The fervor and enthusiasm that swelled during Barack Obama’s first presidential campaign seem to be absent this time around. Young people and African-Americans are reportedly less engaged in the process.

Chuck D has one theory why. In a recent appearance in Chicago, the pioneering rapper said, “You can’t sell nationalism to black people no more.”

Whether you could ever sell nationalism to people so oppressed by their own country is perhaps a different question. But Chuck D’s argument is an interesting and ultimately a familiar one. Why try and sell someone national pride when what really matters to them is what’s happening in their own backyard? At the end of the day, it’s the neighborhood economy, stupid.

In the audio above, Chuck D offers the president and the Democratic party some advice on reaching out leading up to November.

Dynamic Range showcases hidden gems unearthed from Chicago Amplified’s vast archive of public events and appears on weekends. Chuck D spoke at an event presented by The Ellen Stone Belic Institute for the Study of Women and Gender in the Arts and Media in earlier this month. Click here to hear the event in its entirety.