The Vote or Else coalition launched with local leaders and celebrity rappers for community canvassing in East Detroit’s District 2 and West Detroit’s District 6.   Local artists like Baby Money, Babyface Ray, GT, GMAC Cash, and Icewear Vezzo joined forces with activist rapper, YelloPain and rap heavyweights, Beanie Sigel and Styles P, to ensure their neighborhoods were registered to vote and equipped to make their voices heard in November’s election. This grassroots effort, supported by SEIU and Color of Change, took hip hop out of the studio and into the streets, directly connecting culture with community action.   From there, the Vote or Else coalition took their energy to Detroit’s campuses, with the College Campus Crawl at Wayne State University and Pensole Lewis College. Engaging students on critical issues, the coalition ignited young voters with the power of their collective voice—reminding them that the future of democracy is in their hands.   A Town Hall for the People   But the real crescendo hit at 6:30 PM when the Vote or Else day of civic engagement culminated in a star-studded “Democracy or Else: Town Hall & Celebrity Debate,” where notable activists joined forces with hip hop music icons to discuss the future of democracy, the role of culture in shaping political consciousness, what’s at stake in 2024, the urgent need to inspire disengaged voters and how hip-hop can help fuel political participation in Black and underserved communities.   The panel was moderated by Pastor Mike McBride, Brittany Packnett Cunningham, and Wayne “Wayno” Clark. The panelists included Killer Mike, Pusha T, Beanie Sigel, Mysonne, Icewear Vezzo, Jotaka Eaddy, Tamika Mallory, YelloPain, Phil Agnew, Blacc Sam, Shaheem Reid, Jorge “JP” Peniche, Smoke DZA and Styles P.   A Soundtrack for the Movement   As a celebratory close to the successful launch of the Vote or Else campaign, the coalition also dropped the lead single from their highly anticipated Or Else EP, “Still Here.”   The EP, produced by industry titans like Helluva, Havoc (Mobb Deep), and Playa Haze, is a five-track powerhouse soundtrack designed as “movement music” to reflect the urgency and mood of underserved communities during this pivotal election season. “Still Here,” features Benny The Butcher, Freeway, Black Thought, Jay Electronica, Metal Feet, and social justice leader Jotaka Eaddy, who sets the tone with a message that is as much about survival as it is about resilience.   “Still Here” is already buzzing and setting the stage for an EP that blends the power of hip-hop with the passion of political activism. It is now available for download on all platforms.   The post ‘Vote or Else’ Launches With Hip-Hop Icons And Notable Activists appeared first on Atlanta Daily World.