This is why Donald Trump is so popular in the rap world

After the assassination attempt on Donald Trump, 50 Cent's hit song "Many Men" has become a soundtrack to the aftermath – and reinforced the former president's status within hip-hop culture. Just like a rapper, Trump is very good at lying about himself, says Hasan Ramic, music journalist at Dagens Nyheter.

» Updated: October 06 2024

» Published: July 16 2024

This is why Donald Trump is so popular in the rap world
Photo: Yuki Iwamura/AP

After the assassination attempt on Donald Trump, 50 Cent's hit "Many Men" has become a soundtrack to the aftermath – and reinforced the former president's status within hip-hop culture.

Just like a rapper, Trump is very good at lying about himself, says Hasan Ramic, music journalist at Dagens Nyheter.

The assassination attempt on Trump in Pennsylvania has generated a flood of references to black hip-hop stereotypes: "Three different mothers to their children, toilets in gold, multiple mugshots, 34 criminal convictions for paying a porn star – and he got shot".

Praised by 50 Cent

Memes paired Trump with 50 Cent's "Many Men (wish death") – a paranoid song about living under death threats. Rap mogul 50 Cent himself played it at a concert in Boston shortly after the assassination attempt – with the former president's head pasted over the album cover of "Get Rich or Die Tryin".

After 50 Cent survived his own assassination attempt in 2000, one of the best PR tricks for a rapper was to get shot and survive. The same thing happening to Donald Trump, and in front of the media, is extremely important in 2024, says Hasan Ramic.

Ramic emphasizes that a large part of hip-hop culture is built on a black liberation struggle, incompatible with Trump's far-right ideology. Yet, support for Trump has increased among black voters in 2024. A group that traditionally voted for Democrats.

Andreas Utterström is a PR consultant and USA expert. He believes that the successes may be due to Trump embracing the caricature of himself. In that way, the charges and even the assassination attempt become part of a narrative about a conspiracy from the establishment.

He portrays the elite as a big enemy, and if you belong to the working class, I think you experience the system as rigged in exactly the way Donald Trump says, says Andreas Utterström.

Feelings and Attitude Win Elections

He believes that Trump's "street smarts" and ability to turn a disadvantage into an advantage should not be underestimated.

Trump has understood that if you want to win a presidential election today, it's about feelings and attitude. Not about election manifestos and Excel files that detail how different proposals will be financed, says Utterström.

Both Utterström and Hasan Ramic agree that Trump is skilled at presenting himself as an underdog despite all his privileges. Trump – like rappers throughout history – has created a persona that fits the post-political zeitgeist.

Is Trump like Scarface, that he "speaks the truth, even when he lies"?

There's something to it. Even if he lies about everything, he shows that the American political system is theater, and all he needs to do is act, says Hasan Ramic.

October 11, 2018. Kanye West visits Trump at the White House despite criticism from some fans. West then talked about wearing the well-known MAGA hat: "It was something about putting it on, it made me feel like Superman, my favorite superhero."

Donald Trump invites rapper Lil Pump on stage during one of his campaign rallies, but mistakenly calls him "Lil Pimp".

January, 2021 : During his last days in office, Donald Trump pardons 143 people. Among others, New Orleans rapper Lil Wayne, who had previously met Trump and was about to be sentenced for weapons possession. Trump also pardons Florida rapper Kodak Black, who was serving a sentence for weapons offenses at the time.

: Donald Trump visits South Bronx and invites drill rappers Sheff G and Sleepy Hallow. Trump gives compliments for their decorated teeth (so-called "grills"). "Make America great again", say the rappers.

