The New York Mayor's Race

I'm good. I'm staying staying healthy, staying working, staying busy. Fantastic. I imagine you're staying busy. I mean, I'm just imagined. Und Yeah, we're voting on the We're voting on the city budget. By the time you will have will be hearing this episode, we will have improved our three hundred something million dollars city budget improved. So yeah, I feel pretty caught. Feel like I got the votes for what I want to do. It's not everything, but it is

still pretty transformative. We're like trying to raise the We are going to raise the minimum wage for city employees fifteen an hour, fund a non police crisis response agency UM and like increase our homeless services, like funding by like a lot of really dope stuff. Yeah, not everything I wanted, but pretty close. Yeah, I'm looking at you. You see you don't seem like as enthusiastic as I would imagine, you know, Yeah, I mean you always went bigger and better, like obviously I would, I would, I

mean the other would love to. Just I often speak as if like, well, if I was the czar of Athens, Georgia, this is what we would do. But I am not. I am subject to the laws of the state and the federal government. Um, and so there's some things we

can't do. Like you know, we can't raise the city wide minimum wage, but we can't raise it for our you know, our employees, which is gonna affect a couple hundred people, so like something that is pretty cool, but like but still there's so many people living in poverty, you know, like we can do that a little bit that's within our control, whether it's like still so many

issues left and resolved. So I if I don't sound more stoked about it, that's why, you know, just for your personal health, you know, just like you know, you know that there's a larger battle but enjoy the joy the win. You know what I'm saying, like, like take some time because like there's a lot of hard work. I'm sure I went into that. Oh my god, Yes, it's been it's been a nightmare. But it's almost over. And then yeah, and then you were me and you

were going to catch up in Savannah. We got coming up. We got a big show coming up in Savannah at a El Roco. That's part of the Half a Half a half. So there's there's a there's a there's a half marathon and Athens called the ath Half and so they're having a music festival. Bar owner who's from Athens, who recently relocated to Savannah to open a bar down there. It's having a m civil predominantly Athens artists. Um. That is a play on the name of this half marathon

that's here. It's it's pretty silly, but the lineup is pretty great. We'll be playing at El Roco Lounge on Saturday, June UM, so you should come through. Should really fun if you are in the Georgia area or far other field. I've talked to folks from Hartford, Connecticut, Birmingham, Alabama, Athens, Ohio who are coming down for I think people are like thirsty for music after a year and a half, So people are coming in from all over to catch

this show. And I hope you will as well. If you're listening to this, I will be a very stoked to see you. Oh yeah, I'm definitely looking forward to it. But um, next week is also the Democratic primary for the New York City mayor's race. In New York being the birthplace of hip hop, we thought we'd take a look at some of the front running candidates, some of their controversies, their stances, and why why all of this matters for us for you know, the spectators farther afield

than Gotham City. UM. I don't really watch sports, but for me, New York politics is kind of my spectator sport. UM. I think just given its outsized um, just place in the public imagination. Like, you know, New York is so dominant in our media. So many media corporations centered themselves. They're like physically their offices, um, and so a lot of their narratives end up getting amplified in the national media as well. UM. It's just something that kind of happened.

It's like happenstance like, oh, you just get our awash in news about New York. But I think to a broader extent, it also feels like a sense of uh, like for telling, what is possible for someone you know, located in the South, um looking at a place like New York, Like what could we what what could we achieve? What could the gamut? What that can be run in terms of like uh, public policy? Um, what does like a really progressive place look like? Uh? Stuff like that.

And so that's to me why I kind of get into New York politics too. I can't really say that coming up that I was, you know, had all that big of an interest in New York City politics. It's been one of those kind of things that you know, usually it comes up in the peripherals, you know, where it's like it's going on, and I'm aware of it. Who rarely have ever been into the minutia of any

of that stuff. I mean there's the you know, stuff that got national coverage that I remember, like I remember when Giuliani one, I remember when Hillary Clinton was running for Senate, you know, like I remember when the Blasio one, I remember a sc winning. Just stuff that would get the attention of somebody who's otherwise not really following it

