Cnn offers an article exporing the presidential candidates power, or lack of it, with the hip-hop generation.

Barack Obama might not be leading the Democratic presidential field in national polls, but the freshman senator has managed to capture the imagination of the hip-hop community, comprised mostly of rap artists, music industry professionals, activists and young fans of all races.

Despite Obama’s sometimes critical opinion of rap music, the candidate’s name is being dropped on iPods, car stereos and music Web sites across the country.

Take one of the summer’s biggest songs: In his new single “The People,” Common uses the lyric: “My raps ignite the people like Obama,” while the song’s music video flashes on an “Obama ‘08″ bumper sticker.

Read the entire article