About

#PalinRapFacts is a Twitter hashtag associated with various tweets poking fun at former Alaskan governor Sarah Palin's raising issue with the White House inviting Grammy-winning rapper and actor Common to a poetry event hosted by the first lady in May 2011. Following the mainstream coverage of the controversy, Twitter users have been posting tongue-in-cheek tweets about Sarah Palin being at the center of major events throughout the history of hip hop.

Origin

On May 11th, 2011, American hip hop musician Common (born Lonnie Rashid Lynn, Jr.) was invited by First Lady Michelle Obama to join a poetry reading at the White House. The artist's appearance quickly drew backlashes from the New Jersey State Police union, who were displeased with his lyrics praising Joanne Chesimard, a member of the Black Liberation Army convicted of first degree murder of a state trooper and sentenced to life in 1977.

Other conservative politicians and media personalities also echoed disappointment at the White House, including the former White House Senior Advisor Karl Rove, talk show host Sean Hannity and Republican presidential nominee Sarah Palin.

During her appearance on Fox News' "On the Record"^[1] on May 12th, the former Alaskan governor was quoted as saying:

"The White House's judgment on inviting someone who would glorify cop killing during Police Memorial Week, of all times, you know, the judgment, it's just so lacking of class and decency."

Palin further explained her criticism by adding that she's not advocating any kind of censorship against rap music. "I'm not anti-rap. In fact, like Bret Baier, I know the lyrics to 'Rapper's Delight,' too," said Palin, referring to The Sugarhill Gang's 1979 hip hop single^[2].

Spread

On Google News

The controversy over Common's appearance at the White House was picked up by various news publications and blogs, such as Washington Post blog^[3], NPR^[4] and Huffington Post^[5] among others.

On Twitter

Sarah Palin's name-dropping of "Rapper's Delight" was soon picked up by Palin-skeptics on Twitter, spawning an extensive list of tweets mocking her remark.

Notable Examples

Sarah Palin originated "Eskimo flow", a rhyme style which was used to develop Bone Thugs n' Harmony. #palinrapfactsless than a minute ago via TweetCaster

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Garrett Wesley
gwesley2

#palinrapfacts Eazy-E stole her lyric book at the 1992 RNC Convention.less than a minute ago via Twitter for BlackBerry®

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Andy Lugo
Andy90710

Palin cant see Compton from her house, but she used to frequent the area often during her brief relationship w/ DJ Jazzy Jeff #PalinRapFactsless than a minute ago via web

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C Mary-Louise
C_MaryLouise

Sarah Palin Rap Skit on SNL

Back in October 2008 when Palin was running for the presidential election, she appeared as a cameo guest on Saturday Night Live along with Tina Fey, who became known as the unofficial impersonator of the then Alaskan governor. During the Weekend Update skit, the co-host Amy Poehl performed a rap song dedicated to Sarah Palin, who can be also seen dancing to the rap song in the background.

External References

^[1] Fox News – On the Record: Palin: White House's Decision to Invite Common Lacked Class and Decency and All That's Good About America

^[2] YouTube – The Sugarhill Gang – Rapper's Delight

^[3] Washington Post Blog – Common Sense Eludes Sarah Palin

^[4] NPR – The Roots: Nonsense Attacks on Common Sense

^[5] Huffington Post – Sarah Palin Rap Facts