Four years ago, Diddy and Russell Simmons both launched massive voter registration drives in order to boost voter turnout among young people and illustrate the power of hip-hop. It's likely that such efforts will be launched in the coming months but word to the wise: If mainstream hip-hop wants us to take their foray back into politics seriously, start looking for better messengers.

Take Lupe Fiasco. Often considered one of the more "conscious" rappers, Lupe made waves across the Web after telling SOHH that he supports Hillary Clinton. According to his January interview: "Obama doesn't really impress me like that. It's not a shot at him but some of his agendas, the bombing of Iran and all that stuff."

Maybe Lupe's not impressed because he's uninformed. Barack Obama never supported military attacks against Iran. Too bad for Hillary that Lupe's support won't translate into a vote. He doesn't believe in voting "on that level" -- whatever that means.

Snoop Dogg gave more fodder to the Bill O'Reilly's of the world when he claimed the KKK is one of Obama's biggest supporters. While defending Obama's pastor's controversial comments, Snoop agreed with Reverend Wright that America was founded on racism. He argued that the powers that be are looking for a loophole to curtail Obama's candidacy - even saying that the KKK is giving money to the Obama campaign. "They"--being the media--"don't want you to know that. They just want you to know that this n**ger befriended this other n**ger who be threatening your values." Don't you wish that Snoop would stick to blunts over bigots?

To be fair though, there are some rappers who don't sound as if they got high before chiming in on the looming presidential election.

50 Cent has spoken about his shift in loyalties between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. Of course, this is the same man who told GQ that our current president is "incredible" and "a gangsta," going as far as to say: "I wanna meet George Bush, just shake his hand and tell him how much of me I see in him."

Psychotic episodes in magazine interviews aside, this ex-con can't vote, so who 50 Cent supports doesn't really matter much, does it?

Now, some enfranchised rappers who have expressed political apathy in the past are re-thinking their boycott of the polls due to Barack Obama's run. Nas says it would be a "great thing" if Barack Obama could be president. Unfortunately, because Nigger is the name of his upcoming album, Nas's endorsement is about as helpful to the Obama campaign as a televised sermon from Reverend Wright.

It's not that I believe the driving cultural force of my generation shouldn't play a role in motivating young people to vote. There was a time when the hip-hop generation offered profound sociopolitical commentary in its lyrical content, captivating audiences and proving the genre had more to say than who had the best rhymes, the best clothes, and the flyest girl. I was five then -- too busy watching The Smurfs to catch references to poverty, crime, and Louis Farrakhan.

Twenty years later, most of hip-hop's subject matter is 'Bust It Babies,' odd noises turned radio-friendly hooks and rhymes that glamorize drugs and violence.

If someone asked you if members of a genre largely dominated by materialism and self-absorption could pull a 180 and kick off a political movement, what are you going to say? Yahh trick yaah?

Michael Arceneaux is a Houston-bred, Howard-educated, freelance writer. Named after Michael Jackson (stop laughing), when Michael's not thanking God that the other Michael won his trial so he wouldn't have to change his name to Prince, he's writing about pop culture and politics. He has written for the Houston Press , the Comedy Central blog, CC Insider, Pop Matters, and TV One Online. Check him out at: http://thecynicalones.blogspot.com.