like that. Uh, this past one, just this seems to have been, you know it, you know, from my perspective, the one of the more nationally publicized New York races. I don't know if that's because of the involvement of you know, candidates like Andrew Yang or Miah Wiley who have like media exposure, but yeah, it's like, I'm this this one kind of seems way more in my face than New York races of the past, Although in the last month or so, I think it's kind of cooled

off a little bit. I don't know, I mean, at least it doesn't seem like it's not that big of a national story. Do you think it's Do they have to do with like the increased politicization of like just mainstream discourse, Like over the course of the pandemic, I

feel like people have just been paying attention to politics more. Yeah, I know you have always made attention to politics, but like I never like, you know, I've become increasingly involved in policy, even as an elected official, paying attention to policy in other places a lot more throughout the pandemic, both from the stance of being like help captive, but I don't have fucking ship elsewhere to go or do

you know? And also just like caring more because I've seen like, oh shit, PIC policy is failing us in a huge way. Maybe I should start learning about what other municipalities are doing about it or how are how they're failing so we can avoid the same pipas. Oh no, I mean I agree. I think that's it, like totally.

I think people have a general I have generally have like more of an interest in politics, and then you know that not not even to like state it like it's any sort of like conspiracy and nefarious thing, but I think like the media ecosystem recognizing that people have that increased interest, it's like you're looking for that. You're always looking for the next story to present, you know what I mean, the next narrative of the next thing.

So it's like in in the in the in the conversation of political theater, it's like this race is like an interesting show to watch, you know what I'm saying. And I think it's it's one of those it's one of those series that's up there, the New York The New York Race it's something that they can fill up, you know, time with on MSNBC or CNN or whatever. So thus it's kind of in my face more than usual.

It's like, God, damn, I I know, you know, well, I'm gonna get put on to some of the things that are going on in this episode, just like anybody who's listening who's not up to speed. But I do know more about this race than I have other New York races in the past. So for sure, for sure we're gonna get to all of that and more after the jump. So um in combent mayor of New York City built to Blasio. Um, it's not running again, not because I mean he can, We just can't because of

tourn limits. But this has opened the field wide prospective candidates to fill his soon vacant seat. Um. This race differs in most municipal elections in that from two thousand nineteen, voters decide offer to allow rank choice voting, which empowers them to rank up to five candidates. If a voter's first choice doesn't get traction because are her votes transferred to the second choice, and that process of redistribution continues until one candidate has more the votes so you don't

like that. I mean, you know, I mean, I'm sure somebody could like completely articulate to me why, like maybe mathematically or whatever that makes sense. But I just think when you're adding in like this, this extra layers of it instead of it just being simple, I just it's not even that I think, oh, something's gonna go wrong or whatever. It's just like I feel, if if something happens and somebody doesn't get enough votes, give people a

choice to vote again. That's what I would say, as as opposed to like having something already built in there too, you know, some mechanization to transfer a Yeah. I mean, my understanding is that from a fiscal perspective, it's cheaper than holding a whole another election boy for the Board of Election Optics, and then like you know, Canada's themselves, it's just like automatic runoff. And then also there's less

there's less lesser than two evilism. So it's like, let's say, let's say like in the let's say the presidential election, there was ranked choice voting and for some and somehow Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders were both up there. So as it stands, people might choose, Oh, well, I don't want to split the Democratic vote, so I have to vote for Biden to make sure that he beats Trump

or something like that. But if it were a ranked choice voiding voting situation, you could rank, you know, you could just go by your heart, like, oh, I'm gonna rank Bernie first. Let's say, and rank Joe Biden second, and then not rank Trump at all. And if Bernie loses, then your vote still goes to Biden. So it's like, oh, I I don't feel it threatened by like ohn, throw my vote away, or oh, like I have to vote for the Canada that's more likely to win. You gonna

vote your conscience a little bit like more directly. But I guess the is the is a logic behind ranks fighting. But I mean, do you think that it's more of a do you think it's more of a fiscal consideration

or do you think it's more of that? Um? I think UM people outside of a two party system favorite because it gives more opportunity for people to vote their conscious with regards to third party candidates, Libertarian, screen Party, PSL, whoever you wanna name, independence, UM, so you can you can rank them and then if you want to rank

