Hip-hop recording artist 2 Chainz is seriously considering running for mayor in his hometown of College Park, Georgia. The rapper who famously rapped the line, “Let’s play big bank take little bank/You are looking at a shark in a fish tank/When I’m in the kitchen, I made plenty cash/Tell shawty come here, she got plenty ass/Yeah, I love them strippers,” may run for mayor this year. “I am looking forward to running at the end of this year or next year. Waiting to see if I meet all of the qualifications,” the rapper told the Atlanta Journal Constitution. 2 Chainz first mentioned he was going to run for mayor during an interview with XXL magazine. The rapper said that after his televised debate against Nancy Grace over legalizing marijuana, a lot of his fans asked him to run for mayor.
“I’m a musician, not a politician. I’m supposed to be running for mayor in College Park. I got everybody wishing.” The rapper added, “I’m really gonna do this little mayor thing in College Park. I’m just trying to make sure I have the right qualifications.” Some of the qualifications 2 Chainz is referring to include being a US citizen, having been a resident of the city for one year at the time one qualifies, and providing verification that one’s rights have been restored after a felony conviction. 2 Chainz is a convicted felon, but he openly discussed his position on a felon’s right to vote during the Respect My Vote! campaign.
“I’ve had a felony record since I was 15 years old. I made mistakes when I was too young to know different or better.” He added, “I, like many, thought that because I was once a felon, I had lost my right to vote forever.” The rapper continued, “Then I did some research, and I learned that wasn’t the case. Every state has somewhat different laws, but in most cases ex-felons can vote.” 2 Chainz isn’t the first rapper to attempt a position in local politics. In 2011, 2 Live Crew rapper Luke ‘Uncle Luke‘ Campbell ran for mayor of Miami-Dade County in South Florida. Luke Campbell ended up losing the race that year.