Atlanta, GA – Atlanta City Councilman Antonio Brown was apparently so impressed with Lil Baby’s activism, he penned a lengthy Instagram post about it. Brown shared his sentiments on Sunday (June 7) following a local protest.
He started off by referring to the chart-topping rapper by his government name Dominque Jones and praising him for his humility.
“Met a dope dude named Dominique,” he begins. “A brother whose seen struggle but also recognizes his divine power to call forth all that he seeks in life. When we first met he showed up in a worn black t-shirt, some joggers and @balenciaga sneakers. No jewelry or entourage. His driver patiently waited outside while we talked for hours. I thought because everyone called him @lilbaby_1 that he would have this huge ego and only care about superficial shit.
“Instead he spoke about how much he loved business, fashion and lifting up his community. He’s only been rapping for 3 years and has completely dismantled an industry. The hood he grew up in and the projects that raised him made him baby. A rebel with a cause, disrupting with a purpose bigger than himself. ”
Brown then details the events of the next day and was struck by his generosity.
“We marched down Mitchell Street with our fist in the air yelling – No Justice, No Peace as he leaned over and whispered in my ear, ‘this is what matters!’” he continued. “See he understood his calling was greater than the streets – it was to change the streets. To inspire the people to see beyond their environment and conditions that silently kept them unconsciously imprisoned.
“After marching for an hour, a white business owner brought out some waters to the crowd of walking protesters. As he was handing out the waters Lil Baby ran over to him and gave him $500. I looked up at him and smiled because if I was rich that’s something I would’ve done. As the protest came to an end, I watched in silent awe as @troubleman31 graciously walked up to him and greeted him like a King. It was inspiring to see one generation salute the next as they prepare to take their rightful place in Hip Hop. ”
The councilman ends his post with a some encouraging words.
“Our generation is strong, we do not require someone to open a door for us because we understand our power to knock down any door that comes between us,” he concluded. “When we speak we are casting spells, our tongue is powerful and through our vibrational energy are able to manifest into existence everything our spirit desires. Go forth into this world and live within the fullness of who God created you to be, and don’t let anyone tell you who you cannot be or what you cannot do. You are capable of ALL things, if you believe.”
Lil Baby is among the growing number of Hip Hop artists who have been vocal about political issues on social media and in the streets in the wake of George Floyd’s murder. On Tuesday (June 9), he shared an Instagram post with his 10.9 million followers pushing them to vote.
“Voting Is Power !!” he wrote. “If We Want To Think About CHANGE We have To Start Using The Power We Have !! #govote.”
He also shared a photo of himself during the Atlanta protest wearing a Black Lives Matter t-shirt and a face mask that read, “No Justice, No Peace.”
Check it out below.