Democrats will farther down. It's like, oh, I would prefer these over these other guys, like your preference in that regard, it's still counted to a degree rather than it not mattering at all. It's either you vote for this guy or that guy at the period done. Um, I think, yeah, I think, I think I'm with it. Yeah yeah, I mean I think that particularly with uh partisan elections, because this is the we're both talking about the Democratic Party primary today. But but with partisan a latins Um, you

don't you're not as bound by partisans partisanship. So it's like if you really don't talk with the Democrats, but like you funk with them more than the Republicans, you can like you can like register those degrees of like fun wood ability on your valid Like I really you know, I'm gonna vote like Green Party or Working Family Party

or like whatever. Um, but I really don't want these other motherfucker's, so like so I can put I can put Biden on there somewhere to like, you know, I would wouldn't mind him so much, whereas right now there's no shades of gray one or the other. Do yeah, do you want? Yeah? So oh you, Oh so your Jill sign voters, So what do you want? You gave us Trump like that all that ship is like one. So I mean I'm not as I'm not as like super well versed in like the deep policy considerations behind

the wire rings voting rocks. That is, to the extent to which I know that it's it's better than what we currently have, and so it's kind of cool they have it, do you know. I mean again, it's like, I don't you know, it's just it makes me. It made me shake my head upon hearing it, because it's like just initially anything that adds an extra step in a complication to it, I'm like, but it also takes a step back and vote again in a runoff. Yeah,

you know, that's true. That's true. As of late made, thirteen candidates had qualified for the Democratic Party of primary and two of the Republican Party primary. Though in the Democratic stronghold like New York, it's basically a given that the winner of the Democratic primary will become the next mayor. Similar thing that we had in the what was that

last episode that we had, same sort of situation. So the major Democratic candidates include former state senator and current Brooklyn Borough president, Eric Adams, former commissioner of the NYC Department of Sanitation, Katherine Garcia, former City Group executive, Raymond McGuire, former Social services nonprofit CEO, Diane Morales, Guardian Angels founder, Curtis Sila, n Y Comptroller Scott Stringer, former council to Bill de Blasio, Maya Wiley, who many people might recognize

from MSNBC, and former presidential candidate Andrew Yang, as well as previous guest on the show rapper Paper Boy Friends, Paper Paper, Paper, Much Love to Pay My Friends. So Yang came up the gate as the clear front runner in but has since slipped in the polls, with which rank choice voting is kind of fickle predictors anyway, making room for centrist candidates like Eric Adams and Captain Garcia to shine, particularly in the aftermath of Garcia's endorsement by

The New York Times. I'm honestly super stoked about this. I was very worried for a while that Andrew Yang was the front runner in this race. It seemed that way because it's just like, I mean, I like, I give him props for popularizing the idea of universal basic income UM but like it's literally like he read a one sheet on what that is one time and blew up because he popularized it, and he never read a single fucking thing about any other piece of policy ever again.

And it's just like I'm a very entitled tech bro, like I deserve power and just just just just god, just suck it sucks, man. I get the sense from Andrew Yang. I mean, my my feelings, you know, I'm not I've definitely I'm not Yang Gang or nothing. My feelings aren't as like strong in the negative about him. But I get the sense that he's doing what he feels he needs to do to rise in the ranks politically in the Democratic Party, you know what I mean.

I just get that sense from him, and I get that, you know it, should he come out and win this or whatever other office than he seeks, I have a feeling that whatever it is that his the way he governs will be different from what he's presenting. That's how I feel, whether that is him becoming like a bloomberg as sort of figure that's like, you know, a Republican but you know it has a DNX of its name, or something that maybe is more progressive than he's putting on.

I don't know, but I get that sense that we're

not seeing the real Yang. Yeah. I mean I guess without like a strong like policy track record as a political outsider, to an extent, it's hard to tell like how strong a backbone he has to like truly enact the policies that he like preaches, because to me, he seems like a wet noodle who will just be controlled by capital and like whatever the policy experts around him tell him to do, and he is surrounding himselves with like very procarceole pro like capital like fucker's so yeah.

