Source From http://www.blackamericaweb.com/
Given that today is Election Day, we at “The Tom Joyner Morning Show” are honored to welcome the 47th vice president of the United States, Joseph Robinette Biden, to the show. His appearance this morning marks his only one on a nationally syndicated radio show – and the only on an African-American radio show.
That got us to thinking … Biden has always struck us as an extra cool customer, and it’s become apparent that he has some things in common with our favorite rap stars. Though he’s no Baracka Flocka Flame (whose controversial video, “Head of State,” featuring an Obama impersonator, has gone viral) or Wacka Flocka Flame (the rapper “Head of State” parodied), for that matter, Biden seems hip-hop to us.
Now, keep in mind that any rap star worth his salt (and they are precious few these days) would tell you to hit the street and vote today, so make sure you do. In the meantime, enjoy our look at the hip-hop’est VP America’s ever elected.
1. He has swagger.
Joe Biden has that all-to-important hip-hop quality: Swagger. You saw it when he campaigned with President Barack Obama, and you’ve seen it since. You may not remember who Bush I or II’s vice presidents were, but it’s fair to say just about everyone knows Biden. As the senior senator from Delaware before he became VP, Biden was known for his lengthy and often brash speeches, as well as his long-term relationships with folks on both sides of the aisle. During this brutally divisive time in American politics, no one really has anything bad to say about the man, including the Glenn Becks, Rush Limbaughs and Bill O’Reillys of the world. Now, that’s swagger.
2. He’s knows how to play his position.
Every superstar rap artist has a sidekick/hype man who’s loyal to the star. For Jay-Z, it was Memphis Bleek. For Busta Rhymes, it was Spliff Starr. For Diddy, it was every act he signed to his label – with the notable exception of Notorious B.I.G. Sure, Joe Biden wanted to be president – and even ran more than once – but decided that being the man next to the man was the next best thing. After being assured that he would be in the room with Obama when every major decision was made, Biden has kept a low public profile while giving Obama the benefit of his 36 years of Senate experience. He’s the inside man; you can believe that.
3. He loved his mama.
Sadly, Joe Biden’s mother, Catherine “Jean” Biden died earlier this year, but not before she saw her son become the nation’s Vice-President. At the Democratic National Convention in 2008, he talked about how she encouraged him repeatedly, once telling him to “bloody the noses” of some bullies so he’d be free to walk down the street. In his 2007 autobiography, “Promises to Keep: On Life and Politics,” Biden also told the story about how his mother once told a nun who teased him about his stuttering that she would “rip the bonnet” off her head if she did it again. At her funeral, Biden talked about how fiercely protective she was of her family. Now, doesn’t that sound like how most rap stars describe their mothers?
4. He’s politically incorrect.
Perhaps Joe Biden’s best moment in the White House so far has come courtesy of the health care bill. Introducing a jubilant President Obama upon its passage earlier this year, Biden whispered in his ear, “This is a big (expletive) deal.” Unfortunately for Biden, the open mic picked it up, and his was the “F-bomb” heard round the world. Well, …..
….. like rapper Kanye West, who often has to remove his proverbial foot from his mouth, Biden just says what he thinks, and it’s usually the truth. It WAS a big “f-ing” deal. So there!
5. He’s so fresh and so clean.
Joe Biden was apparently born in a suit, since he’s rarely made a public appearance in his adult life without one. He wears them like a vice presidential version of James Bond, with flourish. Biden is always immaculately turned out, from the cufflinks to the perfectly groomed coif. Now, we don’t assume he’s got tattoos (although only Jill Biden knows this for sure), nor has he probably ever worn any sagging jeans, but think of Biden as a kind of Mr. Biggs of the political set. “Pressed, dressed like a million bucks” is what Slick Rick once rhymed, and that’s what we see in Joe Biden.
6. He has endured through tragedy.
At 29, Biden was a newly-elected young senator with a lovely wife, two sons and a daughter. Sadly, his wife and daughter were killed in a car accident while Christmas shopping, and his two sons were critically injured. He was sworn into the Senate from his son’s bedside and though he thought about resigning, was talked into staying by the then-Senate majority leader. Biden helped his sons make a full recovery, commuting from Delaware to Washington, D.C. daily to spend time with them. In 1988, Biden suffered two aneurysms so severe, he was given last rites. He was absent from the Senate for seven months, but has had no symptoms since. A childhood stutterer, Biden overcame it by practicing poetry in front of a mirror. His ability to overcome significant challenges and succeed in spite of them is something that most of the hip-hop nation can relate to.
7. He worked his way up from blue-collar roots.
Biden’s father suffered some reversal of fortune when he was a youngster, so he knows what it’s like to struggle. Even though his father worked his way up to providing a middle-class life for his family, Biden went to state school for his undergrad degree. He attended Syracuse for law school, though it’s been reported that he said “it was a big bore.” An athlete and a natural leader, Biden was not a son of great privilege but made his way through his personal charisma and ability to parlay his strengths into achievements. That is the hip-hop manifesto.
8. He has a hot wife.
Rap stars are known for having pretty wives and girlfriends – just look at Will Smith and Jay-Z. When Biden met Jill Jacobs on a blind date in 1975, he already recognized her from an ad he’d seen. The two fell in love and soon married. If you’ve seen Jill Biden, you know that her fashion sense rivals First Lady Michelle Obama’s. She’s been seen wearing fab boots, is prone to red outfits and looks far more attractive than most politicians’ wives. And she’s gorgeous, which we assumed Biden noticed.
9. He can relate to real people.
Biden once worked at an inner-city swimming pool in Delaware and tells the story of how he had to discipline a poolgoer who threatened him with a straight razor, the weapon in vogue at the time. Biden knew he couldn’t beat the guy, but a co-worker helped him find a length of chain to help even the stakes. But his legendary gift of gab saved the day, as Biden instead apologized for calling the guy by his real name – Ester.
10. He has a big ego.
York Times Magazine, that “Biden’s vanity and his regard for his own gifts seem considerable even by the rarefied standards of the U.S. Senate.” Like many rap icons (Jay-Z, Kanye West, LL Cool J, 50 Cent), Biden seems to love himself, and has no understanding of anyone who doesn’t feel the same. Like those stars, his self-regard is endearing. It’s a hip-hop concept: Love yourself, and everyone else will, too.
