Within the liner notes of my 2003 album, Balance, I mentioned how through my work I wanted to help change the perception of the black man in America. Perhaps I was a bit ambitious in my intentions, but at the end of the day I know that I was able to make a small difference among my listeners, black and white, young and old. It was nice to be embraced as the "anti-thug", a black man with something positive to say. It wasn't the most popular thing in the "streets", but necessary nonetheless. The message of my song "Remind My Soul" actually resonated around the world, even if to a smaller audience than many would hope.

   In fact, on a grand scale, I barely made a blip in accomplishing my goal. Without a major record label backing my work, I did and still do struggle to get my message across to the masses. And although I make a lot of hardcore underground hip-hop, my message of unity in the black community as well as an overall social consciousness of all people has been my focus all along, since I first started rapping as a kid. My failure to get EVERYONE to hear what I was saying has been an obstacle for me to get over mentally for quite some time.

   Enter a 47 year old Illinois Senator, Barack Obama. It's already been well-documented, Obama's path towards captivating the nation, no, the WORLD, and giving people hope for change both here and abroad. Barack, through his tireless campaigning and focus on making people see potential for change, was elected as our nation's first black president.

   Obama's election represents so many different things to me. As a black man, and as an American, it's my proudest moment. Had my mother been born a few years sooner, she would not have had the right to vote when she turned 18. Barack Obama himself was already born when black folks finally won the right to vote. Hearing the joy in my mom's voice, when we finally spoke after the election, was amazing. She only wished my grandparents could have seen this. The genuine reactions of people here in Boston were all I needed to feel infinitely inspired and euphoric at once.

   On election night, I had a show at the Middle East in Cambridge, MA. This is the club where I honed my performance skills, and have been performing for my most die-hard fans for 12 years now. Coincidentally, Barack's victory was announced just before I was to go onstage. It was just so amazing to see everyone so happy. The feeling I had when I took the stage, man.. What a rush. I started the set by saying the Pledge of Allegiance for the first time since grade school. It felt good to mean it. "And to the republic, for which it stands, one nation...." I really believe like our country is finally moving towards that.

   My set was cut short after the second song, as the new President-elect took the podium to greet his country. The crowd watched in awe on the big screen at the venue, and I watched from the stage in stunned amazement and unprecedented bliss. Tears flowed down my face, and for maybe the first time in my life, I cried and didn't care who saw it. This was such a deep moment, and one that I would never forget, but it was overshadowed in my mind by what would happen next.

   After the show, at about 1am, I stepped out of the club to meet my ride home, and was greeted by the sound of beating drums, singing and dancing. This is when I lost it. It almost felt like I was in another world. Blacks, whites, Asians, Hispanics, men, women, and most likely gays and straights alike were outside singing, dancing, and rejoicing over the election results. Cars drove by honking horns and their drivers and passengers threw up peace signs to everyone within sight.

   This is what made me most emotional. I stood alone across the street from the melee, overcome by so many emotions at once that I didn't even know what to think anymore. Then, a young white woman came over to me to talk for a minute. She noticed I had tears in my eyes, and wiped my face. She told me that although she was overjoyed about Obama's victory, that seeing my reaction to all of this brought a part of the whole thing into perspective that she knew she could not and would not ever understand.

   Wow, I thought. Maybe white people have finally gotten over their fear, hatred, disdain, and confusion about Black Americans. Now, this young lady was a far cry from, say, Lindsey Boggs, who on her Facebook page so profoundly "time to go kill myself before the ****s do", but I do believe that the numbers speak to themselves. Black people did NOT put Barack in office. America did. I'm glad to say that we helped. People like Lindsey and the many poor, unfortunate, close-minded racists in our country are in for a very rude awakening. The rest of America has left you behind, and you will either have to hope on the multi-cultural progressive bandwagon, or stay in your house and stew in your own ignorant, bigoted juices. In the words of the President-elect "Those who plan to tear the world down, we will defeat you!"

   So, have we overcome racism and bigotry in America? Of course not. But we have taken huge strides towards it, and more change is to come. My mom saw something I said in a newspaper interview, and said she agreed totally. See, I don't have children, but when I do, they will be born into an America where their father can say "if you can dream it, you can be it", and mean it. That is the very definition of "that warm, fuzzy feeling".

   I'm looking forward to a more positive portrayal of the Black American, both as individuals and families, on television, in movies, and especially in the music industry. We can finally stop hiding our intellectuals and professionals because the rest of the world can't relate. Now, when I travel the world, people can see a man in the vein of Barack Obama, not the flavor of the month drug dealer turned rapper. Maybe BET will stop being afraid to show our people as anything other than sluts and pimps. It's now ok to be articulate. It's ok to want more for yourself. The glass ceiling has been broken, and there are no more limits. No more excuses, either. Pull your pants up, lift your chin up, and get your weight up!

   This election makes me look forward to the first female president, the first Hispanic president, the first Asian president, etc. America is supposed to be a melting pot, and we are all in this together, so it's time for everyone to have a say. I may not live to see al these first, but I DID live to see the seal broken, and it's the best feeling I have ever experienced.

   Now, maybe Martin, Malcolm, Harriet, Arthur, Bob, Nat, and all of the others who wanted this for us so badly can now finally rest in their graves for real. No, everything is not solved by this one thing, this one momentous event. But I think we can all agree to Barack Obama's election as the single greatest injection of hope that this country and its people has ever received. It's up to us now to take it to the house. The White House!

Much Respect to ALL Americans,

Akrobatik

Damn! What kind of clown posts pictures of his penis on a social networking site?? Take that crap back to adultfriendfinder!

I would say that posting pictures of your erection for all to see is the absolute most pathetic thing to get some **** that a man could possibly do.

Yall need to grow up, or get some game so people  don't have to be subject to your desperation.

PAUSE.

Yo!!!  I was right there. Weezy came thru (with his really cute lady Nivea) and turned around and left because his entourage had to go thru a metal detector. The crowd has been waitin over a half hour. Daaaaamn. Wayne quit?