’s one of the biggest attempted frauds that there is or has ever been in Chicago politics.”
James Cappleman, an openly gay candidate in a runoff for a 46th Ward alderman, said Smith’s offensive lyrics wouldn’t stop him from working with rapper if they both win City Council seats.
“I’ve found that when I interact with people who are homophobic, they find I’m not much different, they reflect on their prejudices and change,” Cappleman said. “I can’t tell [Smith] what to do, but if I made a sexist remark ... that offends a lot of people I would apologize. I’ll leave that up to him.”
Smith said he’s seeking counsel from the gay community, and if elected plans to take up their issues in his South Side ward.
“Never has any black alderman addressed the LGTB community,” Smith said. “I would like to join them and find out what their needs are and serve them.”
As for the rap game, Smith says he’s not done with it. But he’ll be a different kind of rapper in the future.
“I am going to rap. I am a musician. But it has to be used as a tool to teach. And to teach I have to be held to a higher standard than I was before,” he said. “You have the music I did — the good, the bad, the ugly, the positive, the negative. Right, now moving forward, everything I write has to be used as a teaching tool.”
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