Music has long been used as a powerful vehicle on campaign trails to hype up crowds and get them excited to vote in elections. Regardless of which side of the aisle they’re on, a number of politicians who have held the highest offices in the country possess a deep connection to music, whether collecting records or playing instruments.

American presidents and vice presidents have won and been nominated for golden gramophones in the Spoken Word Album category, and a few of the honorees are or were also musicians themselves. (These musical politicians are not to be confused with the actual bands Vice President and the Presidents of the United States of America, of course.)

As the 2024 presidential election comes ever closer, we press pause to enjoy a few fun, nonpartisan facts about how presidents and vice presidents have shown their affection for music. 

Read more: GRAMMY-Winning U.S. Presidents & Politicians: The Obamas, Jimmy Carter & More

Kamala Harris

Between a live appearance with Megan Thee Stallion and official campaign posts rendered in the same shade of neon green that Charli XCX is rocking right now, Vice President Kamala Harris has been having a Hot Brat Girl Summer in music. But Harris' love of music extends far beyond the campaign trail.

The current Democratic nominee for president has been endlessly memed for the vinyl albums she was caught buying at a DC record store in 2023. While many images have manipulated the covers to pretend she purchased different releases, she actually bought albums by Charles Mingus and Roy Ayers as well as Porgy & Bess by Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong. Last year she celebrated the 50th anniversary of hip hop with a star-studded concert at the Vice President’s residence, co-hosted by the Recording Academy. At the 2024 Democratic National Convention, Harris was nominated in a music-themed role call that saw each of the 50 states present with a representative song.

Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff is also a serious jazz fan.

Donald Trump

Although former President Donald Trump is not a known record collector, songwriter or musician, he has culled the favor and interest of a variety of artists. The current Republican nominee for president has been mentioned in many songs over the course of his professional and political career.

In 2018, Trump brought Kid Rock, John Rich, Kanye West (who, years later, would announce his own bid for president) and others to the White House on the day he signed the Music Modernization Act into law. At the 2024 Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, country band Sixwire, Chris Jansen, and Kid Rock performed.

Barack Obama

Former President Barack Obama put music in the spotlight during his two terms in office. He tapped Beyoncé and Janelle Monáe to perform at his inaugurations, awarded Diana Ross the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2016, invited countless artists to the White House, and even was known to sing on occasion. 

Obama won two GRAMMYs in the Best Spoken Word Album Category for audio adaptations of his memoir Dreams from My Father (2005) and The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream (2007); he was nominated for a third in 2022. Most recently, he collaborated with Bruce Springsteen on the book and podcast called Renegades.

Obama's role as a tastemaker really took off  in 2015, when he started making and sharing playlists of his favorite songs on Spotify. His wide-ranging picks are still highly anticipated each year, and artists who land on the lists have coveted spots that all but guarantee new plays.

His Summer 2024 Playlist features classics by Tupac, Jill Scott and the Rolling Stones as well as new tunes by artists such as Shaboozey, Tommy Richman, H.E.R. and Tems. Charli XCX even makes an appearance, so Obama also appears to have gone Brat for the season as well.

Bill Clinton

When former Arkansas governor Bill Clinton ran for president in 1992, he stopped by the then-popular night time program "The Arsenio Hall Show" and charmed America with his surprise sax playing in sunglasses, unleashing Elvis Presley’s "Heartbreak Hotel" and "God Bless the Child" by Billie Holiday. 

Once elected, the horn would later come out in the White House for parties. The L.A. Sax Company even presented him with a flag-bedecked Presidential Model tenor saxophone in 1995, and it has been on display at The Met in New York City.

At the 47th GRAMMY Awards, Clinton took home the golden gramophone for Best Spoken Word Album for his memoir, My Life. He was also nominated in the same Category in both 2007 and in 2012.

George H.W. Bush 

When the elder George Bush, who was president from 1989-1993, played the air guitar at his inauguration, it was unseen lore to the general public for years. The moment was edited out of the official DVD release, but video from the event was restored in 2018, confirming for the public that he had actually done it.