So it's just like, well, yeah, like I don't know how like are you gonna do what you're gonna say you're gonna do, You're gonna do what everyone around he tells you to do, and like you're just surrounding yourself with like neoliberal shows. See, I get the opposite you know sounds from him. I I have a feeling that he's gonna do what he wants to do. It's just a matter of what is that that he wants to do, Like dott clear exactly, I really know what you're trying

to do here, bro. Yeah, and then you have. And then I mean, well before we move on, and then there's like the fact that his family left New York City during the pandemic, and like he's just very out of touch with the Olympic experience of a lot of New Yorkers. That's a very wealthy person and all the other just yeah, and he got dunked, and he got apparently got dunked on by paper like literally dunked on into basketball tournament by paper Boy prints recently, which I love. Um,

And you know, just where is where is entrying from? Again? I don't know where. Let's hold him, Let's let's do this. Andrew Yange, where are you from? Andrew Yane? Where are you from? Oh? He was born and he was born in Schenectady, New York. So he's from New York. Yeah, but I guess, um, I don't know why I could associate him with being like a New York Well, I think it's well, well, he gives off a very like Silicon Valley vibe, yeah, which I mean probably has ties

to them or we're you know, out there. But yeah, there's there's a certain like unmoored thing about being so that wealthy where it's like are you from anywhere when you can be anywhere that you want to be at any point. I definitely felt when I did hear that he was running. I do remember I feel like, can you just run for do you just run for whatever? Are you allowed to just do this? Yeah? Nah? He uh yeah. Apparently he's from New York, um or like New York State, So all right, I'll give him that,

give him that. But then, um, there's Eric Adams, who was a former cop of twenty two years and who has received the backing of the New York State Troopers Union as well. Um, just just general, I mean, it just seems like very status quo dude. I's previously claimed that the movement and to found the police is led by affluent white people, which I think it might be got the true to the very degrees depending on where

you are. I mean, like as someone that like ascribes that movement and like I follow like a lot of like black feminist leaders who have been doing that work for many, many years. But I also live in a predominantly white town where predominantly white people were calling for

that in our particular like geographical context. So there's you know, but he's recently He's recially come under fire for allegedly living in New Jersey, which then led to a very awkward photo shoot at his supposed New York home, in which he was shown sweating profusely surrounded by furniture that totally wasn't directing the place by frantic campaign staffers or anything, and also claim being in a recent forum that online education or in the pandemic has proven teachers are capable

of handling a four hundred to one students teacher ratio, dude, garnering human pushback from Congress folks like Jamal bobman Ac and deservedly, So, what the hell is even that four hundreds? Or like, literally do you even have you ever Like it's not even like do you have children? Like? Literally, have you ever met a child? Yeah? I mean have you ever been a school like I like, I don't know, like fucking blade Runner class in the future where there's

only one teacher for every four hundred child. I don't know when we were taught. When you were mentioning the fund the police thing, I'm sorry, it's just it really gets me upset that the Democrats play into the Republican hands of like making such a big deal about the defund the police thing. I mean, whether you agree with it or not, or that's your stance or not. There is no establishment democrat who's got a platform and to fund the police, like with which one who It's all

the people you'd expect, I mean like Corey Bush. Yeah, I mean that's like, yeah, it's the ones that you would explain. It's like if that's not you, that's not you. But like to complain about what activists are doing, like if you're not for it, then don't be for it, you know, but but don't try to stop other people from being what they're for. Erasing your own people when it's like okay, you can claim that, but then like they're like, oh we lost because of you know, fund

the police or whatever. Put it's led by affluent white people. Put. The only people talking about in a Democratic party are like Cory Bush exactly, Corey Corey Bush. She's right, like, no, this is you know, does not come remember sparks fly It's anyway, I'm sorry I have to go off on that.

