JANS – N Less Entertainment announced their partnership with Southern Poverty Law Center and Hip Nation for Mississippi HBCU Tour to encourage young students to vote and participate in the HBCU GOTV Hip Hop Text-a-Thon ahead of the November 2023 elections. The Hip-Hop Text-a-thon took place on Tuesday, Oct.24 where hip hop artists and representatives from N Less Entertainment, SPLC, and Hip Nation visited Tougaloo College, Jackson State University, and Mississippi Valley State University.
Hip-hop artists for the student voter initiative includes N Less Entertainment artists BIG30, Big Homiie G, DeeMula, Drac Baby, BezzalBoyBlacc, and CMG recording artist Big Boogie, where they engaged with hundreds of students around the significance of voting, raised awareness amongst the changes in their community and state laws, and joined the students in sending voter mobilization text messages to voters throughout Mississippi to remind them to vote on November 7th.
“We are committed to providing Black students with the knowledge and opportunities to empower them to make decisions that affect their futures,” says KeMario Brown, General Manager/Senior Vice President of N Less Entertainment. “We have a responsibility as leaders to raise awareness and with the support from SPLC and Hip Nation, our artists will work to encourage them to be a part of the solution to our communities’ problems and that begins with VOTING.”
According to data from the 2022 elections, voter turnout was at an all-time low, especially in places like Mississippi, where fewer than a third of the eligible voting population voted.
“Voting is the cornerstone of our democracy. Yet, there is a long history of political oppression that has led to the isolation of a significant portion of people in this country – namely, Black people,” said Waikinya Clanton, State Director of the SPLC Mississippi State Office. “It is important that initiatives like the HBCU GOTV Hip Hop Text-A-Thon are community-focused, culturally relevant, and responsive, speak boldly to concerns and interests of a high probability voting bloc. The Hip-Hop Text-a-Thon connects culture, community, and cause with the goal of mobilizing and empowering young people to positively impact and influence the electoral process.”
According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, Mississippi is one of only three states to impose lifelong voting bans on people convicted of certain felonies. Mississippi also lacks basic pro-voter programs such as early voting, no-excuse absentee voting, and online voter registration, which are commonplace elsewhere. The SPLC has run voter mobilization field programs like the Hip-Hop Text-a-thon to help Mississippians get registered and vote in spite of the state’s tough voter restrictions.
Cameron Trimble, Co-founder of Hip Nation, a new organization dedicated to using hip-hop to educate voters, said, “We’re thrilled to collaborate with SPLC and NLess Entertainment for the Hip Hop Text-a-Thon because we know firsthand the power of hip hop in driving civic engagement. Hip hop has the unique ability to connect with and influence individuals, making it a powerful tool in our mission to create more informed and engaged citizens.”
N Less Entertainment has quickly established itself as one of the premier record labels in hip-hop and is home to multi platinum hip-hop artists such as Moneybagg Yo, BIG30, Big Homiie G, Dee Mula, Fredo Ruthless etc., and super producer Turn Me Up YC.
Southern Poverty Law Center is a catalyst for racial justice in the South and beyond, working in partnership with communities to dismantle white supremacy, strengthen intersectional movements, and advance the human rights of all people.
To learn more, visit www.splcenter.org.