Richard Nixon

Former President Richard Nixon, who served from 1969 to 1974, had a real thing for tickling the ivories. He shared his penchant for the piano with the public when he was a senator, after Duke Ellington asked Nixon to play for him. His talent went wide during a 1961 appearance on the TV show "The Jack Paar Program" and later inspired the title of a 1995 book called Nixon’s Piano: Presidents and Racial Politics from Washington to Clinton. And, as president, the image of him shaking hands with Elvis Presley in the Oval Office remains one of the most iconic pictures in White House history. 

In 1978, Nixon was nominated for a GRAMMY in the Best Spoken Word Recording Category for the album made from his televised interviews with David Frost called The Nixon Interviews With David Frost.

Harry S. Truman

Another Best Spoken World Recording nominee was Harry S. Truman, who served as President from 1945 to 1953, and was recognized for The Truman Tapes, a recording made of his interview "speaking frankly" with Ben Gradus. Truman grew up playing the piano and made the choice to focus instead on politics.

"My choice early in life was either to be a piano-player in a whorehouse, or a politician," he reportedly said. "And to tell the truth, there’s hardly any difference."

Classic rockers Chicago later released a song called "Harry Truman" in 1975, singing, "Harry, could you please come home?/Things are looking bad/I know you would be mad/To see what kind of men/Prevail upon the land you love."

Charles Dawes

When former President Calvin Coolidge served for six years in the Roaring Twenties (1923-1929), he was flanked by a hitmaking VP. Charles Dawes didn’t know when he wrote "Melody in A Major" in 1912 that it would later become the basis of a top 40 hit. 

Singer Tommy Edwards later landed on the pop charts in 1951 with the melody of "Melody," now called "It’s All in The Game." The song became a highly covered standard, with popular versions recorded by Elton John, Barry Manilow and Van Morrison. No subsequent president or vice president could match that high bar.

Warren G. Harding 

Coolidge’s presidential predecessor Warren G. Harding (1921-1923) was said to be a multi-instrumentalist who loved to blow the tuba. He played the hulking brass beast at the 1920 Democratic National Convention. While we haven’t seen that kind of lung power on display at the DNC or RNC this year, let this serve as a reminder that music unites and brings joy.

Today, Jan. 20, President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris were sworn into office as the 46th President and 49th Vice President of the United States of America.

Before they each took their oath of office, GRAMMY-winning pop queen Lady Gaga walked down the steps in a billowing red skirt with a black top and gloves and a large gold dove on her shoulder to sing the "Star-Spangled Banner." She delivered the National Anthem with operatic grace and drama into a coordinating gold microphone, serving the soprano richness of her voice to the freezing audience.

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More: Biden-Harris Inauguration: Watch ‘Celebrating America’ With Demi Lovato, Foo Fighters & More Here

The grand, heartfelt performance set the perfect tone for Harris—the first female, first Black and first South Asian Vice President of the U.S.—to take her oath of office.

Following Gaga's performance, GRAMMY-nominated Bronx powerhouse Jennifer Lopez had her turn to shine. She performed "This Land Is Your Land" and "America, The Beautiful," rocking a stunning all-white outfit with a floor-length fuzzy trench coat, sparkling earrings and her signature high, voluminous pony. She added her own special flair to the performance, which began to trend online (on-brand for the singer), by adding a line from her song "Let's Get Loud." Before ending her performance, she shouted, "Una nación bajo Dios, indivisible, con libertad y justicia para todos!" quoting the Pledge of Allegiance proudly in Spanish. 

Recording Academy member and longtime GRAMMY Awards Music Director Ricky Minor served as the Music Director for the inauguration, with fellow Academy members Chris Walden and Michael Bearden composing musical arrangements. Both JLo and Gaga were backed by the U.S Marine Band.

