Another rapper, another musician controversy for Obama

President Obama will attend the "Christmas in Washington" concert Sunday "as is tradition," the White House said Friday, despite recently unearthed video showing one of the scheduled performers - "Gangnam Style" rapper Psy - engaging in anti-American protests eight years ago.

The South Korean entertainer issued an apology Friday for the "inflammatory and inappropriate language" he said he used in a rap as "part of a deeply emotional reaction to the war in Iraq and the killing of two Korean schoolgirls that was part of the overall antiwar sentiment shared by others around the world at that time." 

The controversy won't affect Mr. Obama's attendance as the president traditionally attends this charity event, which is in it's 31st year and benefits the Children's National Medical Center. 

The dust-up with Psy is not the first controversy Mr. Obama has faced with musicians.

Last year, conservatives, led by the likes of Sarah Palin, voiced strong objections to the White House's invitation to host the rapper Common as part of a poetry event. Citing a 2007 YouTube video of the performer saying, "tell the law, my Uzi weighs a ton" as well as "Burn a Bush cos' for peace he no push no button," the Drudge Report characterized Common's visit in the headline: "First Lady to host rapper who talks of killing cops, burning Bush."

• Psy apologizes for anti-American performances
• Conservatives upset over rapper Common's White House invite

And in 2009, Mr. Obama was the catalyst for a tiff that would last well into his first term. After Kanye West notoriously stole the microphone from Taylor Swift at the MTV Video Music Awards, the president weighed in that he thought the rapper was a "jackass" - an opinion he reiterated in an interview more than two years later. Last April,  Hollywood bloggers were licking their chops over the "feud" when West did not accompany girlfriend Kim Kardashian to the White House Correspondents Dinner in D.C.

Also earlier this year, conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh was up in arms over a show by Cee Lo Green at an Atlanta, Ga., fundraiser for Mr. Obama. Opening for the president, the singer performed his hit song, "F*** You," choosing not only to abstain from the censored version, "Forget You," but to also dramatize his lyrics with a few signs of the middle finger.

Mr. Obama is in good company, though, when it comes to presidents hosting provocative artists. Legend has it that Crosby, Stills, & Nash, and, later, Willie Nelson, did drugs in the White House following respective performances for then-President Jimmy Carter. And, former President Richard Nixon opened his doors to Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash.

The "Christmas in Washington" event featuring Psy will be taped Sunday and will air Dec. 21 on TNT.

[ardeinne]

In the case of artists -- look at the work, not the opinions.

Personally I don't think much of Psy as a performer; but that's because I'm not into rap music. I'll let others who know more about the genre decided whether he's worth including in the show.

But, in a musical genre I do know something about: take Richard Wagner, the opera composer, and an awful anti-Semite. Should we not include him in opera house schedules for his horrific racial views?

[ValhallaBlack]

Never thought of that, good point.

[dieselpop1]

The clown in chief wouldn't invite anyone to the White House unless he had antiAmerican leanings.

[chikkengrease]

Has anybody stopped to think that perhaps Psy is only performing because Sasha and Malia, like almost every other teenager out there is just following the latest craze, and the POTUS, not worried about re-election could give a crap about how it looks politically. Sounds reasonable to me, especially when one considers how these conservative wingnuts have politicized everything Obama does down to the way the man picks a booger out of his nose.

[montani42]

BBLADES21X, Show me in my statement where race was mentioned. YOU brought up race. Obama is as much white as he is black by the way, but afraid to mention it much or he would lose votes from the 90% liberal black community. The Bible states that homosexuality is an abomination to God. It never disparages any race of people though it does say the Jews are God's chosen people. I admire Thomas Sowell, Clarence Thomas, Condi Rice, Allen West, and many other black Americans because of their achievements, patriotism, and beliefs. I dislike Obama and his wife because of their lack of patriotism, their lavish spending on the taxpayer's dime, their socialist views, their dividing of this nation because of race, religion, or income, and their anti-American views.Again you were the one that mentioned race or hate. Liberals tend to do that, because they have nothing else to defend Obama with.

