Hip Hop News
5 Rappers Who Have Run For Political Office
Music and politics have always been intertwined, especially in the world of hip-hop. But not all rappers relegate their political viewpoints to the confines of their art. Sometimes, they bring political candor to an actual campaign trail.
Plenty of rappers have flirted with the idea of running for political office. However, there have been a few who have thrown their hat in the ring, earnestly. From Belizean rapper-turned-congressman, Shyne to Kanye West, here are five rappers who have legitimately run for political office.
5. Shyne
Before his career in politics, Belizean rapper Shyne was probably best known for his hit song “Bad Boyz.” The track reached number 9 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop chart. Shyne’s musical career was hit with some turbulence after he was convicted and imprisoned for assault and reckless endangerment.
While incarcerated, Shyne signed a multi-million-dollar contract with Def Jam Records and released his second album Godfather Buried Alive. The album was a hit. After Shyne’s release from prison in 2009, he was deported to Belize. A year later, he was appointed the Belize Music and Goodwill Ambassador. In 2020, he was elected to the Belize House of Representatives. Shyne’s political career shows no signs of waning as he is currently looking to run for prime minister of Belize in 2025.
4. Esham
Detroit-based rapper Esham has had a long career in the world of underground rap. His breakout album Bruce Wayne: Gothom City 1987 reached number 57 on Billboard’s Top R&B/Hip-Hop Album chart the year of its release. In 2002, Esham signed to Psychopathic Records and released a string of experimental “acid rap” albums including fan-favorite release Repentance.
In 2008, Esham told Metro Times he was in the process of petitioning to run for Mayor of Detroit. His petition was ultimately denied. However, his potential bid for candidacy did give fans a mayoral campaign EP. And to be honest, it was kind of ill. Seriously.
3. Uncle Luke
Luther Campbell (aka Luke, Uncle Luke, or Luke Skyywalker) was the leader of one of rap’s foremost group of provocateurs, 2 Live Crew. With that in mind, it’s hard to believe Miami native would ever run for office. After all, this was the guy who co-wrote “Throw the D.” So, make of that what you will.
However, in 2011, Campbell ran for mayor of Miami-Dade County. He ran on a somewhat(?) progressive platform that looked to bring transparency to local government (and tax strippers). Uncle Luke came in fourth among a group of eleven candidates. Regardless, he still managed to get 11% of the vote, which seemed like an impressive percentage, all things considered.
2. Kanye West
Kanye West has been the subject of countless controversies over the course of his career. From interrupted awards shows to several public feuds, West was no stranger to combative behavior. However, one of the strangest moments in his career was his bid for the presidency of The United States. On July 4th, 2020, Kanye West announced his campaign for President of the United States. In what seemed like another media stunt by the controversial rapper, West managed to qualify for ballot access in 12 states. His bid for the highest office in the US garnered over 66 thousand votes, receiving an average of 0.32% of voter support
1. Wyclef Jean
Wyclef Jean has never been stranger to politics in his art. He helped galvanize the socially conscious rap group The Fugees in the early ’90 and has been politically active ever since. Jean has tackled several political topics in his art, but in 2010 he went a step further.
Stream “Pelle Coat” off Lil Durk’s New Album, Almost Healed. Out Now: https://lilDurk.lnk.to/AlmostHealed Tour On Sale: http://almost-healed.com/ Follow Lil Durk: https://LilDurk.lnk.to/instagram https://LilDurk.lnk.to/twitter https://LilDurk.lnk.to/TikTok https://LilDurk.lnk.to/Facebook Listen To Lil Durk: https://LilDurk.lnk.to/spotify https://LilDurk.lnk.to/applemusic https://LilDurk.lnk.to/soundcloud Shop: https://otfgear.com/ Subscribe: http://bit.ly/Subscribe-to-Durk Director : Steve Cannon Executive Producer : Nolan Riddle Executive producer :Peter Jideonwo “unnecessaryballing” Producer : Tashi Bhutia DP: Liam Reardon & BBTHDP Editor : Keats Sound Design : Ayo Douson Titles : Damien O DeAnda
Diddy, City Girls, and Fabolous get freaky in new “Act Bad” video
“If you look good, act bad” might be the platonic ideal of a summer slogan — a simple mantra that can be used to write off bad behavior as the weather gets steamy. With this emphatic statement of intent, Diddy, City Girls, and Fabolous are laying it all on the line in an attempt to do for summer 2023 what Meg, Nicki, and Ty did for summer 2019: provide an unimpeachable summer anthem for rash decisions and guilt-free entanglements.
In 2014, the 20-year-old Aminé was just another college dropout with a mixtape, trawling for beats on SoundCloud. But rapping over Kaytranada’s single “At All,” his nimble flow served as the perfect foil to the Montreal producer’s funky, uptempo take on neo-soul. Kaytra—in the process of assembling his debut EP for XL—heard his remix “Not at All” and reached out to offer the beats that would go on to highlight Aminé’s 2015 mixtape Calling Brio. Despite their clear chemistry, their only other collaboration would come on Rejjie Snow’s 2018 single “Egyptian Luvr.” Then, in 2021, the pair rented a luxe beach house in Malibu and got to work. After two weeks of recording, they debuted the results to a party full of friends.
Enter Kaytraminé, the duo’s self-titled collaborative album. The 11-track LP—featuring heavy hitters like Pharrell, Snoop Dogg, and the ascendant Ghanaian singer Amaarae—is a buoyant summer jaunt that artfully meshes the two artists’ styles and sensibilities. As a producer, Kaytranada is a svengali of samples, stacking tracks like building blocks to craft fresh beats with a vintage feel. Aminé—not unlike Anderson .Paak, another Kaytra collaborator—is a goofy yet technically proficient MC with singing chops who doesn’t shy away from a twerk-friendly dance record or a crude joke.
Kaytranada’s first two albums flowed like seamless mixes, his house-adjacent style bending and shifting to suit the personalities of the guest vocalists. But his production discography is evidence of his innate ability to adapt to other artists’ styles, whether it’s Kelela, Cadence Weapon, or Freddie Gibbs. The funk-influenced tropical house of Kaytraminé wouldn’t feel out of place on Bubba or 99.9%. But there are tonal shifts that seem designed to showcase Aminé’s range as a singer and a rapper, like the strings swirling around his stop-and-go flow on “Westside” or the sparse arrangement of the latest entry in his series of “STFU” tracks.
Aminé’s two most recent solo albums balanced wistful optimism with sneering swagger, presenting him as a party boy who occasionally paused for self-reflection or a critique of consumer capitalism. That Aminé appears long gone, giving way to a hedonist whose favorite boast is his Delta Medallion status. As a party record, Kaytraminé has no skips—provided that party is loud enough to camouflage some of the cornier lyrics. Aminé’s oral (sex) fixation gets old fast, and a few lines are groan-worthy enough to distract from the fun (“Just popped an X bitch I feel like I’m Malcolm,” he raps on “Who He Iz”).
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