Tags

TTT
By TTThis article has been altered and translated by Sweden Herald

More news

Hov1 Expands Farewell Tour with
1 MIN READ

Hov1 Expands Farewell Tour with New Dates in Sweden and Finland

Olympic Champion Sarah Sjöström First
2 MIN READ

Olympic Champion Sarah Sjöström First Out on Masked Singer Sweden

Zelda Film Set for 2027
1 MIN READ

Zelda Film Set for 2027 Release with Live-Action Adventure

Trump's Cultural Moves Mirror Putin's
2 MIN READ

Trump's Cultural Moves Mirror Putin's Tactics, Expert Warns

Frida Edman Takes the Helm
1 MIN READ

Frida Edman Takes the Helm at Gothenburg City Theatre

Diary of a Wimpy Kid
1 MIN READ

Diary of a Wimpy Kid Series Surpasses 300 Million Copies Sold

Sanna Samuelsson Wins Swedish Radio's
1 MIN READ

Sanna Samuelsson Wins Swedish Radio's Short Story Prize

Iron Maiden's Bruce Dickinson Releases
1 MIN READ

Iron Maiden's Bruce Dickinson Releases Book with Blake's Grave Soil

Indian Film Debut Shines: All
3 MIN READ

Indian Film Debut Shines: All We Imagine as Light Hits Swedish Cinemas

Kaliffa Launches 31-Stop Summer Tour
1 MIN READ

Kaliffa Launches 31-Stop Summer Tour Across Sweden and Mariehamn

Norén Brothers Tour Continues Without
2 MIN READ

Norén Brothers Tour Continues Without Gustaf as Viktor Leads with Guest Artists

Kent's Legacy Lives On with
1 MIN READ

Kent's Legacy Lives On with Fresh Takes by Emerging Artists

Gorillaz Set to Release New
1 MIN READ

Gorillaz Set to Release New Album in 2025, Confirms Damon Albarn

Paul Lynch's Novel Explores Collapse
4 MIN READ

Paul Lynch's Novel Explores Collapse of Democracy and Human Resilience

Camilla Läckberg Opens Up Family
3 MIN READ

Camilla Läckberg Opens Up Family Life in New Reality Series

Swedish Artists Rally Against Rehearsal
2 MIN READ

Swedish Artists Rally Against Rehearsal Room Closures

Mia Skäringer Returns as Ann-Marie
3 MIN READ

Mia Skäringer Returns as Ann-Marie in New SVT Series Choosing Joy

Trump Targets Museums to Remove
1 MIN READ

Trump Targets Museums to Remove Divisive Narratives and Ideologies

Kent's Farewell Concerts Set New
3 MIN READ

Kent's Farewell Concerts Set New Attendance Record in Stockholm

Sweden's KAJ to Perform Sixth
2 MIN READ

Sweden's KAJ to Perform Sixth in Eurovision Semi-Final 1

Salman Rushdie Unveils New Short
2 MIN READ

Salman Rushdie Unveils New Short Story Collection This November

Benjamin Ingrosso Shines with Three
4 MIN READ

Benjamin Ingrosso Shines with Three Wins at Sweden's Grammis Awards

Sundance Film Festival to Relocate
1 MIN READ

Sundance Film Festival to Relocate from Park City to Boulder in 2027

Reindeer Fawn Leads Bafta Nominations
1 MIN READ

Reindeer Fawn Leads Bafta Nominations with Eight Nods

Afro-Swedish Archive Creator and Cultural
1 MIN READ

Afro-Swedish Archive Creator and Cultural Innovators Win Prestigious Award

Prosecutor Seeks Therapy and Conditional
2 MIN READ

Prosecutor Seeks Therapy and Conditional Sentence for Depardieu

Hellenius Confirms Masked Singer Unchanged
1 MIN READ

Hellenius Confirms Masked Singer Unchanged Despite Divorce Rumors

Academy of Fine Arts Warns
2 MIN READ

Academy of Fine Arts Warns Against Merging Swedish Art Institutions

Swedish Authors Compete for Nordic
1 MIN READ

Swedish Authors Compete for Nordic Council Children's Literature Prize

Culture Minister Liljestrand Reflects on
1 MIN READ

Culture Minister Liljestrand Reflects on Playful Gothenburg Speech

Algerian-French Author Boualem Sansal Sentenced
1 MIN READ

Algerian-French Author Boualem Sansal Sentenced to Five Years in Prison

Benjamin Ingrosso Leads Grammis Gala
3 MIN READ

Benjamin Ingrosso Leads Grammis Gala with Five Nominations

Abba Voyage Setlist Gets a
1 MIN READ

Abba Voyage Setlist Gets a Refresh for Third Anniversary Celebration

Three Couples Tie the Knot
3 MIN READ

Three Couples Tie the Knot in Swedish Love is Blind Finale

Ultras Documentary Celebrates Passionate Football
3 MIN READ

Ultras Documentary Celebrates Passionate Football Fan Culture

The Magic Flute Debuts in
1 MIN READ

The Magic Flute Debuts in Swedish at Gothenburg Opera This Fall

Miranda Nordqvist Wins Prestigious Jan
1 MIN READ

Miranda Nordqvist Wins Prestigious Jan Wallander Prize

Peter LeMarc's Music Takes the
2 MIN READ

Peter LeMarc's Music Takes the Stage in New Stockholm Theatre Show

Philadelphia Honors Will Smith with
1 MIN READ

Philadelphia Honors Will Smith with Street Naming Ceremony

Zendaya to Star as Ronnie
1 MIN READ

Zendaya to Star as Ronnie Spector in Barry Jenkins' New Film