Five Good Songs about Barack Obama

Political inspiration is great, but the world is tired of Will.I.Am’s celeb-packed Obama tribute. In honor of the freshly passed stimulus package, here are five good songs about the United States’ 44th president.

Busdriver: “Will He”

Posted online a month before the inauguration, this production with Flying Lotus features Busdriver’s blistering cadences, used to rip right-wingers with a stream-of-conscious lyricism. Listen to the tune at his MySpace page.

East Coast Avengers: “The Day Hope Died”

Addressing the unspoken fears of millions of Americans, this unflinching hip-hop trio addresses the all-too-believable possibility of a presidential tragedy. Listen to the song and download it here.

Extra Golden: “Obama”

Drawing a special inspiration from Barack Obama, the native Kenyans of Extra Golden included a tribute to the then-senator on their most recent album, Hera Ma Nono. Following Kenya’s electoral turmoil in 2008, it will be exciting to hear the group’s upcoming album, Thank You Very Quickly, due March 10 from Thrill Jockey.

Listen to Extra Golden’s “Obama” and other audio samples here.

Mr. Lif: “Obama”

Leading up to a new album and a massive US tour, Mr. Lif tackles privatization, golden parachutes, and war crimes in his open letter to the president. Listen to the song on MySpace, and follow this link to buy the track through iTunes.

Stevie Wonder‘s Barack Obama vocal scale

Okay…this isn’t a song. It is, however, 30 seconds of brilliance.