Rapper Jay Z will headline a concert for Hillary Clinton in Cleveland before Election Day, according to a Clinton aide. The event — which aides expect will draw thousands — is part of an ongoing series of concerts that aim to motivate young people to turn out for Clinton the way they turned out for Barack Obama in 2008 and 2012.
Jay Z’s event is targeted specifically at young black voters, an electoral demographic that has been reluctant to rally around Clinton, in part, because of comments she made in the 1990s and her support of President Bill Clinton’s crime bill.
Jay Z is not the first member of his household to help Clinton. Iconic artist Beyonce, Jay Z’s wife, attended a Clinton fundraiser in New York City in 2015. She has not, however, performed on Clinton’s behalf.
Jay Z has been slow to back Clinton, especially considering how close he has been with Obama. The rapper even rapped in 2009 that he texts with the president, a fact Obama denies.
Clinton’s campaign has also enlisted help from Miley Cyrus, Katy Perry, John Legend and others to engage young voters.
Cyrus knocked on doors at George Mason University over the weekend, hoping to use her stardom to spur students to vote for Clinton.
Perry was in Las Vegas over the weekend and will headline an event in Philadelphia on November 6, two days before Election Day.
Rocker Jon Bon Jovi will also perform in Pittsburgh on Thursday, and The National, an indie rock back from Cincinnati will perform in its hometown on her behalf November 2.
Clinton has had a stable of celebrity supporters throughout her 2016 campaign. But not until recently have a number of these famous supporters — including Jay Z — pledged to campaign for the former secretary of state.
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