Compare And Contrast Afrika Bambaataa And George Washington

Here's some crazy shit. Whilst pondering the idea of Hip-Hop's 'Mount Rushmore', it dawned on me that there can be some pretty wild comparisons made between plenty of U.S. presidents and rappers throughout history. So why not compare all of them?

George Washington / Afrika Bambaataa:

George Washington was, of course, our very first pres. Afrika Bambaataa is one of the most well-known 'Founding Fathers' of Hip-Hop. Planet Rock is one of the absolute best and most monumental hip-hop records of all time, and George Washington was a flat-out beast. Planet Rock also got the hip-hop engine rolling in 1982 and soon enough, it was a global force in music, culture, style and mindset. Similarly, Washington established precedents for the president's
Chuck D of Public Enemy fame is very similar in this respect. Although Chuck D made his mark by speaking out against the system and John Adams may very well have sold his soul to the devil, their current places in history are definitely what makes this comparison work.

3. Thomas Jefferson / Jay-Z

Thomas Jefferson's two terms as President had two very different stories. The first, great strides with the negotiation of the Louisiana Purchase, and the second, a great economic crisis following the Embargo Act in 1807. Similarly, Jay-Z was clearly the best rapper in the game from around 2001-2008, give or take a few years. Recently, Jay has been making moves on the business end, but musically, his craft has suffered. Despite all of this, both of these men are undoubtedly deserving of being one of the four faces on their respective Mount Rushmore.

4. James Madison / Grandmaster Flash

Another comparison of two Founding Fathers. Grandmaster Flash was one of Hip-Hop's first MCs and provided fans with classics such as 'The Message' and 'It's Nasty' in the early days of Hip-Hop's popularity. And, quite similarly, James Madison wrote the fucking Constitution. However, I don't believe many would put either on their own respective Mount
Shaq lasted a few years (intermittently) rapping, but most people remember that aspect of his career to this day. Harrison was a successful General before dying from being outside in the cold, and Shaq, of course, will best be remembered as a Genie. Go check out Can't Stop the Reign though.

10. John Tyler / Ja Rule

John Tyler was thrust into the oval office by Harrison's pathetic death, and he was trash as hell at the job. His own party turned their back on him halfway through his term and basically surrendered the election of 1844 to get rid of him. Ja Rule was hot for a while, but he got murked left and right by everyone's favorite rappers and was dead and forgotten in the rap world soon enough. And try finding a Ja Rule fan, I'll find a John Tyler biographer faster.

11. James K. Polk / Andre 3000

James K. Polk is low-key one of the better presidents we've had. He set a clear plan for annexing the territory between present day Mexico and the U.S. and he also settled the Oregon boundary dispute with Britain. Andre 3000 is still one of Hip-Hop's most underrated artists of all-time, and many of that is based on the fact that he's never released a full solo project. Similarly, Polk is underrated throughout history because he only served one term (he didn't want to serve two, and died less than a year after leaving office). But both are arguably in the top 10 of their own