YOUNG FEATURED ON MTV'S MIXTAPE MONDAYS

Artist: Young Jeezy Representing: ATL

Mixtape: The Prime Minister

411: Who inspires hip-hop's great inspirer? Young Jeezy says it is undoubtedly Senator Change himself, Barack Obama.

" 'I know it's a problem, but how can we work it out?' " Young said of what he perceives Obama's philosophy to be. "Barack, he has a lot of things going for him. He's ahead of his time. Given the right chance, he'll make some type of change. We'll feel it. I really feel that. John McCain is cool, but he looks like a fraud to me."

Jeezy says he has some issues with how the country is being run, and his take on the 'hood's state of affairs will be heard all over his August release, The Recession. He thinks McCain is the wrong person to be the country's cleanup man, especially since he had a chance to talk to the senator after a taping of "Saturday Night Live," during which Jeezy performed with Usher.

"I told him the 'hood was f---ed up, and he was like, 'How you doing?' " Mr. 17.5 recalled. "Real talk. They know entertainers, so they shake your hand [and say], 'I'm your friend.' But my mama is about to have surgery that I gotta pay for out of my pocket because she can't get insurance. I don't really feel McCain. It ain't just because Barack is black; he can make change. Just like Bush equals recession, Barack equals progression. I really feel that, all bullsh-- aside. He's gotta come in and keep it right.

"I be in the 'hood every day, and I motivate the thugs. [Barack] motivates me," he added. "To see somebody taking that extra mile ... like, 'OK, I can make some change.' That's how I felt when I got in the rap game. I felt I could make change. I did."

Jeezy recently dropped his new mixtape The Prime Minister with DJ Infamous.
» "Prime Minister." "I'm the Prime Minister, for real. I run things," the Snowman said. "I am the streets. If anybody tells you differently, they lying. I know every aspect [of the streets]. I know every crack, crevice. Everything on the mixtape is original. Only song that's not mine is the 'Lollipop' remix and the DJ Khaled record, 'Out Here Grindin'.' It's all me, all original music. I don't have any problem giving away music, because I got good music."

» "Put On." "My album is called The Recession," Jeezy said. "Even if you ain't got it, you can do it. You can put on. Wear your best clothes if it's in your closet and just from the cleaners and it's clean. That's what putting on is. Wear your watch. It might not be the iciest, but it's yours. You may not have no 26s, you got 24s, but you putting on. There might not be nobody standing next to you who has 24s on at the time.

"It's a drought and recession at the same time," he added. "The Prime Minister is coming to show them hope. 'Put On' was 'OK, I know we all here going through it, but let's still go to the club and have good time.' The Prime Minister is saying, 'That's cool. Y'all follow me, I'mma show y'all how to get this money.' "

» "I'm Here." "The intro is sick," Jeezy assured. "If you listen to the intro, it's the whole mixtape. You can listen to the intro, then take the tape out. Trust me. I explain everything [on 'I'm Here']. Everything you been hearing about, speculating about, I put it on one song. It might be 92 bars. I'm the truth."