New Celeb-Filled Music Video for Obama
Song from Black Eyed Peas' will.i.am Inspired by Obama Speech
Feb. 2, 2008 —
Celebrity-filled music videos have been used to support many social movements, from famine relief for Africa, to support for American farmers, to opposition to apartheid in South Africa.
But rarely have celebrities and musicians banded together to create new music in the heat of a presidential campaign.
The Black Eyed Peas' frontman, songwriter and producer known as will.i.am, along with director and filmmaker Jesse Dylan, son of another socially active musician, Bob Dylan, released a new song Friday that attempts to do just that.
The music video "Yes We Can" premiered on ABCNewsNow's "What's the Buzz" on Friday. It was inspired, will.i.am told ABC's Alisha Davis, by Sen. Barack Obama's presidential campaign and in particular by the speech he has gave after the New Hampshire primary.
"It made me reflect on the freedoms I have, going to school where I went to school, and the people that came before Obama like Martin Luther King, presidents like Abraham Lincoln that paved the way for me to be sitting here on ABCNews and making a song from Obama's speech," will.i.am said.
"The speech was inspiring about making change in America and I believe what it says and I hope everybody votes," Dylan said.
The music video includes excerpts from the Obama speech and appearances from a range of celebrities including: Scarlett Johansson, John Legend, Herbie Hancock, Kate Walsh, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Adam Rodriquez, Kelly Hu, Adam Rodriquez, Amber Valetta and Nick Cannon.
When word got out about the song, will.i.am and Dylan said people were eager to participate.
"I'm blown away by how many people wanted to come and be a part of it in a short amount of time. It was all out of love and hope for change and really representing America and looking at the world," will.i.am said.
Dylan and will.i.am say they did not coordinate the production or release of this video with the Obama campaign and the filmmakers say they don't even know if Obama is aware of the video.
"We didn't talk to anybody there... We just came together because it was an inspirational song about change coming out of his speech," Dylan said.
And what change do will.i.am and Dylan say they hope to see?
"Education, America's finance, getting our dollar back to where it should be, stopping the war, health and international policies," they said.