#presidents

[deadpresidents]

Eazy-E and the President

Exactly 30 years ago today, on March 26, 1995, rapper Eric "Eazy-E" Wright died, about a month after checking himself into Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles and finding out that he was suffering from AIDS, not asthma as he had suspected. Eazy-E became a hip-hop legend after bursting out of Compton as the leader of the revolutionary group N.W.A., alongside Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, DJ Yella, and MC Ren. The controversy stemming from N.W.A.'s gangsta rap classics such as "Fuck Tha Police," "Gangsta Gangsta," and "Straight Outta Compton" led to the FBI actually sending a letter to Ruthless Records in 1989 condemning the content of N.W.A.'s music because they felt it encouraged violence against law enforcement.

So, what's that have to do with Presidents?

After a $2,490 donation to the Republican Party, GOP heavyweights Bob Dole and Phil Gramm invited Eazy-E to the National Republican Senatorial Committee Inner Circle's "Salute to the Commander-in-Chief" luncheon on March 18, 1991 at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, D.C. Senate Minority Leader Dole sent the gangsta rapper and former drug-dealer the invitation himself on February 8th, writing, "Elizabeth and I are looking forward to seeing you in Washington on March 18."

Rocking a black leather suit topped off by his trademark Los Angeles Raiders hat, Eazy-E (accompanied by his controversial manager/business partner Jerry Heller) headed to the nation's capital and enjoyed lunch with some of the Republican Party's top brass -- people like Dole, Senator Gramm of Texas, GOP celebrity supporter (and future California Governor) Arnold Schwarzenegger, former Secretary of State George Shultz, and Wal-Mart founder Sam Walton -- as well as a speech by President George H.W. Bush. While the voice behind "Boyz-N-The-Hood" didn't get a chance to actually meet President Bush, Eazy-E made it clear that he was a fan and was even disappointed that Bush didn't speak longer. Although he once famously rapped, "Don't quote me, boy, cuz I ain't said shit" in "Boyz-N-The-Hood," Eazy-E's spokesperson later said that the rapper, "Loves the President. He thinks he's a great humanitarian and that he did a great job with Desert Storm."

That might seem like something that would take away Eazy-E's street cred. Ice Cube certainly thought so, as he made clear after leaving N.W.A. with his scathing diss song, "No Vaseline", where Cube repeated "I never had dinner with the President!" and accused N.W.A. of ditching Compton ("Yellin' Compton, but you moved to Riverside!").

But maybe Eazy-E and George H.W. Bush had far more in common than most people would imagine.

See, Eazy-E and Dr. Dre aren't the only people to come "Straight Outta Compton." In 1949, George Herbert Walker Bush and his family (including another future President, George W. Bush) lived in the Santa Fe Gardens apartment complex in the heart of, yes, Compton, California. The second child of George and Barbara Bush, Robin, who tragically died of leukemia at the age of 4, was born in Compton. So, while Compton was a far different place in that era, two Presidents of the United States -- at least briefly -- represented "the CPT". And, as the photo at the end of this post demonstrates, young George W. Bush even rode around strapped -- more cowboy than gangsta, not surprisingly -- as many young people have long been in Compton and South Central Los Angeles.

[kookiekult]

[danishdeity]

Couldnt add any more. Please reblog with your reasoning

[usnatarchives]

Archives Recipes: A Culinary Journey Through the Catalog! 🍒🍰🍝🧀

Welcome to a culinary tour of the White House, where history is served one dish at a time! Ever wondered what's simmering in the presidential kitchen while policies are being hashed out in the Oval Office? This collection brings together a selection of recipes favored by U.S. Presidents and First Ladies, as documented in the National Archives and Presidential Libraries. From Eisenhower's hearty soups to Rosalynn Carter's sweet treats, prepare to indulge in dishes that have tickled the taste buds of America's leaders. So tie on your apron—it's time to cook up a little history!

[bonnieura]

"I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the earth."

president john f. kennedy touring NASA's launch operations center with wernher von braun 1962 at what is now called kennedy space center. (KSC). [pt.2]

[vintonvalens]

rare and unique photoshoot of john f. kennedy

[presidentconfessions]

"My dad met bill Clinton in the 90s and says bill has squishy hands"

[thatsbelievable]

[tompoose]

the cold hours of night can possess the unwary

[nota-person]

i mean its better than staying on land with annoying orange as president

[coolthingsguyslike]

[deadpresidents]

"It hurt to lose to Ronald Reagan. But after the election, I tried to make the transition as smooth as possible. Later, from my experience in trying to brief him on matters of supreme importance, I was very disturbed at his lack of interest. The issues were the 15 or 20 most important subjects that I as President could possibly pass on to him. His only reaction of substance was to express admiration for the political circumstances in South Korea that let President Park close all the colleges and draft all the demonstrators. That was the only issue on which he came alive."

-- Former President Jimmy Carter, on losing the 1980 election and the transition leading to the inauguration of Ronald Reagan, interview with TIME Magazine, October 11, 1982.

[kookiekult]

Live blogging the debate:

[starlight-tequila]

I'm probably extremely right and extremely wrong

[usnatarchives]

Happy 100th Birthday, Jimmy Carter! 🎂🎉

Jimmy Carter in the Grand Tetons, Wyoming - August 26, 1978.

You can also browse through some wonderful contact sheets from the First Family’s vacation in the Grand Tetons here.

Check out more presidential history posts from our @ourpresidents account.