AL GORE REALLY DID
INVENT THE INTERNET

You'd think that Presidential candidate Al Gore would have more to do than exchange e-mails with University of Michigan senior Brian Babb, but the topic of hip-hop is apparently near and dear to his heart.

According to MTV.com, Babb gave the Veep a Mos Def CD after an MTV-sponsored Town Hall Forum. Gore received the dope hip-hop in response to negative comments that he made about the genre and the media promoting violence. Babb included a note with his e-mail address, which the father of the Net used to contact the student.

In the missive, Gore apologized for taking his sweet time in responding, saying that his campaign staff borrowed the disc—can't anybody at Rawkus send another copy? He then praised the artistry of the album and reiterated his concerns about music glorifying the usual evils—"violence, sexism, racism, hate or intolerance."

He also said, "Music is also an interpretation of reality. Remember, music can do more than just describe situations—it can change them. Think of how much music influenced the '60s. Or maybe that was just the drugs."

Gore's e-mail closed with a smiley-face emoticon.