It's been bugging me for the last few days and I I ever since talking to Matt a couple episodes back about neoliberalism, like Eric Adams perfectly encompasses that in these few facts that we have spoken on him, that like, oh we can have four one teachers student ratio, like to fund the schools, but like make sure you support the cops. It's like shrinking social services everywhere else except in the way that you can control people and incarcerate

them and make their lives. So it's like they expected ship it's that and then and then, and he is running as a Democrat like this is yeah, like yeah, well that's New York politics. I know that much. Now on the progressive side of things, the field has been pretty split. So you got Scott Stringer, Diane Morales, and Maya Wiley, who one by one have effectively blundered themselves out of the running, leading progressives to line up behind

Maya Wally. Though once ranked number one and number two by Working Families Party, Scott Stringer has tumbled in support among progressives after two women came four words with decades

old allegations inappropriate sexual advances. Dianarells, who was running slashing the police budget in half and guaranteeing housing for all, has seen the bottom collapse out of her campaign after allegedly firing dozens of staffers who attempted to unionize, leaving Wiley, who is a civil rights lawyer, formally w fps number

three choice, but now seemingly their first. Yeah. So I was really talked about Diane Morellis for a while, just because she seemed like very I don't know, maybe I fell for like the jargon of like social I'll be really honest, it loves like just like social justice, grassroots

movement stuff. She seemed to surround herself with like a lot of really badass women of color that had been organizing for a long time and you know, speaking to prioritized to center the concerns of working class New Yorkers, And so I was like, oh, this seemed pretty tight. Yeah, and like, I don't know, running for the mayor mayoralty of the biggest city in the country on like, yo, I'm gonna cut the police budget of New York City

by three billion dollars regt regarless, whether that's viable. I'm like, that's sucking bold. That's hard to come out and say, so like prosper you for that. But then yeah, the news came out about the attempted unionization and then she

fired a bunch of people. And then I read this letter that was actually published by a fifteen year old volunteer of hers that she was um like appointed like the field field captain for the Queen's Borough area, fifteen years old, working like forty hours a week for Diane Morales promised, yeah, like canvassing until like late at night in like dangerous areas by herself. Asked her to like become salary, Like, hey, well you hire me onto the campaign. I'm working my ass off for you after I get

out of high school in the afternoons. And Diane Morales was like, nah, like what she should do it for the movement. Do it for the movement, you know what. I was just like, damn, that's yeah, that's like I'll labor. And there's a lot to be said when it gets into like or like electoral organizing specifically an exploitation of young people, Like I've seen it half a lot of time.

I've had a lot of friends, I've worked in campaigns myself, and I know how grilling they are, and like, I think a loggery conversation needs to be had about like respecting the dignity, like if we are we're gonna be like work pro worker people, candidates, elected, officials, etcetera, like also extending those rights and uh, those dignities to people who get us elected. Just because we're working, because we're working in a movement to change society, doesn't mean like

you you bleed and cry blood over this campaign. You like you deserve to get paid, You deserved like protections, you deserve benefits just like anyone else. Um. And so I think this is a really sad example of that where it's like people believe in something so much, they believe in a candidate so much they're willing to do anything,

and then and then they get exploited. And I'm really we're honestly proud for her staff or stepping up and be like, you know what, No, we want to see her on this campaign the way that you claim you're gonna run to run the city. And just because we believe in your vision does not mean we're willing to like prostrate ourselves before you like slaves to make that happen. So then with like with all that, you know, who

who is your favorite candidates? Since you follows stuff, I mean, I guess people are lining up behind Maya Wiley again, I don't really have a dog, and it's fine just chewing popcorn, watching from the backs some the sidelines on Twitter and personally, I mean, like, I have seen a lot of former UM Morales staffers have like joined Wiley's campaign. UM. She's been endorsed by Lens with Warren by Jamanni Williams. Uh, the public Advocate for New York City, a very popular

elected official in the city. Um YO C has has also come out in support of Wiley. UM In terms of her platform, I mean the thing about a lot of these candidates and I just like, and I've seen I mean like and just working in politics and just a lot it's just so jargony and just like using whatever buzzwords are cool that like what the fund do?

