Rhymefest Jumps the Pond for Some Earl Grey

By Timmy Watson on Oct 21, 2006 3:39PM

“From Birmingham to Manchester to Brooklyn to Chicago, we’re tired of being poverty pimped by the politicians and poverty pimped by the rappers….”

This is Rhymefest after meeting with David Cameron, the head of the Conservative Party in the United Kingdom. At a British Society of Magazine Editors event in June, Cameron stated that Radio 1, a British Radio station operated by the BBC, plays music which "encourages people to carry guns and knives." Rhymefest read the comments and wrote a letter to Cameron, telling the politician to put some tea on because he’s coming to London. He actually wrote, “My challenge to you, Mr. Cameron, is to sit down, have a cup of tea and talk to a real rapper.”

Well, Mr. Cameron didn’t back down. On Thursday the two met at the party’s House of Commons office. After tea, Rhymefest indicated it was an amicable meeting, ''[He} told me he wasn't saying to ban hip-hop, he was saying balance hip-hop, and I agree with him,'' said Rhymefest.

Hell, Cameron even said one of his favorite songs is “Stan” by Eminem. (Which involves a guy killing his pregnant girlfriend, no guns or knives were involved though, he just drove off a bridge with her tied up.)

Rhymefest, whom we have now gone from liking-to-loving, points out a general idea that seems to have been erased from politicians minds everywhere. “Politicians, if they don’t like what we are saying, then have policy that uproots the disease of poverty instead of policy that promotes poverty and makes the rich richer,” he said. Deal with the cause, not the after-effect.

Later in the night these strange bedfellows were to go clubbing together, unfortunately Cameron cancelled due to scheduling. We assume he listened to “Stan” one too many times and was so emotionally drained he couldn't drag himself out of bed.