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2. Kendrick Lamar
Vice President(s): Black Hippy
Over the last few years, Kendrick Lamar has risen to become the voice of a generation. From Overly Dedicated to To Pimp a Butterfly, Kendrick has amassed a nation of true believers by renouncing his violent past and our country's bigoted present. His recent rise is similar to Obama’s 2008 campaign; he brings a wave of inspiration, hope, and belief that things will change for the better. He doesn’t mince words about institutional racism, holding everyone to new standard and inspiring us to do better.
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4. Waka Flocka Flame
Vice President: DJ Whoo Kid
Flocka knows how to weigh in on hot topics. In fact, he doesn't just weigh in, he dives in. With reckless abandon. Flocka would legalize marijuana, ban dogs from restaurants, and shift the checks and balances of government so that the executive branch has most of the power.
He already released a campaign video detailing these points, and named Hillary as his biggest competition. So he obviously has his finger on the pulse of American politics. The only thing stopping him is age—you have to be at least 35 to run for president, and Waka is 28. He could still run for the House of Representative, where the minimum age is 25.
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6. Yasiin Bey
Vice President: Talib Kweli
He’s one of the most political MCs on the list, and the artist formerly known as Mos Def isn't afraid to put his body in harm's way to prove a point. He recently reenacted the treatment of prisoners in protest at Guantanamo Bay (warning: if you haven't seen the below footage, it's pretty brutal). He’s spoken out on domestic prison reform and held a benefit concert for death row inmate Mumia Abu-Jamal.
Yasiin has also criticized how the Bush administration handled Hurricane Katrina, and is defiantly anti-nuke. He’s been in South Africa for some time due to some visa issues, but if and when he comes back as POTUS, he’ll pull no punches on the political stage.
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8. MF DOOM
9. Killer Mike
Vice President: El-P
Killer Mike is probably the most active rapper/activist on this list, and one of the only ones actually considering political office. There’s no scandal lingering in his past, unless you count a discography full of furiously awesome, violent, explicit raps. Which you shouldn't.
He’s extremely likeable, and as his TV appearances continue to pile up, the rest of America is waking up. His denunciation of Ronald Reagan remains one of political rap's crown jewels, and he's already getting invited to White House events.
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11. Queen Latifah
Vice President: Alicia Keys
Don’t call her a bitch, but Dana Elaine Owens may have been speaking prophetically when she named herself Queen Latifah. With her own talk show, endorsement deals, and presidential interviews under her belt, she's reaching Oprah-levels of success just as her movie career is peaking.
Beyond her connections, Latifah has shown that she can handle new challenges. From rapper to actress to singer to producer to talk show host to business woman, she has the skills to maneuver through issues of diplomacy, social issues, and as her role in Set It Off demonstrates, she has no discomfort around armed forces.
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13. Black Thought
Vice President: Questlove
Black Thought is one of the greatest MCs to touch the mic. He has an unassuming demeanor, but a cursory listen to any Roots album or any of his features will reveal one of history's greats—and we don't say that to mean his time has passed. On the contrary, The Roots have been around for the better part of two decades, and Black Thought (a.k.a. Tariq Trotter) is a big reason why.
He has a wealth of knowledge and is a natural diplomat—from Jimmy Fallon to Talib Kweli to Linkin Park, Black Thought knows how to smooth out each and every situation. Wouldn't you want that kind of personality in the Situation Room? He's also very experienced on camera, and with a running mate like Questlove, who could say no?
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15. Ghostface Killah
Vice President: Raekwon the Chef
Two words: Shaolin showdown. Ghostface's love of Eastern culture would bring two of the world's superpowers closer together than ever before. Plus, just look at how Ghost handled things with Action Bronson when Bam Bam started spouting off. Now imagine Bronson as Congress. Progress.
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17. KRS-One
Vice President: Nas
If you know anything about KRS-One, you'll be familiar with his signature outspokenness. He was Kanye before Kanye, so if Mr. West can run a country, his predecessor could rule it. Granted, he's had to put his foot in his mouth on occasion, but once he perfects the campaign rhetoric, KRS-One's political mind will kick into gear. He started the Stop the Violence Movement to address violence in low-income communities, is a vegan, and has made no secret of the problems he'd like to correct within the political system.
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19. J. Cole
Vice President: Drake
J. Cole is the candidate that did everything he was supposed to do. He’s a thoughtful guy who graduated magna cum laude and worked hard to get to where he is today.
With all that success, he still sees how flawed the system is. He's never given in to pop music, but he's retained a grassroots fan base, not unlike Bernie Sanders. And with Drake as his VP, this could be the most compassionate presidency we've ever seen.
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21. Nicki Minaj
Vice President: Meek Mill
Nicki Minaj will not be kept silent, whether she's in the studio or on stage. And even though her Trinidadian nationality may stop Nicki from actually running, there's no doubt what her top priority would be were she elected to office. Nicki is passionate about education, constantly imploring her fans to stay in school and follow through on their education. But these left-leaning mentalities are balanced by a lifelong Christianity, meaning Nicki can appeal to both sides of the aisle.
She's also a diplomat—look how she handled the Drake vs. Meek feud, ensuring things didn't get out of hand and always responding thoughtfully when asked the tough questions. She even went out of her way to make sure Meek knew it was his world tour, too. He might take some more convincing with a VP tag, though.
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23. Rakim
Vice President: Eric B
He’s been thinking of a master plan since 1987. Rakim is known as one of the best lyricists and rappers ever. More importantly, however, he’s one of the first conscious rappers to highlight social issues. A masterful storyteller with killer delivery, he would unseat Barack Obama as America's greater speaking President. His smooth demeanor let’s you know that when he gets into some sticky situations, he won’t sweat the technique.
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25. El-P
Vice President: Killer Mike
El-P doesn't get the same kinds of CNN invitations as the other half of Run The Jewels, but that doesn't mean he's not passionate about politics, especially when it comes to police brutality.
He’s talked about gentrification and how the Brooklyn he grew up in is nearly unrecognizable, and he’s critical of the war on terror. He’s not ostentatious, nor is he putting up a front. El-P has been rapping long enough that he doesn't need to put on airs, whether he's in the booth or the White House.
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27. Lupe Fiasco
Vice President: Tetsuo Shima
Lupe does not trust government, politics or the system. He's called Obama a terrorist and doesn't vote in elections.
He’s grown up on both sides of town, so to speak. Outside his childhood home lay Chicago's gangs and violence, but on the inside, there were books and education that helped one of hip-hop's most fertile minds sprout and grow. But someone who is intensely critical would in theory be the very person that could fix it, right? Sure, Lupe may not be the least radical rapper out there, but he’s awake, he's passionate, and he preaches peace.
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29. Kanye West
Vice President: Travi$ Scott—listen to the kids.
The most polarizing and popular candidate in this list is Kanye Omari West. One moment you’ll have his posters on your lawn, and the next moment he'll alienate everyone with an oatmeal suit. He doesn’t have enough experience to be president, but Kanye's has grown to rely on trusted advisors. He'll undoubtedly choose a cabinet of Washington heavyweights to help him if he does win.
Plus, did you see the Yeezus tour? Can you imagine what the DNC would look like with Kanye handling set design? No, that's right. You can't. But there would definitely be flamethrowers.
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