>>> IT’S CERTAINLY TRUE THAT
CONTROL OF CONGRESS AND STATE
AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT IS KEY.
PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGNS SPEND THE
MOST MONEY, THEY GET THE MOST
ATTENTION, BUT IT’S THE OTHER
OFFICES THAT DECIDE RULES FOR
KEY ISSUES, LIKE MINIMUM WAGE,
HEALTH CARE, HOUSING, LAW
ENFORCEMENT.
AND VOTER INTEREST AND TURNOUT
TYPICALLY DROPS FOR ALL OF THESE
OTHER RACES.
AND THAT IS PART OF THE ARGUMENT
FROM A NEW MUSIC VIDEO THAT JUST
WENT VIRAL WITH A CIVICS BREAKDOWN THAT IS ON POINT.
>>> THAT SONG IS MY VOTE DON’T
COUNT BY OHIO RAPPER YELLOW
PAIN, WHOSE STYLE IS TO CONFESS
REALLY THAN PREACH RECOUNTING
HIS OWN POLITICAL AWAKENING AS
OBAMA RAN FOR PRESIDENT AND FACT
CHECKING THAT OBAMA DIDN’T GET
ENOUGH DONE.
♪ ♪
♪
>>> THE VIDEO YOU ARE SEEING A
CLIP OF WENT VIRAL.
IT IS HEADED FOR A MILLION VIEWS
AFTER ONE MONTH ONLINE.
IT IS A RARE PIECE OF POLITICAL CULTURE THAT’S DRAWING PRAISE
CULTURE THAT’S DRAWING PRAISE
FROM EVERYONE FROM WHICH HE WILL
CLINTON.
RECENTLY HUDDLING WITH GEORGIA
DEMOCRAT STACEY ABRAMS WHO IS
RUMORED TO BE ON JOE BIDEN’S
SHORT LIST FOR VP.
YELLOWPAIN IS ON THE BEAT.
THANKS FOR BEING HERE.
>> WHAT’S GOING ON?
>> YELLOW, THERE IT IS.
>> YOU GOT TO SAY IT LIKE THAT.
>> YOU HAVE GOTTEN A LOT OF
PEOPLE’S ATTENTION HERE.
WHAT DID YOU SET OUT TO DO WITH
THIS VIDEO?
>> THE PURPOSE REALLY WAS TO
JUST TAKE PEOPLE LIKE ME WHO
RECENTLY, YOU KNOW, A PERSON WHO
RECENTLY DIDN’T KNOW NOTHING
ABOUT THE VOTING PROCESS, WHO IS
NOW EDUCATED ON IT, TO JUST GIVE
EVERYBODY ELSE THAT SAME WAKE-UP
MOMENT I HAD.
>> AND YOU BREAK DOWN, OKAY,
THIS IS THE SYSTEM OF
GOVERNMENT.
WE ALL GO TO SCHOOL, BUT A LOT
OF PEOPLE DON’T REALLY PAY
ATTENTION TO POLITICS,
ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU ARE YOUNG
AND BUSY.
SO HOW DID YOU KIND OF BRUSH
BACK UP ON GIVING THIS CIVICS
LESSON?
>> YEAH, THAT’S A FACT.
WE CERTAIN SO BRIEFLY YOUNGER,
BUT THE PRESIDENT IS KIND OF THE
FACE OF IT, BUT THERE IS SO MANY
MORE DIFFERENT PARTS IN HOW US
VOTING CAN CHANGE THE COMMUNITY.
I REALLY WOKE UP TO IT LIKE,
WOW, THIS HAS GOT TO BE
SOMETHING WE TALK ABOUT.
>> WHAT ISSUES DO YOU THINK ARE
MOST IMPORTANT THEN AT THAT
LOCAL LEVEL, NOT JUST THE
PRESIDENTIAL LEVEL?
>> YEAH.
IT’S A LOT OF DIFFERENT ISSUES.
THE ONES THAT ARE, YOU KNOW,
MOST IMPORTANT FOR ME, THINGS
THAT AFFECT ME EVERY DAY AS FAR
AS, YOU KNOW, LIKE THE PILES IN
THE STREET.
I WENT FROM DAYTON, OHIO AND YOU
RIDE UP SALEM AVENUE AND IT’S
LIKE THE MOST IMPORTANT STREET
IN THE CITY.
IT’S ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT
STREETS.
JUST THINGS LIKE THAT TO MINIMUM
WAGE.
SOME OF MY FAMILY BEING ABLE TO
GET MORE MONEY EVERY TWO WEEKS
TO HELP WITH STUFF.
SO JUST STUFF THAT AFFECT OUR
EVERY DAY LIVES.
A LOT OF PEOPLE THINK IT IS THE
PRESIDENT, BUT IT IS LIKE THE
LOCAL GOVERNMENT.
>> MUSIC SO OFTEN IS PEOPLE’S
EXPERIENCES.
THAT’S WHY WE CONNECT WITH IT
BECAUSE IT’S LIKE, WOW, YOU CAN
REALLY UNDERSTAND A LITTLE BIT
MORE ABOUT WHERE SOMEONE IS
COMING FROM.
BUT IT CAN ALSO OF COURSE BE
DREAMS.
IT CAN BE VISION.
YOU HAVE A VERY POSITIVE KIND OF
HOPEFUL VISION HERE THAT I WANT
TO SHARE WITH OUR VIEWERS
BECAUSE MAY NOT ALWAYS KNOW
ABOUT THIS.
LET’S PLAY ONE OTHER PART OF
THIS SONG WHERE YOU TALK ABOUT
WHAT A BETTER LIFE THROUGH POLITICS MIGHT LOOK LIKE.
>>> IT WASN’T REALLY ABOUT IT
BEING COOL, YOU KNOW WHAT I’M
SAYING, WHEN I MADE THIS SONG.
IT WAS ABOUT THE PURPOSE.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE RALLY FOR SO
MUCH FOR CHANGE IN OUR
COMMUNITY, AND WE DON’T -- WE
PERSONALLY FEEL LIKE IT’S
NOTHING WE CAN DO ABOUT IT.
WE’RE WAITING FOR SOMEBODY ELSE
TO DO IT FOR US.
SO MY PURPOSE OF MAKING THAT
SONG WASN’T REALLY TO BE COOL.
I GOT ENOUGH COOL RAP SONGS.
THERE IS ENOUGH COOL RAP SONGS
OUT THERE.
I JUST WANTED TO START A
CONVERSATION ABOUT FOLLOWING UP,
STAYING ON YOUR CANDIDATES SO
THAT YOUR CHILDREN AND
CHILDREN’S CHILDREN REAP THE
BENEFITS OF US VOTING
CONSISTENTLY.
>> STAY INVOLVED, KEEP PEOPLE
ACCOUNTABLE IN THE COMMUNITY.
>> EXACTLY, NOT JUST THIS TIME.
>> HOW DO I SAY IT?
>> YELLOW!
THANK YOU VERY MUCH AND
CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR WORK.
A LOT OF PEOPLE CLEARLY INSPIRED
BY IT.
>> YELLO!
GO TO YOUTUBE RIGHT NOW.
YOU CAN SEARCH MY VOTE DON’T
COUNT.
WE APPRECIATE HIM STOPPING BY.