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Michael J. Leonas

Music & Politics

Dr. Winkler

15 December 2008

“Georgia…Bush”: The Effects of Government Response on Race and Class

On August 23, 2005 eight-teen year-old Gerard Broussard, an African-American resident

of New Orleans, experienced a once in a life-time event that changed his life completely. He was

a victim of the natural disaster, Hurricane Katrina. He shared his story with numerous people and

to PBS NewsHour Extra. He explained: “People didn't want to leave because that's their hood.

That's where they're from. I could've left but I didn't want to leave my grandpa. I knew he wasn't

going anywhere. Since my grandpa wasn't running, I wasn't running…everybody's got their

opinion on how the relief went. ... I'm not trippin' about it. But we didn't get troops 'til three, four

days later” (PBS 1).Broussard and thousands of other residents of the New Orleans area lost their

homes, automobiles, and most other things vital to living. There was no clean water, resources,

nor food for the first few days for those who were not immediately rescued by military forces or

the Red Cross. A majority of these people that were left behind were minorities and made up the

low-income class in New Orleans. After viewing the Government response on this natural

disaster, many pointed the finger towards US President, George W. Bush. Being one of

America’s biggest targets for the country’s downfall in economics and foreign policy, Bush

received the heat of being accused of racism and classism for his responses towards Hurricane

Katrina. This accusation was presented not only in the New Orleans area, but nationwide and

through various medians as well.

Many rap and hip-hop artists used the music industry to express their views and opinions

towards the American President. Whether it was to encourage the youth vote, or to promote

change in the Government, many artists expressed their views in many forms. However, there

was one rapper that stepped out of his typical genre of Southern Rap and presented a piece that

doesn’t follow his usual repertoire. Lil’ Wayne (Dwayne Michael Carter, Jr.) addresses the

Hurricane Katrina tragedy in his rap “Georgia…Bush”. The song condemns Bush’s performance

as President and his executive response to the disaster. This is out of the ordinary for Wayne,

since the rest of the songs in the Dedication 2 are stereotypical rap songs in hip-hop. Even

though Wayne’s “Georgia…Bush” may be the only song on the album with political content, his

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message is overt to the listener and portrays the idea that Bush failed as US President and does

not have any apathy for minorities.

Government Response

When a natural disaster hits America soil, the response and planning is typically a local

government responsibility, rather than a national dependability. However, according to the

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), “when a local government exhausts its

resources, it then requests specific additional resources from the country level” (Townsend 16).

Since Hurricane Katrina destroyed the New Orleans’ levee system, the city was flooded-

destroying highway systems, power lines, and all other sources of communication vital to living.

Since the natural disaster was this strong and devastating, the problem held in the hands of the

national government. Governor Kathleen Blanco of Louisiana asked Bush to “declare an

Emergency for the state of Louisiana”(Townsend 24). On August 27th, Bush declared the entire

southern coast a state of emergency, and began to rally military forces for preparation and rescue.

However, many believe this action was too late.

The National Guard organized “Aircrews from the Aviation Training Center, in Mobile,

Alabama, and staged rescue aircraft from Texas to Florida”(Knabb 2). Each state as well

organized its government emergency operations to create preparations for the natural disaster. In

New Orleans, the National Guard and the Red Cross worked together to create shelter for those

left behind. There are many reasons why people stayed behind, such as resources, income,

communication, and accessibility, but the Government created a “home base” for those that can

be treated. The Superdome, even though the ceiling was damaged due strong winds and rain, was

used to treat survivors for food and shelter. Here, the Red Cross organized temporarily living

arrangements until city was able to function. The Civic Center as well as the Louis Armstrong

New Orleans International airport was “used as the same purpose of the Superdome, but did not

have as strong resources the Dome offered”( Townsend 34).

