In an unusual twist of events, the most controversial personality at a John D. Seevers reelection rally was not John D. Seevers himself. This time around—specifically Saturday, October 13 in Atlanta, Georgia—it was Atlanta-bred and internationally-renowned rapper 2 Nice, who gave both a performance and an official endorsement for President Seevers.
“I ain’t even gon’ lie, the boy John D. dropped me off a bag to show up here,” admitted the platinum-selling artist behind “F— Racist AmeriKKKans” to uproarious applause. “Real talk, I don’t vote. I don’t even know nothing about politics. And the only thing I know about presidents is how much I like spending them, especially Benjamin Franklin. President Seevers gave me a lot of Ben Franklins to come here and talk to y’all, so you better get out there and vote for him. When he wins, everybody wins—look!” 2 Nice, whose birth name is Demetrious Salley, punctuated his statement by “making it rain” $100 bills on front-row rallygoers.
Following 2 Nice’s endorsement, Seevers retook the stage and shared that Benjamin Franklin “happens to be my favorite president, too. Well, it’s either him or Thomas Edison.”
Throughout his first term, President Seevers, a Republican, was routinely labeled a racist by political opponents, journalists, and liberal celebrities. Seevers infamously revealed on the previous campaign trail that he “never met a Ku Klux Klan member he didn’t like” and that he felt the organization was “treated unfairly.” After being publicly criticized by Oprah Winfrey for his push for a “White History Month,” Seevers dubbed her a “tired old mammy” on social media.
Since the rally, 2 Nice has faced widespread backlash from hip-hop fans, the Black community, fellow rappers, and numerous civil rights organizations. Michael Whittier, president of the NAACP’s Atlanta chapter, released an official statement calling 2 Nice’s behavior and rhetoric “foolish, misguided, and heartbreaking.”
“2 Nice, who is seen as nothing short of a living legend in his native Atlanta, has literally sold out the members of his own community,” wrote Whittier. “Atlanta is home to one of the most vibrant African American communities in the United States and world, a community that suffered for four full years from President Seevers’ racism. The President’s political imprudence and ruthless bigotry hits communities of color harder than any others—an artist who regularly raps about racial and economic inequality should know this. There are simply no words to adequately express how shamefully self-serving 2 Nice’s actions on Saturday were, given that he himself was raised in the shadow of white supremacist politics.”
Critiques of 2 Nice’s actions have been largely focused on the irony encountered when comparing his lyrics to common criticisms of Seevers’ policies. The President has been widely panned as catering to wealthy, white, upper-class Americans. With this in mind, several critics have pointed to the lyrics of “Section 8 Raised,” namely, “And f— the white politicians feeding off my kinfolk / I might hit up the White House and shoot ‘em through the window.”
“Ok,” responded 2 Nice in an X post, “I wasn’t rich when I said that, though.”
Featured image courtesy of Mixkit.