Martin Luther King can be seen as a proto-rapper, a Baptist minister who spoke with so much passion and eloquence that he had audiences numbering in the hundreds of thousands hanging onto his every word.
But that is not why King is beloved in the hip hop community (and beyond). He used nonviolent protest to fight on behalf of the marginalized black community. King was a true man of the people.
Today, such hip hop figures as Meek Mill, Nas, Talib Kweli, DJ Khaled, & Busta Rhymes took a moment to honor Dr. King on social media for MLK day.
Run the Jewels MC and part-time political activist Killer Mike encouraged people to honor King by voting for the presidential candidate who most embodies King's political beliefs. "Black Folks y'all already know a democratic socialist," he wrote. "His name was King. Vote the person who mirrors his policy." Wonder who he's talking about?
Check out some of the posts below.