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Garth Brooks also delivered a touching performance. The country singer took the stage wearing his classic black cowboy hat after Biden took his oath of office and gave his first speech as president. The country has "much to repair, much to restore, much to heal, much to build, and much to gain," Biden said, adding a moment of silence for those tragically lost to COVID-19 afterward.

Brooks followed the solemn moment with a passionate performance of "Amazing Grace" acapella. The singer aimed to bring a feeling of unity amid a pandemic that kept many from celebrating the moment in person, asking people watching—in person and at home—to join him for the powerful last verse. 

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Los Angeles poet Amanda Gorman, the first-ever National Youth Poet Laureate and the youngest inauguration poet ever at 22 years old, closed the show with her impactful words and yellow power suit. In her powerful poem that stole the show, titled "The Hill We Climb," she reminded us, "Victory won't lie in the blade, but in all of the bridges we've built…While democracy can be periodically delayed, it cannot be permanently defeated."

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Welcome President Biden And Vice President Harris: Let's Get To Work!

Across social media, the music world is celebrating the victory of President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, the first woman, African American and South Asian American to be elected to her position.

Congratulations and well wishes poured onto social media timeines; GRAMMY winner Ricky Martin wrote on Twitter, "I wish you the best Mr. President-elect @JoeBiden. Thank you for your integrity and unifying spirit. As a Puerto Rican, I am honored to have worked with you on this difficult campaign. Congratulations @KamalaHarris for making history, while maintaining grace."

GRAMMY winner Lizzo also chimed in, posting a video to Instagram with the caption, "Let's get to work, America."

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font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;"> View this post on Instagram</div></div><div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"><div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"></div></div><div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)"></div></div><div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style=" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"></div></div></div></a> <p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/tv/CHTAFyllp_P/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">It’s time to hold the people in charge accountable. It’s time for them to listen. And it’s time for actual change in our policies and practices.</a></p> <p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/lizzobeeating/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px;" target="_blank"> Lizzo</a> (@lizzobeeating) on <time style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;" datetime="2020-11-07T16:51:47+00:00">Nov 7, 2020 at 8:51am PST</time></p></div></blockquote><script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>

GRAMMY nominee Maggie Rogers also posted her reaction to social media, writing about becoming emotional in the moment mid-plane ride.

Check out some more well wishes below:

<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CHTIJkZBzeD/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="13" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CHTIJkZBzeD/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank"> <div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div></div></div><div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;"><svg width="50px" height="50px" viewBox="0 0 60 60" version="1.1" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g stroke="none" stroke-width="1" fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd"><g transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)" fill="#000000"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></div><div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style=" color:#3897f0; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;"> View this post on Instagram</div></div><div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"><div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"></div></div><div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)"></div></div><div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style=" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"></div></div></div></a> <p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CHTIJkZBzeD/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">In the immortal words of Twisted Sister “We’re not gonna take it anymore” What a beautiful display of humanity. Hope over Fear Love over Hate The Happy Tears The Honking of Horns out in the street. We The People showed up, and fought for our rights. Today we begin again with new eyes and new hearts. We have been to the bottom of the snake pit. We watched the ugliness of the world reveal itself. Now, we have a chance for peace, a chance for progress a chance to make real change. So the fight is not over... It’s going to take All of us to make this country and this world into what it should’ve always been. For too long we’ve been plagued by evil over petty differences and pretty lies. No more. The past is there as a lesson. We will learn from our History, fight for Now and keep our eyes forward toward the Future. We will continue to battle on the side of love, hope, equality and unity using the universal language of music and art, and begin the healing process. Let’s make this world more like the Rock Show. The Rock Show doesn’t care what gender you are, what skin color you have, your sexual orientation, what you do for a living, where you live, how you dress, your handicap, your failures or your achievements...We are All the same at the Rock Show! United as One! We’re in this together like Lipstick and Leather. I love you all. Dio Bless America </a></p> <p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/officiallzzyhale/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px;" target="_blank"> LZZY HALE</a> (@officiallzzyhale) on <time style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;" datetime="2020-11-07T18:02:01+00:00">Nov 7, 2020 at 10:02am PST</time></p></div></blockquote> <script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>