You really mean most of the time, but like, you know, she wants to do a you know, a new deal for New York, universal community care, so like making sure they're creating good jobs for people and doing childcare and elder care, which is important. You know, she was thinking about community centered gun violence prevention plan, which I think that makes sense, universal health coverage, UM talking about UM

the transforming policing. I don't know what the funk. That means like I've heard cops like talking about what we're going to reimagine public saying no, you're fucking not, you know, like it's just it's at least it's been co opted. Yeah,

but there's certain elements of her platform. I was like, all right, I can get behind that, and I understand the political pressure into like not state outright, like certain things like if if by transforming policing, you mean like the less cops like you know you it's hard to say that. Um in her plan, she just talked about um having like a civilian oversight of the NYPD, I'm

developing alternatives to policing things like that. So mere, I think it does kind of bode well at least for my personal politics, where I'm like, all right, I guess that's cool. But again, I mean just what I'm just watching just I'm just you know, I'm just it's like it's like a soap opera to me. Yeah, okay. Last thing, the Strokes held an in person concerted Irving Plaza for

my Wali last Saturday. I mean that's pretty cool. So my actual personal favorite candidate, however, gotta be Paperboy previous guests in the podcast. You was a former andrean paper shout out. He gave us a little retweet you know when we talked to that, I posted about the show recently,

it's like good guy, good person. Um He's now they sorry, are now running against their hero Um Andrew Yang, on a platform of canceling rent, abolishing the police, and legalizing psychedelics, as well as establishing love centers throughout the city where New Yorkers can make friends, receive relationship mental health counseling, get childcare, and job training. And He's also opened recently I'm Sorry. They have also recently been famed for their

mutual aid and food distribution efforts. They joined protesters for getting their asses kicked by cops in Washington Square Park to reclaim their space and distribute hundreds of pounds of foods and protests of the police curfew, which was ultimately lifted. So these they are out there in the streets with the people giving out food, paper kicking Andrew Yang's assid

in basketball. So in Rolling Stone's profile on paper Boy, I feel like they have the nail on the head about what's special about them as a candidate, writing Prince is a shimmering, kaleidoscopic example of what could be if the fear of mockery didn't prevent us all from thinking a little bit bigger, which like that, yeah, I mean, like that's what's what paper really brings to the conversation, is like they are on apologetically who they are in terms of fashion, in terms of just like just being

a person of the people, and like, oh, it's oh, it's like hilarious because they're not like, oh, a City Group executive and like you know, the three suit But it's like, let's just like but they allow you to think a little bit bigger about like the possibilities, you know, And I really really appreciate that about them. Well, that's a good transition to get into the hip hop side of things, because we got Diddy, jay Z and NAS have all endorsed the former City Group executive Ray McGuire,

speaking of stuff suits. The video announcing his campaign was directed by Spike Lee, who also endorsed them, and the entertainers praise McGuire and the video that was posted on YouTube. People come all over the world and say, if I can make it here, I can make it anywhere. That's the idea We're trying to protect That's what Sean jay Z Carter said. Sean, the thing about that fucking line, though, is like, but what if you can't make it here,

what about those people? There are millions, probably millions of people in New York that are struggling and not making it. What about them? And then it doesn't isn't if you can make it here, you can make it anywhere. Kind of like saying like everybody can be rich. Isn't the same spirit of like it is? Yes, yeah, but it's like very rarely like yeah, like jay Z and and Diddy are like held up as icons because they did

make it. Because if anyone could make it and everyone did, no one would give a shit about who jay Z was, and it's just another person that made it. Yeah, if you can make it in Afghanistan, you can make it anywhere. If you yeah, if you can make it in Syria, you can make it anywhere. Let's let's get really really real with the ship. Yeah yeah, yeah was yeah. So Sean P. Diddy Combs said that over the last thirty years, mcguires was always talking about the people. What does that

even mean? I mean Trump was always talking about the people, about how they're from ship whole countries and how he wants to grab them by the pussy. I don't really

know what you're trying to say. That that's okay. McGuire's platform claims to push transformation again of the city's approach to public safety and implement a form of policing that's is that is respectful, accountable, and proportionate, and a comprehensive citywide plan to create affordable housing and collaboration with each community that creates jobs, respects neighborhoods and process and protects residents from gentrification. So buzzworthy type ship right right? No gentrification? Oh,

