PITTSBURGH – Hip-hop could put the next president in the White House.

Before you call it over the top – like Lamborghini rhymes by a broke rapper – know that in the key electoral state of Pennsylvania, the organization 1 Hood power he imported a listing of Hall of Fame rappers to mobilize voters. Fat Joe, Jeezy, Common, Cordae, Bun B, Redman, Method Man and Lupe Fiasco got here to Pittsburgh to debate what’s at stake on Election Day. Actors Kerry Washington, Brian Tyree Henry and Viola Davis also responded to 1Hood’s call to motion.

The rappers have brought many years of influence, legions of listeners and greater than 24 million Instagram followers to the state that may likely decide whether Vice President Kamala Harris or former President Donald Trump wins the Nov. 5 election. In 2020, Joe Biden defeated Trump by 80,555 votes in Pennsylvania. It needs to be much closer this 12 months, in accordance with current polls in Pennsylvania Harris and Trump tied. So every bar these artists spat on stage, every quote they delivered on a panel carries weight.

“We use hip-hop culture to build community strength” Brave Xthe rapper, founder and CEO of 1Hood told me. “Using merch, using the entire artistic legacy of hip-hop to actually change the lives of our community.”

As Jeezy said in the Andscape documentary culture and the president have gone hand in hand from the very starting. From the New York City Breakers acting at Ronald Reagan’s inaugural gala in 1984 to Harris hosting Lil Wayne, Remy Ma and other rappers for a “hip-hop party” at her official residence last 12 months to rejoice the genre’s fiftieth anniversary, politicians and rappers have long exploited one another for popularity and influence.

Trump is not any exception – he welcomed rapper Kanye West to the Oval Office, pardoned Lil Wayne and Kodak Black, who supported him at the time, and now supports him with major stars reminiscent of Sexy Red and Benny The Butcher. However, to this point, hip-hop has not made a consistent and arranged effort in support of Trump, which makes the actions of Jasiri X and 1Hood much more vital.

Another notable aspect of the 1Hood movement is how it really works from the ground up. 1Hood helped elect city council members, county executives and judges who support Black and Latino communities. In 2021, the organization helped elect the first Black mayor in the history of Pittsburgh, which can have a Black population of roughly 23.1% in 2022. In 2022, 1Hood helped make Summer Lee the first Black woman to represent Pennsylvania in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Now Jasiri X and his team have done it ear Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, working on the transition team that helped fill the Shapiro administration. And they’ll put rap legends and movie stars on the same stage – like Tuesday night when Jasiri X interviewed Davis at a theater in Pittsburgh to field voters. The event was a collaboration between 1Hood and Hip-Hop Political Education Summit, which organized similar online events in 2020. 1Hood can even stream a conversation with Davis together with others from the Black and Brown Men & the Vote summit starting November 1 on the Breakbeat Media YouTube page.

“We hope that we can bring the culture to Pennsylvania, which will become a decider state,” said Jasiri X. “Obviously, I’m someone who wants Kamala Harris to win. I definitely don’t want Trump to win. We did just that in 2020 – winning Pennsylvania put Joe Biden in the White House. So we hope we can do the same in this election.”

Bakari Kitwanawriter and long-time political organizer of hip-hop, confirmed the importance of 1Hood’s work. “They do it at the grassroots level of the community, mobilizing people, getting information from the community and having conversations with the community,” Kitwana said. “They have built a level of credibility in the community as a trusted voice for people who are not here seeking their own gain. So I think the work has the potential to go much further.”

Jasiri X looks at this horizon.

“What if we start creating policies that actually change the living conditions of these communities so that they are no longer the places that cause all this violence and harm?” he said. “We have the power to do that.

“We are the No. 1 music genre in the world. We have the power to vary and influence not only the next leader of the United States, but we actually influence the policies that impact our communities day-after-day. That’s what I’d wish to see.”

The importance of the presentation was embedded in Mirny Jose heart since she was just a little girl. Her mother all the time placed great importance on learn how to do that Jose she showed her hair. Jose’s upbringing is comparable to that of other women of color who cope with textured hair. Throughout her childhood, she relied heavily on her mother for normal ejaculations, relaxers, and colourful outfits. It was only when she was about to go away for school that Jose faced the challenge of learning to style her own hair.