Election 2020: Artists Speak Out On The Importance Of Copyright, Musicians' Rights And Relief Efforts This Voting Season

Lil Mosey lives the type of high life most 18-year-olds can only daydream about. At the tender age of 15, the Seattle-bred rapper garnered worldwide internet acclaim with his 2017 debut single, "Pull Up." The track, which has since accumulated more than 33 million YouTube views for its official music video, went gold this past May. Not bad for a teenager.

But in Lil Mosey's eyes, living life in the fast lane at such a young age wasn't a choice—it was his only reality. 

"I feel like growing up, struggling and surviving at a young age, I realized, 'Well, I don't have it like other people do, so I got to figure it out. I got to do something so my mom, my family don't got to worry about nothing," he tells GRAMMY.com. "So at a young age, I started realizing some stuff that other people don't realize … My mind's a lot older than 18.

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Propelled by the success of "Pull Up," Lil Mosey dropped out of high school while in the 10th grade and relocated to Los Angeles to chase his music dreams. Things started to move quickly: He was handling "real-life business things" at 15 and taking major label meetings on his 16th birthday. 

Fast-forward to 2018: Lil Mosey's debut album, Northsbest, officially introduced the then-16-year-old sensation to the world. The gold-certified album spawned the platinum single "Noticed." Lil Mosey had arrived.

The fast-rising rapper, who just hit legal age of majority in January, returns in 2020 with Certified Hitmaker (AVA Leak), an expanded version of his 2019 sophomore album, Certified Hitmaker. Released last month, AVA Leak is fueled by breakout single and song-of-the-summer contender "Blueberry Faygo," a platinum-selling Top 10 U.S. hit; "Top Gone" with Lunay; and "Back At It" featuring Lil Baby, the latter of which earned an official shout-out from former President Barack Obama on his 2020 summer playlist. 

"I'm just a little-ass kid, and a grown-ass president know about me. That's crazy," Lil Mosey exclaimed. 

GRAMMY.com checked in with Lil Mosey to talk about the staying power of "Blueberry Faygo," his experience as a teenage rap sensation and the life lessons he's learned along the way. 

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What's it like growing up so fast and blowing up so big at such a young age?

I feel like growing up, struggling and surviving at a young age, I realized, "Well, I don't have it like other people do, so I got to figure it out. I got to do something so my mom, my family don't got to worry about nothing."

So at a young age, I started realizing some stuff that other people don't realize. And then sh*t happened when I was like 15. I moved out to L.A. by myself and I started dealing with ... real-life business things that grown-ups did at 15. My mind's a lot older than 18.

Do you ever feel like you're missing out on "normal teenager stuff"? Like prom, bullsh*tting with your high school homies, getting in trouble in school?

No, I ain't even going to lie. I stopped going to school and stuff. I never even went to the school dance or nothing like that. I ain't even miss it.

You're not in school?

No. I'm tired of going to school. I plan on going back to school ... Once my music career started blowing when I was 15 years old, I said, "F**k it, I'm going to L.A." I dropped out, but I was doing online school for a little. I started touring, I started losing focus on that sh*t, but I'm definitely gonna go back and get my diploma.

When did you realize you wanted to be a rapper?

Probably when I was like 13.

How did you get to that decision?

When I got into music, I just started watching how [people] were really living. I started falling in love with that high life, what the lifestyle could be like. It's legal, so I was like, "This is a good way for me to live my dreams." So I was like, "If they could do it, I could do it, too."

So I just did it. Started getting better. Everything you do, you got to put 100 percent into it. If you don't put 100 percent into it, it's not going to work out like you want it to. I did that every day at home ... Woke up, went to school late, left school early and just went home, started working. If I wasn't working, then I wasn't making money.

