PRESIDENTIAL hopeful Barack Obama claims to run a clean campaign, but someone in his camp took a swipe at Hillary Clintonthrough the candidate’s theme song.
As Obama and his wife, Michelle, strolled triumphantly into his victory party in Des Moines, Iowa, on Jan. 3, Jay-Z‘s “99 Problems” was blaring. In it, Jay raps, “I got 99 problems, but a bitch ain’t one.”
Some listeners took it as a not-so-sly reference to Hillary.
“We didn’t know he used that,” a shocked Clinton spokesperson said.
Obama has no problem admitting he’s a rap fan.
“I tell you what, I can tell you the kinds of stuff I love dancing to . . . I’m sort of the generation of Stevie Wonder and Earth, Wind and Fire,” he told CNN on the campaign trail. “But I’m sort of hip to the younger stuff. You know, like Beyoncé‘s ‘Crazy in Love.’ That’s a good song to dance to. Eminem . . . although he curses sometimes.”
Clinton seems less committed to any musical style. She made a “Sopranos” spoof video last year to unveil her official campaign song, “You and I,” by Céline Dion. The lyrics go: “High above the mountains, far across the sea, I can hear your voice calling out to me.” The song later disappeared from her campaign, however.
But maybe Clinton could use a rap number of her own. Lil’ Kim‘s hit, “Can’t [bleep] With Queen Bee,” would have been perfect to celebrate her win in New Hampshire. It goes: “It’s a new day, and all you . . . back-stabbing . . . haters, you’re all history. So you can hate, or hail the Queen. I got a vision, I think for the future, baby.”
Instead, she entered her New Hampshire victory party to “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,” by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell. But now she’s using the Big Head Todd and the Monsters rock song “Blue Sky.” The lyrics go: “Yes, you can change the world, true love discovers. She stands, and she won’t back down. Oh, yes, you can change the world. There is no other one. Just see if you can find blue sky.”
“We use a variety of songs. Those are the most recent,” said Clinton’s spokesperson.