Un-Diplomatic

Un-Diplomatic

My Hip-Hop Conscience

Un-Diplomatic
Feb 06, 2026
∙ Paid
a stack of records sitting on top of a table
Photo by Dima Junglist on Unsplash

The first sign Washington, DC might not be the place for me appeared in 2009.

I had just started working at the Pentagon, and I was walking down its outer corridor with a new Obama political appointee. The hallways are insanely long, so we had plenty of time to chat. I asked him if he listened to hip-hop, just to make c…

This post is for paid subscribers

Already a paid subscriber? Sign in
© 2026 Van Jackson · Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start your SubstackGet the app
Substack is the home for great culture