To help those who were left behind, the United States Northern Command established

“approximately 58,000 personnel to be activated to deal with the storm’s aftermath” (Schneider

7). Also, the Department of Defense “activated volunteer members of the Civil Air Patrol”

(Schneider 3). Even though this may seem like sufficient resources, there were many inside

criticisms that reflected Bush’s decisions. There was a significant delayed response to the New

Orleans area. According to Brad Wilmouth of NBC, Governor Blanco supposedly did not act fast

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enough to ask Bush for government preparations or any other resources for the area. Since there

was a lack of communication, Bush did not set up as strong preparations for New Orleans

compared to other areas like Mobile, Alabama or the state of Texas (Wilmouth 3). This act of

miscommunication and lack of leadership was directed in other areas as well. By viewing the

devastating images of people dying, stranded on their roofs, looting, violence, and searching for

help, the controversy was sparked by all of these factors. The race and class cards were officially

being played since a majority of the Americans that were left behind made up the low class and

the African-American ethnicity. According to Doctor Mollyann Brodie and Doctor Drew Altman

of the American Public Health Association, approximately 60% of the victims were Black. This

is excluding the victims of the Hispanic, Cuban, and other minority decent. Also, according to

Brodie and Altman and their study on victims of Hurricane Katrina, most of the victims that

were stranded had chronic illnesses, no health insurance, and low income. They noted that the

survivors needed medical attention for those chronically ill; however there were no special

treatments available for them.

Another factor that sparked this controversy that included the class and race issue was the

appointment of Michael D. Brown for the Head of Principal Federal Official. This office was in

charge of the deployment and coordination of all federal responses to the disaster areas. Since

there was a lack of communication between this office and Bush, New Orleans did not receive

sufficient funds or support (Travis 2). Since Bush was receiving heat for being racist and classist,

he replaced Brown for his actions and eventually resigned from his position as director of FEMA.

However, Bush still recognized Brown for his actions he performed. This was sparked in the

news media since he acknowledged Brown by stating: “Brownie, you’re doing a heck of a job.”

(Travis 4). Politicians, journalists, and other media icons were appalled by Bush’s actions

executively and verbally.

Many Americans were upset since there could have been numerous preventable

alternatives to this natural disaster. Bush, Blanco, and Mayor Ray Nagin of New Orleans, all

received heat for their lack of leadership and miscommunication. Of course, playing the race

card on the other side, many Americans felt that it was only a “white American” political

problem. However, Mayor Ray Nagin, according to CNN.com, only won his mayor position in

New Orleans because he is “black”. This is shown that there is also a “black American” issue as

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well. It wasn’t only because of the “white” politicians failing, rather both races failing across all

levels of government.

The American people were in dying need for help, and there were not sufficient resources

to help them. The media exploded in all forms, including music, art, blogs, magazines, television,

and any other internet resource. From the poorest resident of New Orleans, to the wealthiest

celebrity, everyone was influenced by Bush’s actions. There were various media responses to

the Hurricane Katrina disaster. However there was a certain hip-hop artist that stepped out of his

southern rap style to speak up and stand up for the victims of the natural disaster. Lil’ Wayne and

other musicians and artists expressed their feelings and emotions through their personal forms.

The media in America exploded like no other event in the year of 2005.

Media Response

There were various media responses to Bush’s executive actions. Away from music,

many artists expressed their feelings through paintings, graphics, or other forms of art in the

media. Graphic Artist Michael Strassburger, expressed his views of Hurricane Katrina through

multiple graphics in advertisements. In response to Bush’s decisions, he created an ad for the

Hurricane Katrina Poster Project, an organization to express the views of the natural disaster.

The ad composes of a victim wearing a shirt that says: “I survived Hurricane Katrina and all I got

was this lousy t-shirt” (Strassburger 61). (SEE APPENDIX A). In television, Kanye West, hip-

hop icon and artist, responded to George Bush in his own unique way on NBC’s Hurricane

Katrina Relief Concert. During a segment of the concert, West and Mike Meyers, 20th century

actor, ask the American people for any type of monetary donation to help those in need. After

Meyers presenting his part of the script, Kanye speaks impromptu, neglecting the script:

“I hate the way they portray us in the media. You see a black family, it says, 'They're

looting.' You see a white family, it says, 'They're looking for food.' And, you know, it's

been five days [waiting for federal help] because most of the people are black. And even

for me to complain about it, I would be a hypocrite because I've tried to turn away from

the teacher-the TV because it's too hard to watch. I've even been shopping before even

giving a donation, so now I'm calling my business manager right now to see what is the

biggest amount I can give, and just to imagine if I was down there, and those are my

people down there. So anybody out there that wants to do anything that we can help —

with the way America is set up to help the poor, the black people, the less well-off, as

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slow as possible. I mean, the Red Cross is doing everything they can. We already realize

a lot of people that could help are at war right now, fighting another way — and they've

given them permission to go down and shoot us!”(De Moraes 8).

