Why Rappers Are Entering The Political Arena

With the recent announcement of Luther Campbell, known to the world as Uncle Luke of the disbanded 2 Live Crew, throwing his hat into the political arena by announcing that he will be running in the August primary for the 20th Congressional District in Florida, it won’t be the first time a rapper has run for political office. In fact, several recording artists have taken that road to political office. Since hip-hop broke into the commercial music scene in the late 1970s, rappers have been advocating for the community through their lyrics and songs, and quite a few have walked the walk and talked the talk.

Rappers like Chuck D (Public Enemy), Ice Cube (N.W.A.), Tupac Shakur, Brand Nubian, Kendrick Lamar, KRS-One (Boogie Down Productions), Common and a host of others and, of course, possibly the first hip-hop group to give a full realistic story about the neighborhood they grew up in, Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five with The Message, hip-hop has always spoken for the “little” people, the folks who didn’t have a voice and needed one.

So, it was fate that rappers would elevate, and instead of just speaking about the troubles in the neighborhood, they would take action to help the hood. Over the years, many rappers have participated in food drives and charity efforts, spoken out about police brutality and racism, and otherwise addressed issues affecting the community by actually being IN the community. So, it was natural that a few would enter into the world of politics, and I’m certain many more will, especially with the current climate from the local politician straight up to the highest office in the country, with the President of the United States, Donald Trump, taking liberties and history away from us.

Recording artists like Brad Jordan, also known as Scarface from the Geto Boys, ran for a city council seat in Houston in District D in 2019. Rhymefest took his chance and almost won when he ran for alderman of the 20th Ward in his hometown of Chicago in 2011. And this isn’t Luke’s first rodeo in the political arena, as he ran for Mayor of Miami-Dade County in 2011.

Currently, DoItAll, who is still performing and is one-third of the New Jersey-bred group, Lords of the Underground, is an elected official in his hometown of Newark, NJ. When he was elected West Ward Councilman, the Honorable Dupré L. Kelly became the first platinum-selling Hip Hop artist in the country to win a seat in elected office.

The Root asked him what motivated him to run for political office.

“Being a part of the hip-hop culture, since I fell in love with it in 1979, I quickly learned that it was rooted in politics,” said DoItAll. “Anytime something is left out of the mainstream and doesn’t have the same resources as other cultures, things can quickly become political.

“My pivot towards the political arena was driven by a commitment to serve my community and to address the challenges that our residents face daily. Growing up in Newark, where I now govern, I experienced firsthand the issues of crime, economic disparity, and lack of resources that plague our neighborhoods. This personal connection motivated me to seek change not just for myself, but for all those who call Newark home.”

Perhaps the rapper with the most eyes on him after entering politics from a career in hip-hop is Moses Michael Levi Barrow (born Jamal Michael Barrow), better known as Shyne. Shyne was no stranger to politics, as his father, Dean Barrow, was the fourth prime minister of Belize, where Shyne went back after being in prison due to a shooting at a New York club in 1999.

After returning to Belize and entering politics, he won a seat in the House of Representatives for Mesopotamia in 2020, serving until losing his seat as the Opposition Leader in the House of Representatives and as leader of the Belize United Democratic Party in 2025. He gave a statement on why he entered politics.

“I found satisfying meaning in serving the people in my Mesopotamia Constituency,” Shyne told The Root. “I have always been about philanthropy, thus the transition was seamless. When I was making albums I was involved in giving back to my community, I was a voice of the voiceless in my community, something in the House of Representatives, you are elected to Parliament to to be the Representative of the People who voted for you to be their voice, I went from speaking for my community and similar communities via my album to speak in the House of Representatives, difference is my songs may have an impact on the policy makers whereas when I became the policy maker, I could implement the legislation to have the impact on the people that need my help.”

Bronx rapper-turned-street activist Mysonne, who spent time in prison and has been advocating for the community and for young boys to adopt a more positive mindset, was recently appointed to a position on Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s transition team, serving on committees for public safety and criminal justice. He has been fighting for equal rights and against racism and against the way Blacks are treated by law enforcement and the court system, as he always proclaimed his innocence after being convicted in 1999 and serving seven years in prison.

He explained why he decided to shift his focus to the political system.

“I chose to get involved because I was formerly incarcerated for a crime I never committed,” Mysonne stated. “I think of the Black and brown boys in the system and how my experience can teach them about the pitfalls of the system.

“Not only did I want to talk about it, but I wanted to be part of the solution. I started my non-profit, Raising Kings, which focuses on helping black and brown youth in avoiding those perils, but also create advocacy for change in the systems and protecting our communities. The Eric Gardner killing and the Trayvon Martin killing were the first moments that made me want to get more involved in preventing those situations from happening again.”