The activist and rapper was tapped to speak on The Washington Post’s “Free of State” discussion forum with other professionals about issues plaguing freedom of speech in 2019. The panel was discussing artists' roles in progressing free speech in the country when the conversation took a turn toward the decriminalization of marijuana. 

Leading the discussion, Killer Mike said that he felt the hip-hop community's contributions to marijuana reform has gone overlooked in comparison to activists and politicians.
He believes that rappers in particular deserve more acknowledgment for changing the public’s perception towards weed.

"We know that with national decriminalization of marijuana now, a lot of people are going to get credit for it — a lot of activists, a lot of workers," he started. "But I can show you a line that leads straight back to Cypress Hill, that leads straight back to Snoop Dogg, that leads straight back to people like Rick James."

The “Legend Has It” rapper further pointed out the societal double standards between the different genres of music such as rap and country, and its impact on artists. 

"If it's not duly acknowledged publicly, if the media isn't pushing the line of that narrative, if the media isn't giving us that freedom, [and] if the media treats rappers differently than they do country artists — then you're going to see a galvanization of what the prejudice is that we already see."

You can watch the full, two-hour panel discussion below: