This week, Sen. Barack Obama supporters gathered to protest the sale of a t-shirt which depicts the presidential hopeful as Curious George, the monkey from the popular children's book series. In this exclusive interview, caught up with St. Louis rapper, Nelly to weigh in on the t-shirt controversy.

The owner of Mulligan's Bar and Grill in Georgia is selling t-shirts which draw comparisons between presidential candidate Obama and the cartoon monkey Curious Grorge. The shirt features the inquisitive monkey peeling a banana and the words, "Obama in 08."

Though the bar owner claims the t-shirt was not intended to be racist, many Barack supporters are calling foul.

St Louis rapper Nelly brushed off the racially inspired t-shirt as political business as usual.

"It's politics," he said. "Politics are dirty. It's the dirtiest form of anything and everything. You gotta understand, these people are fighting for the right to be the President of the United States. This is the lowest of the low." [Watch Below]

The rapper was quick to offer Obama some advice for how to deal with the situation though.

"I think what he has to do is show thick skin on this one," he said. "I think we have to show our thick skin, for everybody that's supporting Barack and just say, 'You know what we ain't gon' sweat it.'"

Nelly sees the dirty politics as a desperate, last ditch effort to take Obama out of the Presidential race.

"We know y'all getting desperate," he says to those who oppose the candidate. "Where else do you have to go? You're not challenging his mind. You're not challenging what he is standing for. You're going into something now that's almost childish."

"[Barack Obama] has to be prepared for that," he continued. "This country is not going to let him off the hook. We know he's going to win this [Democratic] race. If he wins the overall race, he really has to prepare himself for some of the things. This is America, freedom of speech is used. So he has to get ready."