MESSAGE MUSIC: Mendelman's rap style is more Dr. King than bling. Norbert von der Groeben

“It's been a year and a half and these people are still trapped,” raps Jeff Mendelman in “Dear Mr. Bush,” a rebuke of the President's handling of the post-Katrina crisis in New Orleans. “You have the nerve to call it Katrina aftermath? You did half the math. New Orleans is not a problem of the past.”

Mendelman's debut album, KNOWLA, was inspired by a visit to New Orleans's Lower Ninth Ward in January 2007. “If I haven't been there, you won't hear me rap about it,” says the human biology major, who also rhymed about homelessness in New York after a stay in the city.

Courtesy Jeff Mendelman

True to his convictions, Mendelman has donated all proceeds from album sales—$500 so far—to Katrina victims. He also leads Stanford's chapter of the Hip Hop Congress, a national movement to harness rap music for social good. “The last age of hip hop has been defined by artists raising the bar of gangsta rap, but I want to push for socially relevant music.”

ONLINE ONLY Listen to an audio clip from Jeff Mendelman's debut album, KNOWLA Windows Media Quicktime Dear Mr. Bush Dear Mr. Bush Take Note Take Note