Donald Trump’s right-wing rap challenge quickly went left.
There are some musical subgenres that should be taken around the woodshed and given the Ol’ Yeller treatment. Should MAGA Bars be granted that dubious honor? You be the judge that. Somehow, someway, Donald Trump has managed to infiltrate the world hip-hop — albeit in a bastardized capacity. If you’ve seen the hashtag trending on Twitter, you might know that President has ficially opened the floor for something called the #MAGACHALLENGE. The premise is a simple one: spit your best Trump-related bars (MAGA hat is a must) and submit for a chance to perform them live at the White House.
Using the originator (seen below) as a benchmark, Trump invited aspiring Republican emcees to step to the proverbial mic. Proverbial is said because judging from the sound quality some entries, a mic is far from the equation. What followed was an onslaught some truly fascinating contributions, many which failed to match the admitted musicality the original from Bryson Gray.
Look, it’s difficult to decry someone so boldly putting their art into the world. But some things are simply difficult to watch. The mere act sitting through it with a straight face becomes Herculean in nature. Forget about politics for a minute. This is about respect for hip-hop and its cultural roots. If somebody possesses a cursory knowledge said culture, they oughta leave it well enough alone. You already know some these MAGA-rappers were left in shambles the minute “Old Town Road” sauntered onto the country charts. In fairness, maybe not all them; one does not need to lean left to be a hip-hop fan. But damned if it doesn’t feel like a great big lack self-awareness is looming over some these ferings. Perhaps a wall should be built…around these bars.