Barack Obama’s PR people are doing their job. In a campaign event at Powder Springs, Georgia, Obama got tough on African American youth, telling them to look beyond common dreams such as making it in the NBA or as a hip-hop star. "You are probably not that good a rapper. Maybe you are the next Lil Wayne, but probably not, in which case you need to stay in school," said the presumptive Democratic nominee.

With sales of Tha Carter III soaring, the Lil Wayne namedrop seems perfectly timed. He’s certainly the kind of artist that Obama would be wise to get on his side as the election looms ever closer, especially as his hardened comments about making it in the NBA or as a rapper might not go down well in the African American community. “You are over-rated in your own mind. You will not play in the NBA,” he warned.

This wouldn’t be the first time that Obama has let his musical knowledge slip out. It was reported that Jay-Z’s “99 Problems” was played at the victory party in Des Moines, and this article highlights some of the tracks on Obama’s iPod. Ludacris, Miles Davis, Bob Dylan, Sheryl Crow, and the Rolling Stones all fight for airtime when the senator hits the shuffle button. [The Daily Swarm]