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Was your family supportive of your decision to follow that path? What did your mom think when you told her you were going to quit school and follow your rap career?

She didn't want me to. It took me a minute to convince her. I was telling her, "Trust me, it's going to work out." I started to convince her. Really, I just had to just tell her, "I know you don't want me to go, but I'mma just go, because I got you. I'mma let you know, it's going to work out. I know it's going to work out."

And then she let me go, and I just left ... She started to come around with me, taking label meetings. She's like "Yeah, you did it."

What does she think of your career choice now?

She just wants me to be the best person I can be. If I'm happy, she's gonna be happy.

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Your career took off in 2018 when you were around 16.

Yeah, it really took off right when I was like 15, just 'bout to turn 16. I was in New York taking label meetings on my birthday ... It was like a good-ass birthday present for me.

So you're 15 going on 16 when things started popping off for you. When was the moment when you realized you had "made it"?

I mean, there's been times where I've said, "I made it." But at the end of the day, I know I'm not where I want to be. I know I can do better. I can be bigger than this. I can make more money than this. So once I'm to the point where I'm really, like, I'm doing this for fun, it's not even because I'm worried about, "I need to get here." It's just more fun, because I'm already where I want to be. That's when I'mma be like, "Alright, I'm where I wanna be."

What does success look like to you? Is it money? Streams? Touring?

I already realized money don't buy happiness. If people say that, then they lost; they don't know what they're talking about. Money can help you and your family, which will make you happy. But at the end of the day, there's always something that can actually make you real happy inside ... Yeah it feels good, but with money, there comes a lot of problems that make you unhappy, so you got to find other things that make you happy.

Music, that's probably the biggest thing that makes me happy. Once I found music, I got addicted to music, like it was a drug or something. Music—that's all I do. If I'm not recording, I'm making beats. If I'm not making beats, then I'm probably worried about some money situation, like, "How can I get my money?"

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In between when things started to pop off for you in 2018 to now in 2020, what have been some of the life lessons you've learned in those two years?

Stack your money and flip your money. It's always been, like, flip your money back. Once I got my first check, I was like, "Damn, I'm up right now." But then I realized, you can't really have too much stuff, but you can. It gets to a point where it's like, if you don't wear that jacket, what's the point of having that jacket? So if I know I'm not going to even wear that sh*t more than a couple of times, then I'm not even going to buy that. I just started moving smarter ... with my money. I started thinking, "This n***a got a billion dollars. He's moving like this? Alright, well I need to start moving a little different."

I'm a rapper, it's sort of different because I gotta be an influence to everybody ... At the end of the day, if you got money and you're going to keep growing and get more money, that's not a good thing to worry about. The clothes, that sh*t's cool. But a billion dollars, that sounds a lot better. What are you going to do with a billion dollars? Make more money, and you got money to just buy whatever the hell you want to get, until you get to the point where you're like, "I'll buy whatever I feel like and it won't even pain me." 'Cause money goes fast. You start spending and it goes fast.

People are calling your track, "Blueberry Faygo," one of the unofficial songs of the summer, which is hitting a little different this year since we're in a pandemic. Do you think we're going to get an official song of the summer this year?

Fo' sho', 'cause people still care about summer. Regardless, people still going to be sharing with their friends, even if they inside. Summer's almost over, though. You right, actually; you speaking some facts right now. I don't even know if there is a song of the summer ...

Do you think "Blueberry Faygo" will take the song of the summer throne?

Sh*t, hopefully. That's for the people to decide. Definitely it hit ... At the end of the summer, it might get that title.

You released "Blueberry Faygo" in February. It hit top 10 in the U.S., and it keeps sneaking back up in the charts a few months after its release. What is it about "Blueberry Faygo" that resonates so much with rap fans?

I honestly think it's just a feel-good song. It's something fresh, some sh*t nobody heard before ...

I feel like that's what people need right now.

