President Obama is enlisting the help of some music heavyweights to come up with creative ways to push criminal justice reform and bolster his My Brother’s Keeper initiative.
Common, J. Cole, Busta Rhymes, Ludacris, Wale and Chance the Rapper are among the rappers who will attend the meeting Friday afternoon, according to an administration official.
Alicia Keys and Janelle Monae will also be in attendance.
The president launched My Brother’s Keeper last year, saying the success and uplift of young men of color will be his “mission” for the “rest of his life.”
Earlier this month, New York became the first state to officially adopt the program.
The purpose of the meeting Friday is to strategize additional ways for the artists to raise awareness on the two issues, which the administration has made a high priority.
This isn’t the first time Obama has received some help from some of hip-hop’s finest. He invited Kendrick Lamaer to the White House last fall. The rapper cut a PSA for My Brother’s Keeper and encouraged his massive fan base to help the initiative by taking mentorship seriously.
Back in February, Alicia Keys posted a YouTube video urging House Speaker Paul Ryan to vote on criminal justice legislation. Busta Rhymes has talked about reforming the nation’s prison system on his Instagram account.
White House Senior Adviser Valerie Jarrett and My Brother’s Keeper Chair Broderick Johnson will also be in attendance at the meeting Friday.