TresSugar

New Will.i.am Video! Do You Like It Better Than "Yes We Can"?

CitizenSugar — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 10:00:17 -0800

Will.i.am's last pro-Obama video went viral in a matter of seconds - so we're pouncing on his newest offering: "We Are One."

Starring Jessica Alba, Zoe Kravitz, Kerry Washington, and Ryan Phillippe in a passionate stump for Obama, it may be the next big thing. What do you think? Is it as powerful as the last? Were you chanting along?

Thanks to kristinai3 for sending this our way!

Lighten Up: John.he.is

LibertySugar — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 16:00:23 -0800

In this potent spoof of the Will.i.am remix of Barack Obama's "Yes We Can" speech, John McCain comes off as a bit of a downer.

Do you think that his "straight talk" about the war could help or hurt him in the general election?

Source

Will.i.am and Stars Remix Barack Obama's Landmark Speech

LibertySugar — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 13:00:04 -0800

In this beautiful and stirring video, stars from Nick Cannon to Amber Valletta follow along with the Will.i.am remix of Barack Obama's remarkable Yes We Can speech that followed his New Hampshire defeat.

Barack's allusions to America's proudest moments convinced me that his campaign is genuinely about healing the nation and the world and not about a personal political quest. He reminds me that, deep down, Americans share a common and positive desire to see our country, and each other, prosper.

Now it's your turn to be a star and make your voice heard - click here to tell us who you think will win Super Tuesday's most heated races!

Thanks to k80did for sending this our way!

Exclusive! Will.i.am on the Possibility of First Black President

LibertySugar — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 12:15:00 -0700

It's no secret that Black Eyed Peas member Will.i.am and Barack Obama are fans of each other. Will.i.am, and his famous friends, covered an Obama speech in his powerful video "Yes We Can," and Barack added the song to his top 10 favorites of all time. Last night I ran into Will.i.am and got to hear what he thinks about the possibility of the first black president.

Will.i.am said that he doesn't feel the the urgency for Obama to be elected because of his race, but rather because Americans of any color need an advocate in the White House to help them realize better job opportunities, healthcare, and education. He explained:

It's important that we build communities, as American communities, to the standards that every single person has equal opportunities. It has nothing to do with race. And if we harp on that, shame on us.

I think Will.i.am's words could be applied to many divisions manifested in American society - let's build better American communities regardless of political ideology, religion, gender, class, or sexual orientation. Watch the video, and tell me what you think!

Changes: What's Next For Hip-Hop Now That Obama's Prez

CitizenSugar — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 14:30:20 -0800

Tupac Shakur's America wasn't ready to see a black president, but that didn't stop countless rap artists from fantasizing about a black American in the White House. Now that Obama has realized a much discussed goal of hip-hop, the question must be asked: How will Obama's presidency change hip-hop?

A recent piece in Slate lets flow some ideas on how the empowerment of one black man will change the genre. Something to keep in mind, it reads: Not only is Obama black, but he's also a well-informed fan of hip-hop.

In some ways, intelligent hip-hop's evolution could mirror that of the NAACP. The Slate piece ponders whether it will be hard for rappers to vent about racial injustices, now that a black man is arguably the most powerful man in the world. Facing the same dilemma since Obama's rise, the NAACP has tried to point out that one person's success does not change a community's reality.

While artists like Nas, Common, and will.i.am celebrated Obama's victory with new music, rap duo Dead Prez has weighed in on hip-hop's tough mission in a new song:

I don't want to discourage my folk, I believe in hope.
Either way it's still white power, it's the same system, it just changed form.

Here's hoping artists keep challenging society no matter the color of the person in charge.

Source

Will.i.am Debuts "It's A New Day" Video - Love It or Leave It?

Molly — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 10:30:34 -0800

Throughout the election, Will.i.am was a vocal and musical supporter of Barack Obama, so it makes sense that he would finish it off with one more video. As usual there are celebrity cameos - Fergie, Kerry Washington, Olivia Wilde and my personal favorite Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick - mixed up with Obama images and headlines from around the world. It's a pretty uplifting song, but I'm sure there are a few of you out there who are sick of his videos. So check it out below and let us know - Will.i.am's "It's A New Day" video, love it or leave it?

Barack's Big Speech: What Was It Like at Invesco Field?

CitizenSugar — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 03:00:55 -0700

What a night! While Liberty and I hashed out the finer points of Barack's speech over dinner, one thing was clear: the setting was pretty unbelievable (for reasons we'll get into soon.) Wading through the mile-long line to the Mile High Stadium, we scored front and center seats - so front and center, we were right under the Oprah, Kanye, Angela Basset, Gayle King, Forrest Whittaker suite.

