Kilpatrick charged.

Rebecca Cook/Reuters

In 2001, at 31, Kwame M. Kilpatrick, 6-foot-4 and a former college football player, beat an opponent twice his age for mayor of Detroit, a job he once said he had dreamed of since he was a child.

He was dubbed the hip-hop mayor, in part for his age, his flashy suits, and the diamond stud in his ear.

Though he swiftly drew controversy, Detroiters looked past talk of partying with exotic dancers, cronyism and a red Lincoln Navigator leased for his family with taxpayers' money. In 2005, voters re-elected Mr. Kilpatrick, who had been among the youngest mayors to run a major American city and whose draw, in part, was his sway over young voters.

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In January 2008, a political crisis arose over the publication of racy text messages from the Mayor to a close female advisor, suggesting they had carried on a romantic affair. The messages also contradicted testimony that Mr. Kilpatrick and his advisor gave under oath last year during a civil trial in which several former police officers accused Mr. Kilpatrick of forcing them out of jobs, in part because their investigations might have uncovered his romance. In addition, documents revealed that Mr. Kilpatrick settled the case (and a second, similar lawsuit) for $8.4 million.

Mr. Kilpatrick, who is married and has three sons, has apologized to his wife, Carlita, and to the city, but has vowed, repeatedly, to stay in office. He has defiantly accused the news media of creating his woes, and blamed racism for his troubles.

On March 18, 2008, the City Council voted to ask Mr. Kilpatrick to step down, echoing similar calls from the local media and many prominent citizens. On March 23, 2008 Mr. Kilpatrick was charged by the Wayne County prosecutor with misconduct in office, obstruction of justice, conspiracy to commit obstruction of justice and perjury, felonies that could end his political career and send him to prison for as long as 80 years.

--March 24, 2008

Russell Simmons on Barrack Obama

I’ve seen something very spiritual come out of the Obama campaign, a transformative component. People who were not inspired are now inspired. However, I am just as inspired to see a competent woman be elected into office, as I am to see a person of color. The dramatic difference between McCain and Barrack and Hillary is what scares me the most. John McCain and the Republican Party have operated from fear on foreign policy and have promoted policies that include tremendous amounts of corporate welfare and disregard for the poor.

I do believe Obama is slightly more progressive on major issues like the environment, education, prison reform, fighting poverty and foreign policy. Barrack has adopted an attitude that is above race. He’s played the role of an American leader and not a black leader. When the people take to the streets for change, the politicians who represent them are forced to make change. We, the people, have to govern ourselves, and it helps create more interest in the political process. It would be nice for the American people to show a unique and evolved state of mind, where race and gender play only a small and subtle role in the choices we make, and the best example is the choice for the leader of this country. Yet, it’s impossible to make a lot of the major change we need without the people’s support. -Russell Simmons

Obama’s Hip-Hop Admirers

Will he still love them after the primary?

by Azi Paybarah | March 5, 2008

This article was published in the March 5, 2008, edition of The New York Observer.

Getty Images

Left to right: Mos Def, Common, Jay Z, Jadakiss and Russell Simmons.

If Barack Obama is the Democratic nominee, it’s a pretty safe assumption that he’s going to have overwhelming support from the hip-hop community.

Vibe magazine crystallized his status as an icon in the rap community, remixing his first name into the hipper “B-Rock,” and shortly before the crucial primary and caucus in Ohio on March 4, Jay-Z recorded a robo-call saying that “it’s time for Barack Obama.” The Chicago-based rapper Common told CNN that there’s simply “a love for Obama” among fans and practitioners of the genre.

The question is, will Barack Obama return the embrace if and when he becomes the nominee?

Yes, the tidal wave of hip-hop support feeds into the notion that the Obama campaign really is a new and unprecedented movement. Previously unengaged surrogates rousing the young people surely must be a good thing. And it’s hard to resist the help of megastars who come attached to legions of fans and free media.

On the other hand, the Obama campaign would probably not be in terribly great danger, in a general election, of losing the hip-hop vote to John McCain. In fact, the temptation will doubtless be there at some point for them to appeal to socially-conservative-leaning white voters by visibly distancing the candidate from some of his less politically correct admirers.

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Obama "Yes we Can!"