If you’re not feeling the democratic, republican or independent parties you may have a new option to pick from, which may be led by a few familiar rap faces.
LLCoolJ and BustaRhymes are not only leaders in the hip-hop community they could also be leaders in the political arena by spearheading their own party line for the upcoming New York elections. After expressing frustration that urban issues are often pushed to the side, members of the hip-hop community began building their own party which is called New American Party.
#JineeaButler is the founder of the Hip-Hop Union and also a Republican congressional candidate against Rep. Adriano Espaillat (D-Manhattan), according to New York Daily News. Right now, Butler is looking at LL and Busta as potential running candidates for the governor.
“We’re looking for somebody that can energize the vote so we can clear the 50,000 votes (needed to secure a guaranteed ballot line the next four years) and someone who resonates with millennials and young folks,” Butler said.⠀⠀⠀
Butler says she is going to mold the New American Party the same way hip-hop was molded into the most influential and dominant music genre. “Hip-hop changed the world 40, 45 years ago when it started. It just gave people an absolute freedom of speech,” she explained. “We want to use that same principle with a strong agenda that addresses economic disparity and prosperity-driven initiatives. This would work right now in America. America needs something else. We’re fighting against each other. We’ve come too far in this country to go back to racism. Hip-hop brought people together.”
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More than 15,000 people have signed the petition in support of the new party. Musical artists like #EricB have been helping with the process. “Part of what we want to show is that we can pull out large numbers in a short amount of time, that people can get involved in the political spectrum, and it’s worth the investment into the opportunity,” Butler added.
