Editor's Note: An Axis of Logic correspondent transcribed Rebel Diaz' Open Letter to Obama from their music video and sent it to us. She was unable to decipher a few of the words, but the message is clear. Their letter to Obama is particularly significant as it comes from leading African American Youth in the streets of the U.S. This Rebel Diaz music video and another follow the transcript. - LMB 

(Their music video is provided below this new message to Obama)

You know what I’m saying? So I’m sittin’ here seeing people like Rosa Clemente; like Cynthia McKinney you know what I’m sayin?  Seeing people that’s really talkin about change.  Sometimes I just feel confused about all these things.  It go like this, look…

What’s up Barack I hope you find yourself excited;

You’ve energized the country and the hood seems to like it. 

I’m from Chicago man; we from the same home;

I heard you used to work organizing’ with the poor. 

It’s crazy you from Hawaii I was born in Chertsey, England.  

I’m an immigrant too dawg the middle of 3 children. 

I know you know the feeling of perhaps being different;

Of dreaming about the future and the hopes of better living

I like the fact you went to school my ex-girl went to Harvard;

So I know firsthand that you had to work the hardest.

I like that you were honest about your smoking and your snortin’

Cos it’s shown me you not perfect and there’s hope for reformin’

I wanted to reach out because now I’m workin in the Bronx

And there’s so much needed here in the home of hip hop.

So I was wonderin’ if we could start a dialogue

Hopefully I’ll hear back, your biggest fan,

RodStarz.

Man we can’t even deny the inspiration that you’ve given to the hood
Everybody’s talkin’ about you,
Everybody’s wearin’ your t-shirts,
Hip hop is getting politicized
But what are we really sayin’ man?  What are we really voting for? 
You know what I mean?  What’s really goin’ on? 
What are you goin’ to do for the hood?
What change is really gonna come for our community?
 
Dear Barry I know you might be busy,
I mean I’m sure you are across the globe visiting cities. 
It’s like you follow me cause I was just in Berlin
See we both **grabbed a shower** from the city that wins
And when you beat the Clintons man **everybody** was ragin’
Chicago ain’t been like this since Harold was the mayor
But I have to ask a question and I hope you can address it
I hope you can express it in a return message
 
When you dis Reverend Wright please tell me you ain’t mean it
Cos if you really think he’s wrong then it’s our first disagreement
In the **??** streets are bloody with police killin kids
but your mouth stays shut like the victims I list
And I hate to be so graphic but sometimes the truth hurts
We need more than hope cos this system doesn’t work
Don’t tell me that you change it and you shiftin it to the right,
Rod Starz I’m signin off tonight
Comeon.
 
Yeah so we was just in Denver performin’ at the Recreate 68 piece and you had that whole city militarized man they spent like 50 million dollars on these midget turtle police officers to keep the people under control.  That’s when I really realized man you ain’t part of our set homey you aint down with the hood you ain’t part of our set, what set you down with?
 
Mr. Barak, Mr. Barak I’m sayin Obama
Mr. corporate sell-out to the imperialist dollar.
What about Sean Bell what did you say after the verdict? 
I know it had to touch you that a black man was murdered. 
You talk about family, Sean Bell had a wife
But you ain’t say nothing when her justice was denied. 
All you said was respect the law and don’t get violent
You chose to stay silent man Barack you **wilen?? **
 
What about the situation of my peeps in Palestine? 
You support Israel they are not a friend of mine. 
When I watched the debate you and McCain sounded the same
But I guess it’s politics and you got to play it safe. 
 
Can there ever be change in a two party system? 
Will a black president mean less blacks in prison? 
You had three different chances to address the bailout
But what I wanted to hear never came out of your mouth. 
 
You even talked about war and going after Bin Laden
When the war at home has become the real problem
When it comes to immigrants I heard you voted for the fence. 
Your dad was born in Kenya man you not makin sense. 
See it’s just a criticism and I hope that you make it,
Cos if not you’re one heartbeat away from Sarah Palin. 
 
I just hope that you acknowledge that we out here starvin
and you’re bailin out the ones that corrupted the markets. 
Damn. 
 
This aint even easy to do man it’s hard cos you got a lot of people that you down with that support the man.  They all happy with the buttons and they ***??*** everything, you don’t want to hate on them…