SoundCloud Rap is Now Having A MAGA Moment
Although 50 Cent may have rescinded his support of Donald Trump in the upcoming presidential election, which may or may not have something to do with his ex-girlfriend, comedian Chelsea Handler, it looks like President Trump has a new supporter -- SoundCloud's Zoomer sensation, Lil Pump.
The rapper first expressed his support for POTUS earlier this week, sharing an um, very subtly photoshopped image of him shaking the President's Hand. "THE DAY I MET TRUMP," he wrote, adding a palm tree emoji, followed by the hashtag #trump202022020, drawing mixed reactions from his millions of fans. "Oh god here comes the white liberals who are under 18 telling black people who to vote for," commented user pirates_updates.1. "Time to unfollow & forget about u again," wrote Instagrammer x0.taania in a comment which has since garnered more than 39,000 likes. "YEAH YOUR CANCELED," added itstalithacumi in another comment.
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Yet the controversy only seemed to fuel the "Gucci Gang" rapper -- in the days since endorsing President Trump, Lil Pump has doubled down on the MAGA content, posting several stories and videos on social media expressing his passion for his candidate of choice, citing taxation against the wealthy as one of the reasons for joining the Trump Train. "All I gotta say is Trump 2020, bitch" he said on an Instagram story since immortalized on Twitter. "Fuck I look like paying an extra 33 in taxes for Biden," he quipped before adding a string of expletives. After all, Lil Pump, the lyrical genius behind lines such as "I'm a millionaire, and I don't know how to read," "dropped out, now I'm richer than your mom," and "I sell crack on PayPal" has always had a way with words.
While some conservatives, namely right-wing pundit Tomi Lahren, took to Twitter to welcome the 20-year-old rapper to their team ...
... Lil Pump's label, Tha Lights Global, issued a statement countering their artist's endorsement. "Tha Lights Global supports everyone's right to choose a Presidential candidate, however we want to make clear we do not support Donald Trump," CEO Dooney Battle told Billboard. "We support Joe Biden and Kamala Harris for President and Vice President because we believe they offer an alternative to an administration that has ignored systemic racial injustice, promoted hate speech and inhumane immigration policies, ignored the problem of climate change and rights of LGBTQ+ individuals as well as many other actions contrary to democratic ideals. We believe it is our obligation to speak out regarding this historic election and we believe in a free society where all of our artists can express their opinions."
A few weeks ago, I wrote an article exploring the nuances of the "Karen Del Rey" question, examining how we as fans should proceed when our favorite artists and celebrities, like Lana Del Rey, express questionable behavior, especially during such a contentious time in our nation's history. Now, reader, I have a confession to make. As some of you know, I'm a zoomer, meaning I, like many of my friends, have a penchant for SoundCloud rap. Over the past few years, Lil Pump's music, in my eyes, has evolved from half-ironic songs played just for the meme to a full-on party playlist staple, embracing the absolute high-energy absurdity and infectious catchiness of his work. Hell, I have even had full conversations with a number of my friends exclusively using Lil Pump quotes -- and to those of you judging me, I implore you to try it for yourself. It's impossible not to smile when discussing the idea of partying on jet skis with strippers after dropping out of Harvard (which it should be noted, he did not do). While I respect every American's constitutional right to vote for the candidate of their choice, I must admit, this complicates things for me.
With more than 17 million followers on Instagram and one million on Twitter, Lil Pump is a massively influential figure whether we like it or not, who, in some ways, is the poster child for SoundCloud rap and Gen Z as a whole. The way he uses his platform, like that of other celebrities, is his prerogative. Although Lil Pump and I may not see eye to eye politically, a notion which applies to the majority of our peers, with data showing that Zoomers sway even further left than their millennial counterparts, at least we can hope his endorsement pushes more young people to vote in one of the most critical elections of our lifetime. Voting -- it's Gucci.
For information on voting, click here. For more Lil Pump content from a writer who had "Drop Out" as her morning alarm for a good six months, follow Carly on Instagram @HuntressThompson_ and on Twitter @TennesAnyone.
