Rock it, Rap it, Vote or Die

I will not "Rock the Vote" this year. And you know why?\nIt's because "rocking" the vote is so 1990, and on top of that, I'm more of a hip-hop kind of chick. \nSure, I thought -- whatever, I'll just "Rap the Vote" with Alicia Keys and Cornell West instead. But before I could get online to register, I found myself at a dead-end on the information highway. The Web site was down.\nSo as a last resort, I've chosen to take the "Vote or Die" route. I mean, if P. Diddy says voting's hot, then I'm down for the cause, because P. Diddy's cool. He's hip. He's happenin'. He's got his ear to the streets, and this election year is going to be different because of him. \nRight?\nPuff said he's changing the way the age 18 to 34 voting block sees politics.\n"For the first time in history, we're going to make voting fashionable," Puffy said to E! Online back in July.\nThe formerly ashy, currently classy, producer-gone-media mogul launched his new political organization Citizen Change back in July. He distributed info to big-name guests at his annual White Party in the Hamptons, hyped the program up in a number of TV appearances and worked out collaborations with BET, MTV and Clear Channel Radio stations. Puff even had extra-sexy male model Tyson Beckford sport a designer "Citizen Change" T-shirt during the organization's launch part.\nAnd though I missed most of MTV's Video Music Awards the other night, it seems Mr. Combs appeared just as zealous about getting young folks registered to vote as when he started his campaigning some months ago.\nBut my question is, "Will young folks themselves feel the same way about politics a few months from now? Or better yet, a few elections from now?"\nThe thing about fashion is that it's fleeting. I dig Diddy's angle -- making politics hot is a great way to appeal to younger voters. But I'm afraid campaigns like his only make registering sexy. \nSure, the idea of sweating out the details of GOP platforms with a politically conscious male model is enough to make any girl put her name on the rolls. But getting educated on the issues is a personal duty, and nine times out of ten, one done in some off-moment surfing the 'net or debating with the homies.\nThe true test of these voter registration campaigns will come Election Day.\nFarnsworth Bentley will not be serving cucumber sandwiches to folks waiting in line.\nAnd though Puff's been known to make regular music video cameos, it's unlikely that he'll be standing behind you saying "take that, take that" while you're busy casting your ballot.\nThe truth is I registered to vote in high school way, way back in 2002, back when voting wasn't "sexy," as Diddy described it on BET's music countdown show 106th & Park. \nDon't get me wrong, celebrities' effort to make voting "grown and sexy" is a good thing. I attempted to feed my neo-soul just today, and before I could even get to Track 01 of Jill Scott's "Beautifully Human: Words and Sounds 2," I was being prompted to register. \nThe truth is, everybody's trying to give me a reason to vote, and I can totally respect that. But I fear for voting's safety. The world of fashion is fickle: What's in today might be out tomorrow. My only hope is that voting's popularity proves to be less of a trend and more of an old standby. Fashionable or not -- apathy is never cute.