Trump-loving rap songs dominate charts
By Tatiana Prophet
Rapper Loza Alexander has blown up the owner’s manual for how to hit the music charts — if there actually was one. In its upcoming Oct. 30 issue, Billboard magazine noted that his rap single “Let’s Go Brandon” debuted on its Emerging Artist chart at No. 1.
But wait, there’s more - Alexander’s grass-roots anthem calling attention to the cognitive dissonance between Americans and their political leaders debuted this week at No. 45 on the Billboard 100. What a coincidence since the Las Vegas-based rapper has previously written and performed songs about the 45th President of the United States — not just this one.
And it wasn’t only Billboard that was conquered by Trump-supporting independent rap artists. Last week “Let’s Go Brandon” knocked the new single by Adele off of No. 1 on iTunes. In fact, Alexander’s single and another with the same name have been above Adele for several days. Now it’s rapper Bryson Gray’s turn to be No. 1, with Alexander’s extended version sitting at No. 2. (The original version is now at No. 9. And that’s not all; don’t forget the remix by Godz Child holding at No. 7 as of this writing.)
Depending on who you ask, the explosion in popularity of these songs is either a populist groundswell or a “moronic” right-wing stunt. Both Alexander and Gray are unapologetically Trump supporters. Alexander wears a MAGA hat in his music video; while Gray discusses Christianity in his song and wears a T-shirt that says “conservative and Christian.” To the left, the rise of these tracks is probably quite worrisome, since the word “Christian” conjures up dark thoughts of moral repression and the takeover of our secular institutions by God-fearing folks. And now that Trump supporters have been all painted with the J6 tar from the same brush, this trend may send shivers down their spines as they shake their heads hoping Merrick Garland will save them from domestic terrorism.
How did the Brandon thing start? At NASCAR., naturally.
On Oct. 2, NBC Sports pit reporter Kelly Stavast, upon hearing rowdy fans chanting “F—- Joe Biden” stated that they were actually cheering “Let’s Go Brandon” for Brandon Brown, who was celebrating his first Xfinity Series victory and was being interviewed during the chanting. It didn’t take long for Twitter memes and YouTube videos to begin using “Let’s Go Brandon” as a euphemism for the original anti-Biden chant, which had started this fall at college football games.
By the time Brandon Brown won his first race, the original chant had reached not only NASCAR, but the world of professional football as well. In fact, it was Oct. 4 before the new meme had been publicized that a Twitter user posted fans changing “F—- Joe Biden!” at MetLife stadium as the New York Jets faced off against the Tennessee Vols.
These sort-of applause-meter videos have become common in our divided milieu, but a word of caution. Remember that chants can sound louder because they could be right near the person filming; but chants in another part of a stadium could literally be anything because we don’t have direct evidence on the recording, other than what is being picked up by the camera’s microphone.
It’s easy to dismiss the songs as one-offs, extreme right-wing idiocy, or simply too much repetition of the vocal sample of Kelly Stavast saying “Let’s go Brandon.” Except that these are not one-offs, and the lyrics get right into the disappointments of late. Alexander hits the pandemic, the Taliban and the gaslighting of Trump supporters by the establishment, all in one verse. His extended version is a litany of the bizarre events of the last couple years.
Singer Aaron Lewis (of Staind fame) asked earlier this year "Am I the Only One?" He was lamenting all of the baffling decisions coming out of the current White House. From looking at the iTunes charts in all categories, we now know that he is decidedly not alone.
Longtime entertainment writer Roger Friedman, who writes the Showbiz411 blog, predicted on Monday that the “moronic” song’s domination would be gone the next day. “Idiots are pushing this piece of crap up the iTunes chart, but no one in their right mind would spend money on it. It’s not a song, or a record, it’s just garbage.
Adele will be back at number 1 by tomorrow.”
It’s Friday and the dueling Brandons are still above Adele on iTunes in all categories.
Cognitive dissonance indeed.
