Introducing “Big Gretch,” Michigan’s 49th Governor
Detroit rapper Gmac Cash has given a new theme song and nickname to Gretchen Whitmer as the Michigan governor’s national profile continues to grow.
Over the past two months, we’ve really gotten to know our United States governors as daily press conferences dominate local and national news cycles.
Michigan’s own Gretchen Whitmer has been soaking up the national spotlight, too, including her own parody on “Saturday Night Live” with comedian Cecily Strong portraying her (Whitmer later sent her a Michigan-centric gift basket of goodies as a thank you).
If you do something Detroiters deem important or respectable, you just might get a pair of buffs photoshopped on your face and have that photo percolate through social media.
The skit came just days after Whitmer extended the state’s stay-at-home order (which she then extended again through May 28th) It’s also in response to her recent war of words with President Donald Trump over a lack of support for Michigan and other states during the ongoing COVID-19 crisis.
Now, Governor Whitmer is getting love from a Detroit rapper named Gmac Cash — the reigning king of quickly produced, topical parody rap in the Motor City.
Click on the player above to hear how Gov. Whitmer’s pop culture profile has grown during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Big Gretch” by Gmac Cash
In his less-than-two-minute song “Big Gretch,” Gmac Cash gives Gov. Whitmer a new nickname and honors her resilience in the face of national political scrutiny with a pair of buffs — short for Cartier buffalo horn sunglasses, an expensive staple in Detroit’s fashion lexicon.
If you do something Detroiters deem important or respectable, you just might get a pair of buffs photoshopped on your face and have that photo percolate through social media.
The decision committee is far from official. Think of it more as a collective hive mind of highly engaged Detroit-based Twitter users deciding who gets them and who doesn’t.
When Detroit Lions kicker Matt Prater nails a 59-yard field goal, he got his buffs.
Former Detroit Pistons center Andre Drummond once got his buffs, too, but they were taken away as Detroiters fell out of love with the high-paid center for his lack of consistent effort on the court.
As Drummond learned, it’s hard to get your buffs yet it’s very easy to lose them.
In the case of Gretchen Whitmer, she was excited to get her buffs in a response to Gmac Cash on Twitter.
There was even a fundraiser to buy Whitmer a pair of buffs, but as the governor’s office pointed out, she can’t accept gifts of more than $50 (Cartier buffalo horn sunglasses regularly retail for over $2,500).
So the money raised — over $2,900 — will be donated to a Detroit-based charity, according to Gmac Cash.