Yeah, in these times, that's what I be trying to spread a lot. I've got some songs that I haven't put out yet that I'm speaking on how my life has been. I like having fun with my music, so if it's not talking about having fun … then it's going to be about something real.

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The 2020 XXL Freshman Class dropped last month. You were featured in the 2019 XXL Freshman Class. What do you think about this year's group of artists?

There's a lot of artists on the list. I f**k with Fivio [Foreign]. Polo G, he's hard as f**k, too. I really didn't pay attention too much. I only seen a couple of freestyles and stuff, but I seen a few of them, definitely. Polo G, he definitely going to be a big-ass artist soon; he already a big artist. There's a bunch of artists on there I actually don't know. They picked a pretty good list.

When you were growing up, did you look up to the XXL Freshman Class?

I watched YG on XXL when he was coming up, and now he's who he is now. Mac Miller, he was on XXL ... Being on XXL is ... it's crazy. Seeing me, DaBaby, Megan Thee Stallion—we all went up. There was a lot of people on that list that went up. It goes to show.

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You've worked with a lot of other big artists like Lil Baby, Gunna, Trippie Redd. What's the first thing you look for when you're picking your collaborators?

Do I genuinely like the music? If I don't really genuinely like the music, then I wouldn't even probably work with the person. It's really just about the music for me—if I like the song, I like the person's music. After that, do I like them as a person? Are they cool? They can be the biggest person in the world, [but] if I don't fuck with who they are and I don't like they music, then I won't even want to make a song with them.

While we're on that topic, who are some of the next-wave rappers on your radar right now? Who are some other artists you want to work with in the future?

BandKidjay, he's definitely one of 'em, rising artist. Jae Lynx, he's from Rhode Island; he's fire ... I wanna work with Drake; that'd be crazy. We would make a hit together, I already know we would. And Ariana Grande; that'd be lit.

Did you see that former President Barack Obama plugged your song, "Back At It," on his 2020 summer playlist?

Yeah, that was crazy, man! Shout out Barack Obama, man!

First of all, who knew Barack Obama was up on the rap game like that, right? That is probably the biggest co-sign of all time. What did that moment mean to you?

Yeah, I'm just a little-ass kid, and a grown-ass president know about me. That's crazy.

What do you have on deck for the rest of 2020 and beyond?

I'm working on my next project … a mixtape. You'll probably be seeing some singles from me coming soon.

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Across social media, the music world is honoring Congressman John Lewis, an iconic leader of the civil rights movement, who died Friday (July 17) following a months-long battle with pancreatic cancer. 

"Rest In Peace congressman, civil rights icon, John Lewis! We thank u and will always remember you and celebrate you for your work," GRAMMY winner Jennifer Hudson wrote on Instagram.

"This is the man that taught us all how to get into some #GoodTrouble," GRAMMY-winning performer, singer and actor Billy Porter tweeted. "One of my heroes. A true legend. Thank you for teaching us how to fight for liberty & justice for all mankind … "

Speaker Of The U.S. House Of Representatives Nancy Pelosi confirmed Lewis' death in a statement on Friday (July 17), Rolling Stone reports.

"John Lewis was a titan of the civil rights movement whose goodness, faith and bravery transformed our nation – from the determination with which he met discrimination at lunch counters and on Freedom Rides, to the courage he showed as a young man facing down violence and death on Edmund Pettus Bridge, to the moral leadership he brought to the Congress for more than 30 years," Pelosi said in her statement. 

"It is with inconsolable grief and enduring sadness that we announce the passing of U.S. Rep. John Lewis," his family said in a statement, according to Rolling Stone. "He was honored and respected as the conscience of the U.S. Congress and an icon of American history, but we knew him as a loving father and brother. He was a stalwart champion in the on-going struggle to demand respect for the dignity and worth of every human being. He dedicated his entire life to non-violent activism and was an outspoken advocate in the struggle for equal justice in America. He will be deeply missed."