[chikkengrease]

a tell-tale sign of a closeted bigot, or one who is in denial, is the tendency to put a label on everybody who isn't like themselves; applying some "other-ness" to people who are different. That's you, buddy. Just based on your post, I can tell you are a conservative rural white person who can count the number of black people you associate with on one hand if at all. First off, only white people refer to Obama as half ANYTHING. To black people like me, he's black. That's it. The fact you think black people as a whole are so ignorant that we'd abandon Obama for claiming his white heritage when blacks have voted Democratic by a margin of 85% or greater since the Voting Rights Act, speaks volumes to your ignorance of the facts as well as black people. How a person can be anti-American and become POTUS? That's not possible. I couldn't stand GWB, but I never doubted that he loved this country. There is something fundamentally wrong with your brain if you think anyone would run for the office just to harm this country or that the President can destroy a country, in spite of the checks and balances of government. Stop being so paranoid. The "half black" POTUS isn't out to get whitie. Maybe it's your own projectionist guilt that's culminating in fear. It's funny, the way you conservatives see Obama is the same way many black people see the white people in government. Oh, by the way, you forgot to mention Michael Steele as another proud, black conservative patriot

[Techraan]

My dad spent a year in Korea with the 213th FAB. He told us the story of when he was at the battle of GapYeong, and on his way there they met Republic of Korea troops coming the other way. When asked, in broken English they replied, "Too many Chinese". They were going home leaving American, Australian, and Canadian troops to hold the valley that is today a part of beautiful South Korea.
I would have been more sympathetic of PSY had apologized BEFORE making millions of American dollars. He's not sorry. He just got caught.

[bobbychuckles]

Psy should be dropped on Pyongyang so that his starving brethren in the north can have a stash of pork chops for the winter.

[buddho]

Hahahahahahahahahaha!

[mollysmop7]

See, these are the kind of PEOPLE (anti-American) obama has around him... Maybey he is scopeing out potentual DATES for his Daughters?????Hope he does'nt have them sleep-over in the WHITE house..Oooh Yuck!!!!

[GangstaCode]

Sadly, as Picasso never enjoyed the riches attained by his art...

The understanding of a rapper's lyrics is likely to be misinterpreted due to the "root" of the individual's soul. You can't please everyone! COMMON is a political rapper at times. It seems that Common's "Burn a Bush" was a double entendre. Kinda like, "might as well smoke weed because this president won't do anything peaceable like sending troops to Sudan to stop women from being mutilated and children starved to death or force to fight in war by AGE 9."

The explicit nature of hip-hop makes and has effect the nation as a whole. It kicked everyone with that 50's/60's ,lynch 'em when you see 'em mentality, in their cerebral stomachs. That their "status" was lost as if GOD didn't already make us all equal. The audacity to claim to ever be superior over another human being. The fleeing of the urban neighborhood to the suburbs. To get away because of the differences that THEY or THOSE OTHERS have. I am a genius because reality shows have taught us everything about life. And that is the rich and the poor are equally and mentally within the same spectrum. Mostly ignorant. The rich just dress better.


#BellCurveapplies20%60%20%

[audemus]

$460 million to $1.19 billion in today's money.

Value of Picasso's estate at the time of his death in 1973.

[ctromley]

I've always been confused by people who believe pride is a sin, but also think it's their duty to be proud of their country. I certainly feel fortunate to live in America and to be able to shape it in my own small way, but I can't be proud of it because I can't claim significant responsibility for it.

Worse than pride is the belief that everything your country does is right. Worst of all is witnessing a tragic mistake committed by your country, and defending it only because you can't stand the harsh reality of having your country's reputation sullied.

The Iraq war was a tragic mistake. It began on false pretenses and killed 100,000 people. Note that I support everyone who fought in that war. It wasn't their fault. They were following orders and cleaning up the mess caused by the administration officials that lied their way into it. Also note that I am not being partisan about this. Vietnam was worse, also a war based on a lie, and killed 1,000,000 people. It was started by a Democratic president.

I'm not familiar with Psy's controversial performances, but I'm inclined to suggest he shouldn't have apologized. And that he deserves a place in this concert. It sounds like he said things that needed to be said. Maybe hard to hear, but necessary. Truth beats country every time.

We're not in high school anymore. Life is more complicated than being true to your school. Grow up, America. We need to own our mistakes and learn from them. Wrapping them up in the flag so we can be proud of them doesn't help us, it hurts us. It degrades us and degrades our standing in the world.

Don't be proud of your country, work to ensure your country is worthy of respect. It requires constant vigilance. It requires accepting truth, even when it's painful, and recognizing those who tell it.

[cptdeuce]

Obama will cheer loudly for any anti-American rant. I have never been less proud to be an American.

[vsmit]

Bblades, when you were ranting about GWB, did you offer to move?

[audemus]

...and we've never been more disappointed that you are.