“My mom gave me a crash course in hair styling. I needed to quickly learn to the touch up the color, loosen up, and roll a series. She even bought me a conveyable hair dryer. The need to search out her roots made her fall in love with the experience.

CLEVELAND (AP) – The shot was familiar. It was the same with the roar.

As LeBron James watched from a couple of feet away, his son Bronny sparked one other cheer on the court in Cleveland. Bronny’s dad gave him the stage and knew what to do on the court where he first learned to dribble.

While LeBron sat on the bench in the final minutes of the loss, Bronny James scored his first points in an NBA game – on a shot that looked similar to his old one – on Wednesday night in a game Lost 134-110 to Cavaliers.

“To see him score his first NBA basket in the arena where he grew up not far from here is an unbelievable moment,” LeBron said. “It’s an unbelievable moment for him, and for our family, it’s just great to be a part of it.”

They were expected to play together. Instead, it was LeBron who watched Bronny get Cleveland going.

LeBron, who was battling a chilly, left the game in the fourth quarter after scoring 26 points in 29 minutes. Sitting at the end of the bench in Los Angeles, he could enjoy watching his son soak up the love of the Cleveland fans who had cheered him on every move for 11 seasons.

Proud barely described it.

“It’s the greatest thing in the world,” LeBron said after seeing his son’s dream come true.

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As the Cavs ran away from the Lakers, Cleveland fans began chanting “We want Bronny!” hoping to see the newbie they’d been watching growing up. The younger James checked in with 5:16 left and was loudly cheered each time he touched the ball.

He made two assists, after which, as an expert, he scored a basket with a shot from the left corner from 4 meters with 2:03 left. Cavs.

When the crowd erupted, Bronny wasn’t sure find out how to react.

“It was crazy,” he said. “Definitely quite a bit greater than I expected. It’s all love. It was a pleasant moment. These songs really captivated me. I had a serious look on my face, but I felt it and it felt pretty good, especially being from here.

When Bronny was little, he ran through the halls, rode the elevators, and shot on the practice court at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse while his famous dad played games.

Earlier in the day, Bronny recalled his return home to Ohio.

“It’s going to be really special,” he said after the morning shootaround. “It’s good to be here with dad – in our house.”

LeBron spent 11 seasons over two seasons with the Cavs, leading them to a championship in 2016, before leaving as a free agent for the Lakers two years later. Last week, the 39-year-old superstar and his 20-year-old son became the first father-son duo to play in an NBA game.

However, Bronny did not rating in the victory over Minnesota, missing each shots.

There was criticism of the Lakers’ decision to draft Bronny, who was chosen in the second round after a 12 months at USC. While a few of the reasons could have pleased LeBron, first-year Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson said it was touching to see them together.

“It’s a beautiful story,” Atkinson said. “I can’t even imagine having two children of my own. I like playing in the yard with my son. Doing it on an NBA court? Beautiful story. Love it. I think we should celebrate that.”

Once the Lakers complete their five-game road trip on November 6, Bronny is expected to affix the club’s G League team, the South Bay Lakers. Although he returned to his home state for business this time, the younger James said it is often an awesome pleasure to return to his roots.

“It’s good to be here,” he said before the match. “It’s nice to live slowly here in Ohio – very different than in Los Angeles.”

LeBron was also welcomed with open arms.

The four-time league MVP received an enormous ovation during the pregame introductions, and on the other hand when the Cavs played a video tribute to him and Bronny on the scoreboard during a first-quarter timeout.

LeBron joked that he didn’t prefer it.

“It was a pretty cool moment,” he said. “I didn’t really have a probability to make the most of the moment because we were drugged. I used to be a bit indignant at that time. I did not have a probability to essentially appreciate it. But I heard it.

Sitting next to one another during the press conference, LeBron and Bronny were in a position to reflect on one other unforgettable night in a spot they know well.

This time they left the team after making history.

First father and son to attain in an NBA game. And they did it in Cleveland.

“It’s definitely very humbling,” LeBron said. “We don’t take it for granted every time we come back and either play a game that we love or just be home and just be in the community. That’s pretty cool.”