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Sevyn Streeter and YelloPain

Photo: "My Vote Will Count Video"/ YouTube

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Rapper YelloPain Argues "My Vote Will Count" With Latest Remix Featuring Sevyn Streeter

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The song stresses that people should pay attention to much more than the presidential election alone
GRAMMYs
Sep 17, 2020 - 5:24 pm

Dayton rapper YelloPain takes us back to school with his breakdown of how the branches of government and legislation work in "My Vote Will Count" featuring Sevyn Streeter. The song stresses that people should not only pay attention to the presidential election, but also to Congress who create the bills that either are signed by the president and made into a law or are vetoed. 

In the video, the rapper overhears a conversation at his barbershop. YelloPain's barber talks about feeling let down by an unspecified President who served two terms. The rapper interupts the conversation to explain that not everything is up to the president. 

"So when the news station tried to tell us that Barack Obama couldn't put us on, we was all salty at Obama when it was the Congress members all along," he raps in the song. 

The song is a remixed version of "My Vote Don't Count" released in January that taps in Sevyn Streeter. Listen to the new version above. 

The upcoming election is set for Nov, 3. Check out GRAMMY.com/election2020 for more.

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Tamika Mallory

Tamika Mallory

Photo: Scott Dudelson/Getty Images

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Tamika Mallory To Host Pull Up & Vote Party Livestream Featuring Barack Obama, Questlove & More

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The star-studded online party will feature a DJ set from Questlove and conversations on important issues surrounding the 2020 Presidential Election ballots
Ana Monroy Yglesias
GRAMMYs
Oct 19, 2020 - 2:12 pm

Tomorrow, Tues., Oct. 20, Complex is throwing a "Pull Up & Vote Party" livestream hosted by activist and Women's March co-founder Tamika Mallory. The 90-minute virtual voter engagement event will feature appearances from Barack Obama and artists A$AP Ferg, Jack Harlow, Chloe x Halle and SAINt JHN. Questlove will keep things groovy with a DJ set.

As Complex explains, "the event serves as a celebration of the importance of participating in the upcoming election while firmly understanding the variety of issues that could shape American life for years to come." It is part of their 2020 Pull Up & Vote voting campaign—the website has resources to check registration, vote by mail, find a polling place and more.

"They said they wanted a revolutionary to have a seat at the table so I'm pulling up," Mallory wrote in her Instagram post about the event.

Read: Soul Clap Wants You To Rave The Vote This 2020 Election

Former President Obama also spoke about Pull Up & Vote, as well as the vital importance of civic engagement, via Complex:

"One of the most inspiring things about this year has been to see so many young Americans fired up, organizing, marching and fighting for change. In times as polarized as these, your vote doesn't just matter, it matters more than ever before… Participate and vote; it's not always pretty—trust me, I know—but it's how bit by bit, we've made progress over the generations."

You can catch the Pull Up & Vote Party live on Oct. 20 at 9:00 p.m. ET / 6:00 p.m. PT on Complex's channels on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and the Pull Up & Vote site.

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Photo:  Kelly Lee Barrett/Getty Images

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Holy Calamavote Concert To Urge Music Fans To Vote

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Eric Andre, Cochemea Gastelum and DJ Cutmaster Swiff will be among the guests at this voter registration concert
Jennifer Velez
GRAMMYs
Oct 15, 2020 - 1:39 pm

Holy Calamavote, a collaboration between Run the Jewels, Adult Swim and Ben & Jerry's, is a special midnight concert performance on Oct. 17 aiming to get viewers to vote on Nov. 3. 

Run The Jewels will perform their latest album RTJ4 in full on Adult Swim's YouTube page. The duo will feature special guests including comedian Eric Andre, Pharrell, 2 Chainz, Greg Nice, DJ Cutmaster Swiff, Gangsta Boo, and Cochemea Gastelum.

As Rolling Stone reports, El-P and Killer Mike, Run the Jewels’ said they are "proud to be a part of this initiative to encourage and enable voting and can’t wait to finally perform our album RTJ4 ... This will be fun."

Throughout the show, viewers will be encouraged to vote, a Ben & Jerry's statement said. The ice cream brand is asking fans to pledge to vote on their website. Watch the concert below at midnight PST/EST Saturday, Oct. 17. 

"A Vote Is A Voice. A Voice Is Power:" Sony Music Launches New Artist-Supported Voting Campaign

GRAMMYs

Dizzee Rascal 

Photo: Joseph Okpako/WireImage

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Grime Music Trailblazer Dizzee Rascal Awarded MBE

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The grime music innovator was given a high-ranking honor in the U.K.
Jennifer Velez
GRAMMYs
Oct 12, 2020 - 12:20 pm

Dizzee Rascal, grime music trailblazer, has been named a Member of the Order of the British Empire, the third-highest ranking award belonging to the Order of the British Empire, for his work in music. 

Twice every year, the Queen recognizes people in the U.K. with honors including knighthood, Commander of the Order of the British Empire, Officer of the Order of the British Empire, Member of the Order of the British Empire, and more. Rascal, a past Mercury Prize recipient, is one of the innovators of the British genre mixing rap and electronic music that began in East London. 

"Lovely stuff," he tweeted of the news. 

"Whether you make grime or not, if you didn’t see Dizzee or Skepta or Stormzy, you wouldn’t want to go to the studio and make an Afrobeats song. Grime has opened the door for you to be able to do any of this." DJ Target said in a 2018 interview with The Gaurdian about Rascal's and grime's impact on the music world in the U.K.

Other musicians honored this year include Mica Paris (Member of the Order of the British Empire) and Jeff Lynne (Officer of the Order of the British Empire). In the past, Ed Sheeran has been awarded an MBE. 

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Photo: Jena Ardell via Getty Images 

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YouTube & NIVA Team Up On #SOSFEST To Raise Money For Indie Venues

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Miley Cyrus, YG, Foo Fighters, Marshmello with Demi Lovato, the Roots, Sebastian Yatra and more will contribute original performances Oct. 16–18
Jennifer Velez
GRAMMYs
Oct 8, 2020 - 4:29 pm

YouTube and the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA) are joining forces to bring #SOSFEST (Save Our Stages Fest) benefiting independent music venues across the country. The three-day music event on Oct. 16–18 will feature an eclectic lineup of musicians.

Miley Cyrus, YG, Foo Fighters, Marshmello with Demi Lovato, The Roots, Sebastian Yatra and more will contribute live original performances across 25 independent venues. Other artists participating include Leon Bridges, Phoebe Bridgers, Reba McEntire and G-Eazy.  

The festival "aims to generate significant awareness, advocacy and donations for the NIVA Emergency Relief Fund." The fund aids the "most vulnerable venues experiencing catastrophic revenue loss."

"Independent venues are closing permanently all around the country. These are the clubs and theaters that you know and love; the rooms our favorite bands play their first gigs at. With no assistance from the federal government in the future, we need to act NOW to #SaveOurStages!" NIVA, whose group of over 2,000 venues includes Los Angeles' The Troubador and New York's Apollo Theater, posted to their Instagram. 

According to a NIVA survey released in June, 90 percent of roughly 2,000 venues without federal help surveyed were going to close in a few months. 

#SOSFEST will livestream on NIVA's YouTube channel. 

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