Did Ben Carson's New Radio Ad Just Save Hip-Hop?

Vote. Inspire. Revive. So begins Republican presidential hopeful, noted neurosurgical whiz and apparent backpack rap enthusiast Ben Carson’s new musical ad, which the candidate is syndicating for the next couple of weeks in selected cities in the South and Midwest. Carson really went in on this thirty-second clip, which will run on select radio stations to appeal to an African American voter base.

The clip features samples of Carson spitting knowledge in campaign speeches over a throwback boom-bap beat driven by a Herbie Mann-style flute riff. Man, it’s like being in Queensbridge at a cipher in 1993 except with Ben Carson flowing about improving America’s moral fabric.

It’s a ballsy statement about The State of Hip-Hop Today that Carson chose to run with a style of rap birthed in projects in Brooklyn and Queens for an ad campaign in the deep South. Ben Carson says: Down with Gucci Mane!

Carson got one of his dudes to kick bars between the speech clips: “Vote and support Ben Car-son/For our next president and be awe-some.” Nas would be proud that this unnamed Conscious MC seems to be spitting off the dome: “If we want to get America back on track/better vote Ben Carson, matter of fact.” “Freedom” might also suggest that this guy has never rapped before, which is kind of hard in itself. Keep it raw, Carson campaign.

Ben Carson’s new mixtape, The Baton of Freedom, is set to drop November 8th, 2016.