accountable policing, transform public safety? Like okay, what is uh? Yeah, I mean you know it's not I'm not necessarily expect them. Did he and jay Z to like endorsed paper paper Boy, But that would be sick. I mean he just would expect, you know, it would Yeah, of course they endorse I mean like they're black capitalists, so they endorsed, endorsed the capitalists and the biggest capitals in the race, the banker in the race. I mean, it makes sense class that

you're silligning that. Guess, you know, can't even be blamed. Let's be real. I can't even but that's fine, that's fine. But yeah, honestly, all these all these platforms, it's really hard to differentiate UM just because it's just technocratic jargon UM a lot of times, and you have to you have to go with UM, like what what their backgrounds say? Like what what have they been doing this whole time? And so you're a banker, so I don't trust you

know something. So here we are. We're two cats that live in Georgia, and you're an elected Georgia you know, official. So why is something like the New York City election? So why is it something that's that that people should

be interested in? Even if it's well, I mean even down to beyond the public policies touted by these candidates, even the structure of the elections is somewhat of a preview of what maybe to come for a state like ours that's you know, becoming more progressive but lagging behind significantly. So like, what what what are the implications of ran choice voting for the way our election shakes out? Does it progressive? Make it through because people are able to

vote their conscience? Does it still you know, favor ultimately the central status quo UM. Things like that UM and how and how the people have been respond to it, and having that expanded menu of options that comes with that. UM. I think in terms of messaging what people feel emboldened to say in a place that is more progressive. UM. You know, in deeply democratic places like this, it often means that there is a All it means is there's

a more deeply entrenched UM political machine. And so seeing how like those forces of like the grassroots versus like the moneyed special interests, etcetera, like play out against each other. UM, I think there's I think there's powerful lessons there for people in a place that is becoming more progressive. But maybe we can avoid some of the same pitfalls we see in a place that where there is that entrenched political machine, etcetera. UM. And Plus it's like sports, I

don't know, man, like it's so funny. So here's the example. So I went to a Hawks game recently in Atlanta, and before I understood I don't watch sports, So before I really understood what I was getting myself into, I kept telling people I was going to see the Knicks game because the Knicks are from New York and I had heard of the Knicks because they're from New York. Even though I lived close to Atlanta, I had never

really heard of the Hawks before. And I think that's a similar thing I was talking about, like the just the outside presence of the me and the public imaginations and the New York City holds where it's like, before I even know about a basketball team from my own backyard, I know about the Knicks, And so before I even know about like, oh, what's going on with the Democratic primary if for a secretary of state in Georgia, I heard that Andrew Yang is saying some dumb shit about

Palestine or something. So I mean to to to an extent, it's just like forced upon you. Um, outside of the lessons it holds, it's also just like it's just interesting theater. Let's be real. And that's a lot of like, you know, so a lot of what we talked about the show is just like political theater and what it means. Well, after the little break, we are going to talk about some New York rapidy rap songs. Are you excited for that? Yeah, let's do it, all right, We'll be right back, Okay.

So in the music discussion today. What we have is we have to when I think are con trasting rap songs that are on similar topics. So on one hand, we have the jay Z song Empire State of Mind, and on the other hand we have the NAS song New York State of Mind, massively contrasting visions or um impressions of New York City. So starting with Nas, we've got New York State of Mind. This song was recorded in on the album Illmatic and it was produced by

legendary DJ Premier. Let's check this out. The trick is bringing face to the name and tools without rutting stick. He was going. So, I mean, like, I think you have to also put these songs in their temporal contexts, like all time record high and violent crime um. Three years that followed were like the most homicide plagued like

years in the city, these last five decades UM. And I think I think he's speaking to that, you know, definitely you have to consider like at the time that Nas wrote this, he was like sixteen seventeen eighteen, you know, in that range and that age range. So I mean this is like straight up observation of like environmental observation,

you know what I mean. Like he was like in the you know, not necessarily doing what's being talked about in the song, but he was living in those projects at the time and seeing the cats that that we're doing that, you know. I mean he was seeing the police rating and ship like that. He was seeing task force breaking down people's doors and bass heads, you know. Like so having been a witnessed to that, it's kind of like a you know, street level depiction of New

