Donald Trump’s #MAGA Rap Challenge Is Something To Behold

There are some musical subgenres that should be taken around the woodshed and given the Ol’ Yeller treatment. Should MAGA Bars be granted that dubious honor? You be the judge of that. Somehow, someway, Donald Trump has managed to infiltrate the world of hip-hop — albeit in a bastardized capacity. If you’ve seen the hashtag trending on Twitter, you might know that President has officially opened the floor for something called the #MAGACHALLENGE. The premise is a simple one: spit your best Trump-related bars (MAGA hat is a must) and submit for a chance to perform them live at the White House.

Using the originator (seen below) as a benchmark, Trump invited aspiring Republican emcees to step to the proverbial mic. Proverbial is said because judging from the sound quality of some entries, a mic is far from the equation. What followed was an onslaught of some truly fascinating contributions, many of which failed to match the admitted musicality of the original from Bryson Gray.

Look, it’s difficult to decry someone so boldly putting their art into the world. But some things are simply difficult to watch. The mere act of sitting through it with a straight face becomes Herculean in nature. Forget about politics for a minute. This is about respect for hip-hop and its cultural roots. If somebody possesses a cursory knowledge of said culture, they oughta leave it well enough alone. You already know some of these MAGA-rappers were left in shambles the minute “Old Town Road” sauntered onto the country charts. In fairness, maybe not all of them; one does not need to lean left to be a hip-hop fan. But damned if it doesn’t feel like a great big lack of self-awareness is looming over some of these offerings. Perhaps a wall should be built…around these bars.