As Meyers continued the script, Kanye delivered the controversial phrase: “George Bush doesn’t

care about Black people.”(De Moraes 9). Representing the hip hop industry, Kanye overtly

expresses his views about George Bush and his actions. This was the kicker for artists being

overt about their opinions on Hurricane Katrina and Bush. From here, more and more blogs and

artists expressed their views towards Bush. Of course, the music industry has a plethora of pieces

demeaning Bush and his presidency. However, Lil Wayne sticks out the most when analyzing his

rap, “Georgia…Bush”.

“Georgia…Bush”

Lil’ Wayne himself is a resident of New Orleans and recorded his first single when he

was 16 years old. Being a member of the hip hop group Hot Boys, Wayne took what he learned

about the hip hop industry and left the group as a single rap career. Eventually, he became

president of the Cash Money label in 2005. To being a young member of a rap group, to being

known as “The Greatest Rapper Alive” (Weiner 1), Wayne’s career is growing exponentially

world wide.

Wayne released his mixed tape album, Dedication 2, in May of 2006, nine months after

the natural disaster. The album is one of the “few mixtapes in the hip hop genre to be both

financially successful and critically acclaimed.” (Hope 2). The album also consisted of illegal

usage of sampling and licensing, making it one of the most controversial albums of 2006.

(Powers 1). The album was sold through ITunes, selected FYE stores, and through mainstream

media. The front cover is a drawing of Wayne with his eyelids shut and the phrase “Fear of

God” is written across them. This is interpreted as Wayne is not afraid of anything else in the

world, besides God himself. This has seen Wayne as arrogant since this picture is on an illegal

album that stole samples from other hip-hop artists.

“Georgia…Bush” is a remix of Ray Charles’ “Georgia On my Mind” and it condemns

Bush for his failure to provide care for the poor, especially in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

Its overt message to the media is interesting because this is the only piece on the Dedication 2

that has political content. All of the other pieces fall into the “stereotype” of rap that focuses

around “drugs, money, sex, and violence” (Powers 2).

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The first analysis of the song is its name, “Georgia…Bush”. The title seems like a parody of

Ray’s “Georgia on My Mind”. The song itself has been known to be written about a girl named

Georgia. However, according to Hoagy Carmichael, composer of the song “Georgia on my

Mind,” stated in his autobiography, Sometimes I Wonder, that “ the song is universally believed

to be written about the state [Georgia]”.(The Hoagy 1). By analyzing the lyrics, it believes that

the state is prosperous and rich and “A song of you comes as sweet and clear as moonlight

through the pines.” The word “Georgia” also sounds like the name “George”. So, in reference of

Lil Wayne, it could be interpreted as “George on my Mind”. When observing the Charles’ title,

the word Georgia is also a female name. The song as well can be interpreted about a woman.

Here, Wayne could be emasculating Bush by changing the name George into Georgia. It could

be inferred that Bush is “womanish” because of his lack of action for the people in south, thus

not making him a “man” and stand up for the American people. The rap insults Bush by calling

him a racist and points out numerous acts by Bush that hurt the American people. The beginning

of the rap is an introduction stating that the song is “dedicated” to George Bush, a theme seen in

the album.

The first verse explains that Bush messed up as President by allowing American troops

die in Iraq, had victims of Katrina sit on their roofs without help, and pointing the finger at white

politicians. This first part sums up the whole entire rap ideally. However, he continues with

specific events and occurrences. The second verse explains that it is a “white America” political

problem by stating: “The white people smiling like everythin’ cool, but I know people who died

in that pool”. Here, Wayne believes it is a white American politician issue; however there is

evidence that contradicts Wayne’s belief.

The next verse shortly explains the life of a victim in New Orleans, by asking “Now what

is the survivor to do?” He gives examples of certain survivors on what they had to do in order to

survive. This leads into the looting and the violence in New Orleans that occurred. Again, he

brings in the race factor believing that the black survivors were seen as criminals instead of

humans searching for vital resources. A line that sticks out is, “They tell you what they want,

show you what they want you to see. But they don’t let you know what’s really going on”. The

line can be interpreted that the government brainwashed Americans to believe that the

Government is doing their best, but the violence and looting is all in the peoples’ hands. Wayne

believes that if one didn’t experience the natural disaster, then one will not know the actual

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significance of it (Hope 4). He goes on by saying in first person, representing a victim of the

disaster, that “I ain’t no thief, I’m just tryin’ to eat”. The next section asks the listener why

wasn’t there preparations for the disaster. Wayne refers back to history where Hurricane Betsy

in 1965 had the similar momentum of Katrina and did significant damage to the city. He asks the

listener, “Why wasn’t they able to control this?” Wayne has the lead on this question because of

history and scientific research on the powerful disaster. After asking the listener all of these

questions, he goes to the chorus, where the wording is clear, concise, and slows down in rhythm.

The chorus can be seen as a waving flag, to get the message clear to the audience. The short

chorus states:

“We from a town where (Georgia)

Everybody drowned, and

Everybody died, but baby I’m still prayin’ wich ya’

Everybody cryin’ but (Georgia)

Aint nobody tried, there’s no doubt on my mind it was (Georgia) Bush”

The chorus exemplifies the voice a survivor. The victim is from New Orleans and is spiritually

with the ones that died. He then states that “no doubt on my mind it was (Georgia) Bush.”

Wayne believes and states again that Bush is responsible for the chaos and the menace the

natural disaster created. The chorus is very lyrical, almost sung, instead of rapped. Here, the

listener is able to grasp what Wayne is saying. Repeating phrases and lyrics is a key point when

determining a song is successful or not at portraying a political message. Here, Wayne overtly

repeats that George Bush failed at being President and did not support his people. When

analyzing the rest of the song, there are no metaphors or symbolism presented in the rap, besides

the Ray Charles sample. The rest of the song continues to criticize Bush by saying he “ain’t

gonna drop no dollas, bit he do drop bombs”. The song ends by a repeat of the chorus multiple

times.

Lil’ Wayne’s message is organized into three different questions. The first one asks and

lies out: If there was ‘efficient’ Government response to this disaster, why were there thousands

of people still left behind? The Red Cross was criticized by the American people because days

after the storm surged, the organization was running low on supplies and resources and there

were still people in the area that needed treatment. (Hurricane 1).

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The second question addressed is: If scientific research predicted a natural disaster this

strong, why didn’t the Government strengthen the New Orleans’ levee system when there was

time? There was scientific research from the American Association for the Advancement of

Science (AAAS) that predicted a natural disaster as strong as Katrina in the early 21st century. If

politicians and engineers knew some type of phenomena is going to occur, why didn’t they fix

the levee system that was damaged by Hurricane Betsy in 1965? (Brodie 10)

The third question being laid out is: Why is President Bush “hurting” the American

people? Wayne gives several instances of how Bush neglects Americans, such as the War on

Terror, dying troops, and the obvious Hurricane Katrina issue.

“Georgia…Bush” is a bonus track at the end of the Dedication 2. Even though the album

was not aired on the radio, it was awarded the Best Summer Album of 2006 by Billboard.

Did Wayne Succeed?

There are many opinions on whether or not Lil Wayne succeeded on delivering a political

message. The first side is the idea that the song did not succeed. The first piece of evidence for

this claim is the fact that it was not aired on the radio. If the song was not spread through

mainstream media, the radio, how did it reach out to the American youth and to those who listen

to contemporary music radio stations? Since the song possessed violent and non-appropriate

language and slang, it was prohibited to air on the radio. Also, the album was only available via

ITunes and selected FYE media stores because of its illegal sampling of other artists’ pieces.