York City, you know what I'm saying. It's like almost purposely wiping away the shine in the Polish and it's it's one of those sort of like expos is, like not this is how it really is. Yeah. And then also on top of that, I mean I gotta say there's like three three joints. I feel a Nazis catalog that are, you know, his his best work lyrically, and like, dude, the verses on New York State of Mine, Ye should go check that out. I mean, he was snapping whatever

day he wrote that ship, he was snapping in those verses. Yeah. And then I think it's interesting to note that like by the time that Atenants ended, the city was bringing like seven million more tourists a year the city's population started to grow for the first time in decades, and that then sets us up for the context in which jay Z wrote Empire State of Mind, which came out in two thousand nine. Let's check this out featuring Alicia Keyes Yankee I made the Yankee head my famous in

a Yankee a Lot. It's a guilty pleasure of mine. When it came out two nine, I was in college, like I think it was in like a Master Carter American Express commercials probably all boats probably yeah, but yeah, he's talking about like, oh, the movie scenes and sipping my ties. I mean there's there's there's brief nods to like in reality, it's of like, okay, on the corner selling rock. You know, there's uh, there's sirens are loud,

talking about um uh no curfew things like that. But ultimately, ultimately if it comes into like a sight seeing like tourists recap of like, right, this is clearly this is clearly like you're cruising through the city and you're like the double decker bus, yeah, looking around and all the things like oh, there's somebody selling crack out there. Wow, Maureen, I'm not even saying this with any sort of like

quality or moral judgment at all. I'm just staying this as like the facts as I see them of how the song makes me feel. And that's a good good point aesthetically in terms of like what the beat inspire, really sha Keys Hooks inspired, It's like optimism and you feel like you're standing in the middle of Times Square, which is the most touristy, like like fake representation of like the lived experience of New Yorkers that you could

imagine the lights and everything. You know, that's what let's try to make you feel, even if even if he's telling a more he is painting a more complex picture lyrically than that. It's like, for those who are old enough to remember, you know, two thousand nine, when the song came out, pretty much everything that happened with the song, because it was a huge song when it came out, everything that happened with this song, I feel like that was the intent of the song, you know what I mean.

It feels like they were like, let's make something that's gonna get played at the Yankee Games for the next thirty years, you know what I mean. Let's make something that's going to be in an American Express commercial. You know what I mean. Yeah, they're going to get that paper down exactly. It's very you know, and again not a judgment call, but it's a very commercial song, whereas, uh, New York State of Mind by NAS really does sound like some plucked poetry and put over a beat. You

know what I'm saying, doesn't it doesn't. It sounds very agenda less, whereas New York State or Empire State of Mind sounds very very agenda driven. And that agenda is you know that that paper But there's nothing wrong with that, but it definitely is like, uh, you know, come to New York. It's a great place to visit. Surts authority probably like kicked him like some box exactly. Well, that is it for today's episode. We are going to be back next week as we always are, but we are

going to end it like we always do. Hey, Joel my man, can you please drop it instrumental for us? Yeah? Yeah, yeah, some fuel of birds, some flash signs from the Yang Gang on the dope one spitting romes is my main thing. To call me knife and stick this dope up in your main vein. I wrapped, get a nose bleed like Strange things like number eleven one on one, and I did them open shows like this because I gotta wrap

when they let him. Mariah said, Yo, we can't do a politics rap show if we don't go and talk about the big Apple. Now we got a rocket lesson to go cover another motherfucking election. To my taxicare drippings, my dog walkers on the hawkers of the hot dogs on my other Knew Yorkers. You might never heard to me. My name is miss Parker. I've been watching the Options Office.

You gotta parts through, stop yourself, a banker, somebody rapping their yanket, a whole lot of moderates, a couple of left flankers, some volks to their other son like an ankor. But however you want to rank them as choice to make. But I'm waiting into the debating. Here's my only statement. Cancel n spread love shows, some love for paper. How goes New York, then so goes the Nation's here's a little conversation about your race for maya ha ha, dope

knife Franca and we are waiting on reparation. See you next week. Listen to Waiting on Reparations on the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts,