hen Joe Biden held a drive-in rally in an amphitheater parking lot in Atlanta on October 27th — one week before the election — he made sure to welcome hip-hop culture. Election Day was near, and he was on the south side of the city, in an area that groomed hip-hop luminaries like Jermaine Dupri, OutKast, and Goodie Mob, and minutes from Clayton County, whose voters played a pivotal role in flipping the state from reliably red to unexpectedly blue and solidifying Biden’s victory over Donald Trump.
During the rally, Offset, born and raised in suburban Gwinnett County, provided native-ATL energy with a public endorsement of Biden and a performance of his song “Clout,” from his 2019 album, Father of 4. Later that day, the Migos rapper shared a backstage moment of Biden checking out the pendant hanging from his chain, flanked by fellow show-opener Common. Even if Biden didn’t fully understand Offset’s motivation to wear such prominent jewelry, he knew its value extended to political capital.
One person who has witnessed Atlanta’s music industry groom political kingmakers is “King of Crunk” Lil Jon. The producer, rapper, DJ, and former cast member of The Apprentice says growing up in a city governed by people who looked like and lived near him gave him a unique view of election consequences.
“Coming from southwest Atlanta, we grew up around black excellence. And even further, we grew up around politicians like [Fulton County Comissioner] Marvin Arrington — we went to school together, so I saw his dad [Fulton County Superior Court judge and former president of the Atlanta City Council] Marvin Arrington Sr., all the time. I saw [Ambassador] Andy Young, I saw [former Mayor] Maynard Jackson, because I knew his son. I used to go party at [Former Mayor] Shirley Franklin’s crib with her daughters.”
The rapper admits that he didn’t understand the importance of voting early in his career, but is excited to see young people getting more involved, especially when it comes to elections that many feel affect them more directly than the race for the White House.
“People are always complaining about this and that, but they’re starting to understand now that those people that you send to Congress are the ones that represent you,” he says. “If you don’t like what’s going on with the laws that are being passed, get those judges into those places. People are starting to realize that change is only going to come if they get out there and vote and start to get people that have their best interests at heart into the proper position.”
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