Every single rap on the Dedication 2 uses another beat or melody from other songs. The third

reason why it didn’t succeed is because of the large amount of lingo in the piece. The use of

slang was not really effective if listeners are not familiar with the lingo. Because of this

reasoning, certain people believe that Lil’ Wayne should not be recognized for his voice

speaking up towards President Bush. Christian Hoard of Rolling Stone magazine wrote an article,

“Best of Rock 2008: Best MC- Lil’ Wayne”, where he criticizes Wayne for speaking on behalf

of the Hurricane Katrina disaster victims. Hoard’s first line of the article states: “Lil Wayne has

two primary passions: making music and smoking weed” (Hoard 1). He continues to state that

Wayne isn’t verbally competent when rapping. Hoard believes Wayne has a “needling, grizzled

croak that’s one of the most distinctive sounds in pop music” (Hoard 1). The article can be seen

as “racist” or bias towards hip hop music, since Rolling Stone was originally aimed towards

music of rock and “white” artists. The last reason why Wayne did not succeed is because the

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album itself. It was only a mixtape that did not have any original work. Who would want to listen

to an album that does not have any original work by Wayne?

On the other side of the spectrum, Wayne could have succeeded in the music industry.

First, after analyzing the lyrics, the chorus was easier to follow compared to other raps where the

chorus is hard to neither distinguish or even present. Wayne slowed down his verbal statements

and created the chorus to be lyrical, where a listener can sing along. The chorus is also catchy, an

effective tool in portraying a political message. The media exploded in different aspects in the

world of communication. Television, radio, magazines, and internet blogs were invaded by fans

and supporters of Wayne and the Hurricane Katrina disaster. However, on a larger political scale,

Wayne was recognized by Black Activists, such as Reverend Jesse Jackson and Reverend

Eugene F. Rivers, the President of the National Ten Point Leadership Foundation.

According to PBS NewsHour Extra, both black activists recognized Lil’ Wayne for his

efforts and his significant voice in the hip hop industry. Jesse Jackson noted that Lil Wayne has a

stronger connection in contemporary music and the American youth. He believed that Wayne

voiced the victims in a way that reached out to many listeners. (PBS 3). Eugene Rivers, on the

other hand, believed that Wayne represented rap music and hip hop culture in a manner that

blacks and low economic status Americans can relate their feelings and opinions towards Bush.

(PBS 4). Being recognized by popular icons is significant when portraying a political message.

When observing whether a song is successful, Wayne completes the check list for being

victorious. Because of all of this attention, not only is he successful for exploiting his feelings,

his career is growing exponentially and is being recognized worldwide for his work in the hip

hop culture.

Conclusion

Even though Gerard Boussard survived the disaster, he was still left with nothing. The

disaster destroyed his home, with nothing to go to back in New Orleans. The government did not

give any resources to help Bossard get back on his feet. Boussard, according to Wayne, could

have been a victim of racism and classism by US President George W. Bush. Even though the

disaster was held in the responsibility of all hands in the different levels of Government, Bush is

the country’s President and represents all of the actions the country performs. Boussard believed

that Bush could have done a better job as President and should have been more concerned about

the individuals that had no resources to leave New Orleans. (PBS 1). Even though the National

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Guard and the Red Cross did their job, there were still Blacks, Mexicans, Cubans, and other low

income residents left behind in the disaster’s aftermath. Bush has been criticized for his lack of

leadership towards preparations for New Orleans. According to PBS NewsHour, President Bush

should have made an executive decision to create stronger preparations for New Orleans before

Katrina landed. However, some believed he should have made those executive decisions,

regardless of Governor Blanco’s late decision to ask for help. (Willmouth 2).

Overall, Wayne’s Dedication 2 was seen as a “mesmerizing indictment” (Hope 1)

because of its violent and aggressive voice towards President Bush. He represented the victims

of the Hurricane Katrina disaster in his song, “Georgia…Bush”. Due to the lack of Government

support to help those in need, Lil’ Wayne accuses President Bush of racism and classism. By

observing the possible alternatives and preventable actions, the executive decisions were seen as

careless apathy towards the victims. The race and class card were played in all levels of

government and in the media. The whole idea of “white America” and “black America” was

portrayed on both sides of the controversy. Wayne and Kanye West both believe that Bush is

racist for neglecting the minorities in the New Orleans area. On the other side, journalists such as

Christian Hoard believes that Lil’ Wayne is racist towards President Bush. He criticized Wayne

for his lack of ambition to create legitimate songs, instead of stereotypical raps. The whole idea

of racism is eating up the American country. Even though it is a touchy subject, Americans need

to learn that racism has been evident since the Biblical eras and will exist as time goes on.

