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Jay Z: "Obama's running so that we all can fly"

10:06 a.m. · November 3, 2008 · by Nick Neyland

Jay-Z’s work on the Barack Obama campaign isn’t over yet, and he made an impassioned plea for the presidential nominee at a rally in Virginia at the weekend. The hip-hop star stressed the importance of casting a vote on Tuesday, saying: “I cant tell you who to vote for. All I can do is tell you to vote on November 4, the most important election that will happen probably in your lifetime.”

He also cited influential civil right activists in his speech. "Rosa Parks sat so that Martin Luther King could walk. Martin Luther King walked so that Obama could run. Obama's running so that we all can fly," he told the crowd. "I can't wait until November 5 and I'm going to say: 'Hello, Brother President'."

Jay-Z also talks about how Virginia “can be a blue state” in his speech, and even singles out a young girl in the audience, saying “maybe she could be president one day.” He also encouraged the crowd to make up their own minds when they go to vote, saying: "I'm not running as president, so I don't want to feel restrained. I don't want Barack or his campaign to be tied to anything I do here tonight. I'm just a private citizen doing my thing." A clip from the speech can be seen in this YouTube post. [NME]

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