Offset Opens Up About The Misinformation He Received About Voting For New PSA
With less than two weeks before one of the most crucial presidential elections, Offset has shared his journey toward voting with hopes that his story will inspire others to turn out at the polls on November 3. Made in collaboration with “When We All Vote” and “Push Black,” the Atlanta rapper’s involvement in a new PSA was partially inspired by some recent conversations he had with Common, according to Rolling Stone.
In the clip, the Migos rapper explained that after his first felony conviction at the age of 17, his parole officer told him that he was no longer able to legally vote, saying, “It just made me feel like I wasn’t wanted or supposed to be involved."
While the parole officer was wrong, the 28-year old said that he was still hesitant to register to vote out of fear of running afoul of the law until his mother showed him that he’d been misinformed.
Instead, he called his legal team to make sure he wasn’t doing anything wrong and learned he was actually cleared to vote despite his prior infractions. “To me, it was an accomplishment. Like ‘Damn, I graduated highschool,” ‘Set noted. This experience inspired him to get involved and use his platform to speak on the importance of voting and encourage others to vote early if they’re able to do so.
In the video’s closing, the rapper remarked “look what we've done so far,” as a montage of footage from his hometown of Atlanta and Black Lives Matter protests and demonstrations rolled.
“It still could be 10 times better, but you’ve gotta vote. That’s what changes the rules, change the laws. I really felt good voting, because I was told I couldn’t, or I was told I wouldn’t be able to clean up or get away from my past, and look where I’m at now,” he concluded. “I voted and I was able to be a part of where I live which is at home here in America. My voice matters.”