The true question that now needs to be addressed is: Can Lil’ Wayne continue to write

more raps like “Georgia…Bush” with political content and avoid the stereotypical rap style?

Wayne could be a strong communicative tool in the music industry if he were to “change” his

Southern hip hop style. Wayne could live up to his own reputation as the “greatest rapper alive”

if he found political content in his music. His message was evidently overt to the listener and

grabbed attention from the American people in different spheres of the media. Regardless of

racism and classism, Wayne dedicated his work to those who weren’t necessarily heard during

the disaster. His voice is so strong to many listeners, that elected President Barack Obama

recently referenced Lil’ Wayne in a speech at Powder Springs, Georgia. Obama jokingly

recognized his rhyming schemes and styles in his rap work. So, what is the next step for Lil’

Wayne and his hip hop work? Is it possible that Wayne could potentially become the Bob Dylan

of the 21st century in the hip hop era? Let America decide on that one.

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Works Cited

Brodie, Mollyann. “Experiences of Hurricane Katrina Evacuees in Houston Shelters:

Implications for Future Planning.” American Journal of Public Health. May 2006.

9 October 2008 <http://www.ajph.org/cgi/reprint/96/8/1402>.

De Moraes, Lisa. “Kanye West’s Torrent of Criticism, Live on NBC.” The Washington Post. 3

September 2005. 20 November 2008. < http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-

dyn/content/article/2005/09/03/AR2005090300165.html>.

Hoard, Christain. “Best of Rock 2008: Best MC- Lil Wayne.” Rolling Stone. 1 May 2008: 59-60.

Hope, Clover. “Lil’ Wayne NabsKurupt, Lil’ Mo for New CD.” Billboard. 3 November 2005. 4

November 2008. < http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/article_

display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001433632>.

“Hurricane Season 2005: A Season in Review.” American Red Cross. 30 June 2006. 14

November 2008. < http://www.redcross.org/news/ds/hurricanes/2005/facts.html>.

Knabb, D. Richard. “Tropical Cyclone Report Hurricane Katrina.” National Hurricane Center. 20

December 2005. 28 October 2008. < http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/pdf/TCR-

AL122005_Katrina.pdf>

PBS NewsHour Extra. 12 September 2005. 5 November 2008. <http://www.pbs.org/newshour/

extra/fe atures/july -dec05/survivors_9-12.html>.

Powers, Ann. "The Music of War; Common Dissents; Pop protest, born of unifying

slogans, reinvents itself for a new era. But amid the subtle dance floor digs, brash mash-

ups and video clips, is the audience listening." Los Angeles Times

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2 Jul 2006 ProQuest. Syracuse University Bird Library. Syracuse, NY. 13 Oct.

2008 <http://www.proquest.com>.

Schneider, Saundra. “Administrative Breakdowns in the Governmental Response To Hurricane

Katrina.” Wiley InterScience. October 2005. 11 October 2008

<http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/fulltext>.

Strassburger, Michael. Modern Dog: 20 Years of Poster Art. Seattle: Chronicle Books 5 March

2008.

The Hoagy Carmichael Collection. 3 November 2008.<http://webapp1.dlib.indiana.edu/metsn

av/hoagy/navigate.do?pn=1&size=large&oid=http%3A%2F%2Ffedora.dlib.indiana.edu

%3A9090%2Ffedora%2Fget%2Fiudl%3A26519%2FMETADATA>.

Townsend, Francis. The Federal Response to Hurricane Katrina. February 2006.

Travis, John. “Hurricane Katrina: Scientists’ Fears Come True After as Hurricane Floods New

Orleans.” Science. 9 September 2005. 10 October 2008

<http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/309/5741/1656>.

Weiner, Jonah. “Best Rock Star Alive: Lil’ Wayne.” The Blender. 20 February 2008. 30 October

2008. < http://www.blender.com/BestRockStarAliveLilWayne/articles/14757.aspx>.

Wilmouth, Brad. “NBC’s Lisa Meyers Reports on Governor Blanco’s Katrina Mistakes.” 8

October 2005. 1 November 2008. < http://newsbusters.org/node/2072>.

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APPENDIXES

APPENDIX A