Man, this one right here…With “My Vote Dont Count,” YelloPain steps up with a powerful, provocative and straight forward dose of education, packaged in the form of sharp witted hip-hop.
Split into two sections of perspective, the Ohio-based artist kicks things off with the all too common belief that your vote doesn’t matter. He fills the first minute of the record intentionally complaining about the lack of progress made by the government – the president in particular – from Obama to Trump. Even when he had hope, the day-to-day changes many people expected to see under Obama never came to fruition, leading to an even greater decrease in a desire to hit the polls on election day. And it’s been quite evident since day one that Trump never really gave a f—.
And then YelloPain flips the entire concept of “My Vote Dont Count” on its head, literally turning his body around in the visual to begin speaking to the small crowd that has been building behind him. Keeping it raw and unabashed in accountability, Yello proposes that “we complained enough.” Over the course of the rest of the video, the artist shines a bright light on exactly why it’s so important people get up, get informed and utilize their right to vote. Rather than focus on the Presidential elections, however, Yello encourages his audience to turn their attention to the “smaller” elections – the Congress, both local and national. Using his prose to paint a clear picture, listeners are opened to all the ways real change can occur if we get people who are for us in the House, Senate and then the Judicial arenas.
As he so poignantly demonstrates, the individual sitting in the Oval Office or the Mayor’s office merely sign (or don’t sign) what Congress puts on their desk. But members of Congress – our representatives – have the power to create real change in regards to food stamps, the quality of our roads and schools, whether businesses are set up to thrive or fail, minimum wage and all the other areas that impact us each day we are blessed with life. In revealing these lessons, YelloPain is preaching the word of accountability – because we need to elect the women and men who believe in and support these changes. By ignoring the “smaller” elections and then also turning our backs on the Presidential elections, we are doing exactly what “they” want us to – stay home and silence our voice.
The imagery of the visual takes Yello from the streets to the classroom as the perspective of “My Vote Dont Count” switches up. In the class, he presents a simple and straightforward schooling on the political system, the importance of voting and why it’s vital we don’t stay home on all the election days. In a quick fashion, Yello manages to break down and highlight all these points in a manner that is easily understandable – a flick like this should be played in classrooms across the country to help inform young voters on the real power they hold.
As Yello’s verse fades out, Desiree Tims offers the class/viewers a few words on the importance of voting so you have a say in the decisions being made that lay the foundation for a blossoming or hindered life. Tims, a Democrat from Ohio, is running for Congress.
“My Vote Dont Count” features a rolling tide of production from Sauce W8ed Down, who keeps the beat rising and falling in perfect time alongside Yello’s impassioned delivery. It’s a wonderful backdrop to the emotive lyrical content, helping to bring to life the urgency and real world gravity of the message being conveyed.
This one is special and well worth watching. Check it out below.
