Many celebrities were out in Miami this past weekend for Art Basel including Harlem rapper Jim Jones. While strolling through the "Visions of our 44th President" exhibit with BET, Jones tapped into his political thoughts offering commentary on president-elect Donald Trump, the Democratic party, and the basis of the exhibit, President Barack Obama.
In speaking about public assistance, Jones was on the side of Republicans, saying people rely too heavily on public assistance that Democrats try to keep in place. Jones acknowledged that his family partook in assistance as well, but worked to get things on their own.
“I know it’s hard out here, but a lot of people choose to use Democrats as a way out for them being lazy,” Jim Jones said. “Cause they offer so much assistance as far as coming up. Even my family had to partake in welfare, but that didn’t stop my grandma from getting up and finally getting job and being able to support her family on her own without the help of public assistance. So yes, there are some unfortunate people out there that are stuck between a rock and a hard place. But for the most part, don’t use the Democrats as a way out.”
With Obama having a month left in the Oval Office and Trump on his way in, Jones tried to remain optimistic.
“Let’s just hope it continues to flourish and be great,” he said. “Everybody has their own opinion of what the country is and where the country is at. It depends on where you at in life with yourself, I guess.”
Jones also said the leaked tape that Trump referred to as "locker room talk," made him more relatable to a regular person. He went on to say that Hillary Clinton didn't "have swag" and therefore she was harder to relate to, all of which played a crucial role in the outcome of the election.
Despite his stance leaning towards the Republican party, Jones is still able to appreciate what Obama meant to the country as the first black president. He recalls hearing the news of Obama winning the election while rehearsing for his Hip Hop Monologues play, which was co-signed by the New York Times.
“We were in the midst of rehearsal downtown by the village area,” he shares. “It was a big celebration on the street, you’ve got white and black people hugging. It was one of the cooler moments of life that I’ve seen.”
Source: hiphopdx.com
