Too controversial?

Aretha, yes; Luda, no

In the 1990s, Tupac postulated, “Although it seems heaven sent/ We ain't ready to have a black president.” But on Jan. 20th, President Elect Barack Obama will prove Mr. Shakur wrong, as the country welcomes the 44th president into office with an epic inauguration. An esteemed cadre of musical acts (including rapper Ludacris, pictured) will descend on Washington, DC to pay homage to Obama—but only the less controversial acts, like Aretha Franklin and celebrity cellist Yo-Yo Ma, will receive the fledgling administration’s official seal of approval.

Here are a few acts that, despite their pro-Obama stances, probably won’t be appearing with the next President.—Drew Tewksbury, Special to Metromix