Rapper Rhymefest Running in Chicago’s First School Board Election

For the Grammy winner, his mission is bigger than rap. It's an artist's 'duty,' he says, to support their communities.

Rhymefest is now venturing into Chicago politics. The rapper, also known for his past collaborations with Kanye West (Ye), is entering the city’s first- ever school board election, which will take place Nov. 5.

“I rap and that’s my daytime thing, however I would always come back to Chicago,” he explained to People. “I never moved out of my Great Grandma’s house. As a rapper, I’m always telling artists it is not our obligation to ‘make it out of the hood’. It is our duty to rebuild the community.”

While his former collaborator Ye ventured into education with the now-defunct Donda Academy, Rhymefest is drawing from different inspirations for his campaign. His inspirations include the works of James Baldwin, which he reads with the children at his community service program.

“I would teach James Baldwin’s book The Fire Next Time. Young people would say, ‘What is that? Who wrote that?’ And I’m like, ‘You never heard of James Baldwin?’,” Rhymefest said. “I realized our schools are not giving culturally relevant curriculum. Our schools are not preparing our children for a modern economy and a modern world. That’s what inspired me.”

Baldwin’s writings did more than encourage him to pursue the school board seat. His latest album James and Nikki: A Conversation, released under the Golden State Warriors’ record label, tackles the conversation between Baldwin and Nikki Giovanni, a fellow writer and activist.

“I saw a homosexual man, a bisexual woman, two artists, a teacher and a student, a husband and a wife, I saw alchemy happening,” he shared of the album’s intentions. “They were playing every role. It was everything. I said this conversation has to be remade into a hip-hop album…I’m rapping to those who yearn to learn.”

Despite juggling both an album release and election campaign, Rhymefest is dedicated to inspiring and uplifting the next generation in Chicago. The 47-year-old Oscar winner hopes to be part of this inaugural class that prioritizes the community.

“In Chicago the budget for our school board is $10 billion a year. Historically, the mayor would choose who could manage that budget,” said Rhymefest. “There’s been a community effort, including myself and many teachers, for there to be an elected school board. Chicago’s the only major metropolitan city that has not had an elected school board. This is the first time.”