Mayor Keisha Lance became Atlanta's second female mayor when she was elected in December. Friday, she got the ball rolling on her term and announced a 38-member transition team that included some recognizable faces. The list included a few predictable inclusions, like CEOs of major companies including Delta Air Lines and UPS. But Lance also named two of the city's most beloved entertainers: Killer Mike and T.I.
Both rappers have been politically outspoken over the years. T.I. recently spoke out against police brutality with CNN and has explained that, "On every album [of mine], there’s been at least one song that you can identify with as a socially conscious or message record." As one half of Run The Jewels, Killer Mike is known for being politically outspoken, regularly addressing issues like black-owned banking, gun violence, and hate speech. He was also an active participant in 2016's presidential election as a vocal supporter of Bernie Sanders.
As part of the transitional team, T.I. and Killer Mike will have a hand in searches for key members of Bottoms' cabinet. The newly elected mayor also identified a few key initiatives the team will work on, including affordable housing, education, and public safety.
"The 38-strong transition team represents a tremendous amount of diversity and depth,” Bottoms said of the team.
Neither Killer Mike or T.I. have publicly responded to the news. Killer Mike did respond to a comment on Twitter that claimed someone with the name "Killer Mike" couldn't be taken seriously in the realm of politics. You can see that below.