Shawn Johnson leading the pledge and Jennifer Hudson singing the national anthem was just the beginning. From Sheryl Crow to Stevie Wonder, to Will.i.am and John Legend, the stage was a parade of stars before Barack even thought about taking the stage. I'm telling you, when Oprah showed up, the screams from the crowd? I thought someone had died, or worse. The weather was like bathwater, and was a perfect stage for the speeches - the real main event - that we'll get into very soon, because we sure didn't see eye-to-eye on this one. In the meantime, take a peek at who else took in the view tonight.

View 5 Photos ›

To see Will.i.am and John Legend's performance of "Yes We Can," read more.

Who Is Your Favorite Celebrity Campaigner?

CitizenSugar — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 14:30:23 -0800

The 2008 presidential campaign inspired a year of political expression and celebrities were no exception. Will.i.am remixed Barack Obama's landmark speech and spoke out at the DNC, Diddy said Sarah Palin "scares him" and Matt Damon called her VP nom a "bad Disney movie." Scarlett Johansson upped the Obama love by saying she was engaged to him. Meanwhile celebs like Heidi and Spencer, Ben Affleck, Brad Pitt, and Halle Berry showed support through quieter efforts and political t-shirts. On the small screen, Oprah kept her endorsement off air until after the election, but celebrated with a special tear-filled show and The View's Elisabeth Hasselbeck campaigned for McCain and Palin, calling the pricey wardrobe scandal "sexist."

Source

Please Stop the Music! Artists Tell GOP to Stop Using Songs

LibertySugar — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 06:00:56 -0700

Both John McCain and Barack Obama have inspired musical creations - Will.i.am created the song "Yes We Can" for Obama based on a speech Obama gave after his New Hampshire loss, and at the RNC John Rich sang his original song "Raising McCain" about McCain's 5 years as a POW.

But not all recording artists have jumped on the campaign-song train. A few musicians have played the copyright card in an attempt to get the Republicans to stop using their songs. So who's saying thanks, but no thanks to the Republicans?

Frankie Valli "Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You" Remember the "Obama Love" McCain ad, accusing the media of being gaga for Obama? Warner got YouTube to remove the video from McCain's channel.
Jackson Brown "Running on Empty" The singer sued the GOP and McCain, when his song was used by the Ohio Republican Party. He said it created a false perception that he endorsed McCain.
Heart "Barracuda" Record companies sent a cease-and-desist notice to the McCain-Sarah "Barracuda" Palin campaign.

While I can understand the frustration that must go along with having your song go with a politician you oppose, unless a musician wrote a song or performs a song specifically for a candidate, I'm sure the public knows it doesn't equate to an endorsement.

Source

Music to Your Ears? Candidates Share Their Favorite Songs

LibertySugar — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 14:30:00 -0700

Blender magazine asked John McCain and Barack Obama which 10 songs make their ultimate playlists. Obama embraces the newcomer theme - his favorite song of all time is "Ready or Not" by the Fugees. As for McCain, he may not be young and sweet, only 17, but his favorite song is "Dancing Queen" by ABBA. And Obama and McCain can agree on one thing: Frank Sinatra. Songs by Sinatra make both lists. Other than that the candidates have distinct listening preferences.

To see both candidates' top-10 lists, read more.

John McCain

"Dancing Queen" by ABBA
"Blue Bayou" by Roy Orbison
"Take A Chance On Me" by ABBA
"If We Make It Through December" by Merle Haggard
"As Time Goes By" by Dooley Wilson
"Good Vibrations" by The Beach Boys
"What a Wonderful World" by Louis Armstrong
"I've Got You Under My Skin" by Frank Sinatra
"Sweet Caroline" by Neil Diamond
"Smoke Gets in Your Eyes" by The Platters

Barack Obama

"Ready or Not" by the Fugees
"What's Going On" by Marvin Gaye
"I'm on Fire" by Bruce Springsteen
"Gimme Shelter" by the Rolling Stones
"Sinnerman" by Nina Simone
"Touch the Sky" by Kanye West
"You'd Be So Easy to Love" by Frank Sinatra
"Think" by Aretha Franklin
"City of Blinding Lights" by U2
"Yes We Can" by will.i.am

Whose playlist would you swipe for your own iPod? Is Sinatra the key to party unity?

Source