  The rapper Jadakiss has been receiving a great deal of attention for his new song "Why," which contains a urlLink controversial lyric that calls President Bush out on his administration's lack of attention to pre-9/11 terrorism. The line (seven words) mind you goes like this: Why did Bush knock down the towers? While I expected conservatives and the Republican Party to be up in arms, I was surprised that others have been playing an edited version: Not everyone loves it. Bill O'Reilly called Jadakiss a "smear merchant" this week, and some radio stations have edited out the line in the song, in which Jadakiss talks about perceived injustices, conspiracies and problems affecting the world. MTV says it is playing an edited version of the video, as it was sent by his label, Interscope. I downloaded the "explicit" version on iTunes, which does contain the lyric.
Listening to the urlLink whole song , I have to applaud Jadakiss for very intelligent lyrics that question a world beyond the unsular urban setting in which most rap lyrics are set. But, like any good rap artist, Jadakiss presents his case in a highly accessible way by keepin' it real. I remember years ago thinking that rap was the stupidest music out there. But, after trying to dispell my stereotypes and really taking in the lyrics, there is something more than just brutal sexism and homophobia. In really good rap, there is a potential to emote raw honesty that doesn't exist in other music styles. I am now a true believer that, if many rap artists can get past sexism and homophobia, rap has the potential to draw people in politically.
"I'm growing up, I'm getting a little older. I've got two kids. I'm almost 30 years old," says the Yonkers, New York native. He talks up Fahrenheit 9/11 as an important, must-see movie -- he's watched it twice -- and he's even registering to vote in the upcoming presidential election, a first for him. (He backs John Kerry. ) He wants the minimum wage raised and more jobs created. "As a rapper, as an artist, we've got power," he said. "If we can get people to vote from the ages 18 to 44, we can make a change. " That is all we can hope for. Thank you, Jadakiss, for being on our side! 
