Skip Navigation
Ta-Nehisi Coates

Ta-Nehisi Coates - Ta-Nehisi Coates is a senior editor for The Atlantic, where he writes about culture, politics, and social issues for TheAtlantic.com and the magazine. He is the author of the memoir The Beautiful Struggle. More

Born in 1975, the product of two beautiful parents. Raised in West Baltimore—not quite The Wire, but sometimes ill all the same. Studied at the Mecca for some years in the mid-’90s. Emerged with a purpose, if not a degree. Slowly migrated up the East Coast with a baby and my beloved, until I reached the shores of Harlem. Wrote some stuff along the way.

Obama Speaks On Jay-Z

By Ta-Nehisi Coates
Apr 19 2008, 6:20 AM ET Comment

Wondered how long it would take the bigwigs to pick up on this:

Yesterday, Obama's campaign spokesman, Tommy Vietor, would say only this: "He has some Jay-Z on his iPod."

The rest are as souless as they are clueless:

The move illustrated both a generational and a cultural gap: On MSNBC host Joe Scarborough's show yesterday, The Washington Post's Richard Cohen said the shoulder shaking was "contemptuous and aloof" and "not smart." Scarborough on Obama's move: "We looked at each other and said, 'What's he doing ?' "



Presented by

More at The Atlantic

Ken Burns on Why His Formula for a Great Story Is 1+1=3 Ken Burns's Formula for a Great Story
What's Behind George W. Bush's Odd Romney Endorsement? What's Behind George W. Bush's Odd Romney Endorsement?
Superweeds: A Long-Predicted Problem for GM Crops Has Arrived The Rise of Superweeds
Losing Face: Why China Can't Stop Squandering Its Soft Power Why China Can't Stop Squandering Its Soft Power
The Fastest-Dying Jobs of This Generation (and What Replaced Them) The Fastest-Dying Jobs of This Generation

Join the Discussion

After you comment, click Post. If you’re not already logged in you will be asked to log in or register.
blog comments powered by Disqus
Special Report
China Takes Off The Atlantic China Takes Off
Exploring the growth of a massive economy—an Atlantic special report Read more ›
View All Correspondents

The Biggest Story in Photos

Views From the Night Sky: London and the U.K.

May 16, 2012

Subscribe Now

SAVE 59%! 10 issues JUST $2.45 PER COPY

Facebook

Newsletters

Sign up to receive our free newsletters

(sample)

(sample)

(sample)

(sample)

(sample)

(sample)

Ta-Nehisi Coates
from the Magazine

Why Do So Few Blacks Study the Civil War?

Ta-Nehisi Coates is an Atlantic senior editor.

Fade to White

A filmmaker maps Austin’s shifting ethnic landscape.

The Legacy of Malcolm X

Why his vision lives on in Barack Obama