TIME has revealed it's list of “100 Most Influential People” ahead of print publication. The list which is doted each year by Americans, covers a wide spectrum of "persons of influence" as well as a few names that exert their power behind the scenes. Tech giants were the first to see their names called, as were celebrities who used their social platform for political commentary. We are one day removed from witnessing a politician referencing a popular rapper in a rhetorical argument for social welfare. In 2018, social commitment is gauged on so many levels.
Of interest to our readership, many prominent members of the hip hop establishment and the Black community were rewarded for their cultural contributions. Musical artists Rihanna and Cardi B were commemorated in writing by Adele and Taraji P. Henson respectively. Adele wrote of Rihanna "She makes her own rules and bends ours." Her tenacious resolve is not something that can be adopted at will. Adele knows all too well that Rihanna's "groundbreaking world" is one that no one else will ever be safe in.
Although Taraji P. Henson admitted to not being able to completely identify with Cardi B, she was instantly touched by the rapper unapologetic self-represensation lauding her the "voice of the people." Popular entertainers Tiffany Haddish, Issa Rae and Chadwick Boseman also made their debuts on the list. On the other side of the spectrum, demagogues such as Kim Jong-Un and Donald Trump graced the list for all the wrong reasons.