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Born a son of sharecroppers in 1940 in Troy, Ala., Lewis was an instrumental figure in the ongoing fight for racial justice and equality. A lifelong public servant and civil rights leader, serving more than three decades in Congress, he got his start in politics as a student activist. He was one of the 13 original Freedom Riders, a group of civil rights activists "who challenged segregated interstate travel in the South in 1961," according to The New York Times, and was the last surviving member of the Big Six, a group of civil rights leaders that included Martin Luther King Jr., James Farmer, A. Philip Randolph, Roy Wilkins and Whitney Young. Lewis also helped organize the 1963 March On Washington For Jobs And Freedom, where he spoke and where King Jr. delivered his eternal "I Have A Dream" speech. 

In 1965, as part of the Selma-to-Montgomery protest marches, Lewis led a march comprising 600 people who were demanding equal voting rights. When he and the group of nonviolent activists reached the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Ala., they were severely beaten by state troopers, who had previously ordered the protestors to disperse. Dozens of protestors were injured and hospitalized, including Lewis, who suffered a fractured skull after a trooper hit him with a billy club, according to the New York Times. 

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The highly televised event, which came to be infamously known as "Bloody Sunday" and immortalized in the 2014 film Selma, sparked outrage across the U.S. and helped galvanize support for the Voting Rights Act, according to The New York Times.

Presented to Congress by President Lyndon B. Johnson eight days after the violent confrontation, the Voting Rights Act was signed into law in August 1965, marking a milestone moment in the civil rights movement and removing previously installed legal barriers that prevented Black people from exercising their right to vote, according to HISTORY. The law would ultimately help Black citizens run for, and win, public office, including Lewis himself, The New York Times writes. 

Read: GRAMMY-Nominated Arranger Armand Hutton On Racial Divisions In The U.S.: "To A POC, It Has Always Been This Way"

Throughout his decades-long career in the U.S. government, representing Georgia's 5th congressional district, which includes Atlanta, Lewis became known as "the conscience of the Congress" for his focus on the ongoing fight for universal social and racial justice. Having been arrested for participating in nonviolent movements and protests dozens of times throughout the decades, he lived by the mantra of getting into "good trouble" in the name of equality. The maxim inspired the title of the newly released documentary, John Lewis: Good Trouble, which follows his life and legacy.

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Lewis remained active in his later years. In 2016, he led a sit-in on the House floor in which he and other Democrats demanded a vote for gun control measures following the mass shooting at Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Fla. 

Most recently, he was vocal about the killing of George Floyd and other Black people by police and has commended the resulting Black Lives Matter protests and movements. 

"The way this young man died—watching the video, it made me so sad," Lewis said of Floyd in an interview with "CBS This Morning" in June. "It was so painful; it made me cry. I kept saying to myself, 'How many more? How many more young Black men will be murdered?'

"It was very moving, very moving to see hundreds of thousands of people from all over America and around the world take to the streets—to speak up, to speak out, to get in what I call 'good trouble' … "

Last month, Lewis visited the newly erected Black Lives Matter Plaza in Washington, D.C., alongside the city's mayor, Muriel Bowser.

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A beloved politician and social figure, Lewis transcended politics and entered mainstream pop culture. Actor Stephan James portrayed Lewis in the 2014 Oscar-winning film, Selma. Lewis also made a cameo in the music video to Young Jeezy's 2008 track "My President," which is inspired by President Barack Obama and features Nas. Lewis guest starred on the animated children's TV show "Arthur" in 2018. 

Elsewhere, Lewis released his award-winning autobiography, Walking With The Wind: A Memoir Of The Movement, in 1998. He also released "March," his autobiographical graphic novel series about the civil rights movement, throughout the mid-2010s.

In 2011, President Barack Obama awarded Lewis the Presidential Medal of Freedom, considered to be the nation's highest civilian honor.

Following the death of John Lewis, artists from the music and entertainment worlds commemorated the late icon. 

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