Jay-Z to Play Free Shows for Barack Obama

Jay-Z may have 99 problems but a political opinion ain’t one. The rapper have some reasonable doubts about John McCain's bid for the presidency, so Hova is going to bat for his boy Barack Obama. Earlier this year, he recorded a phone message urging Ohio voters to get to the primary polls and now he’s playing free shows at voter registration events for Obama.

According to Pitchfork Media:

He may not be a president himself any longer, but Jay-Z's certainly got his opinions on who should hold the highest office in the land. A prerecorded message from the rapper urging support for the presidential candidacy of Illinois Senator Barack Obama greeted Ohio voters in advance of that state's Democratic primary back in March, and the Jigga man's recent tour stops have found him pausing to flash a picture of the presidential hopeful to resounding cheers.

And over this coming weekend, Mr. Carter will perform a pair of free voter registration drive shows as part of an effort to ensure maximum numbers of eligible chad-punchers in Obama's column get signed up before the Monday deadline in many key states.

Some question the roles of entertainers in touting their political beliefs, but Senator Obama seems pretty pleased with Jay-Z’s endorsement. Earlier this year at a victory party in Iowa, Obama played “99 Problems,” he has admitted to having Jigga songs on his iPod, and in April the presidential hopeful even brushed his shoulder off in response to Hillary Clinton’s attacks. If Jay-Z is the King of Rap, he’s going to do his best to make Barack Obama the President of the United States.

UMichigan students interested in attending the Detroit show can go to Cobo Arena Saturday, while University of Miami students can go to Bayfront Park Sunday.