In a new campaign ad for President Barack Obama, music mogul Jay-Z reminisces over the excitement of the 2008 inauguration.
“When the president got in office initially, what he represented to a nation of kids was hope,” says the dapper rapper in his best Sinatra suit. “The hope of people all across the country who would look and see themselves and know the possibilities.”
The video then cuts to Jigga’s September Made in America Philadelphia festival, where Obama delivered a surprise video address: “To me the idea of America is that no matter who you are, what you look like, or where you come from, you can make it if you try. Jay-Z did. He didn’t come from power or privilege. He got ahead because he worked hard, learned from his mistakes, and just plain refused to quit.
“That’s the promise of this country, and all of us have the obligation to keep that promise alive,” the President adds before urging the amassed youngsters to get out and vote.
Jaz-Z, who recently helped the president raise $4 million for his campaign, picks up with this thread: “For so long there was this voice that was silenced out there you know, as far as exercising your right to vote. I think it was silent because people had lost hope.
“They didn’t believe that their voice mattered or counter. We thought it was just politics, people going back and forth and at the end of the day it never trickled down to where we lived. Now people exercising their right and you’re starting to see the power of our vote. He made it mean something for the first time for a lot of people. Having someone in office who understands how powerful our voice can be is very important.”
The second presidential debate between the president and Republican challenger Mitt Romney takes place tonight at 9 p.m. EST.
