WASHINGTON — President Obama will meet with several top recording artists Friday afternoon to discuss two of the administration's fourth-quarter priorities, a senior administration official told BuzzFeed News.
Obama will hold a roundtable discussion criminal justice reform and the My Brother’s Keeper initiative, the administration official said. Obama, along with senior adviser Valerie Jarrett and My Brother's Keeper Task Force Chair Broderick Johnson, will meet with Alicia Keys, Ludacris, Chicago's Chance the Rapper, J. Cole, Common, Wale, and Busta Rhymes.
"Over the past few months, many of these artists have lent their voices and platforms to promoting these issues," the official said. "Many of these artists have found ways to engage on the issues of criminal justice reform and empowering disadvantaged young people across the country."
The White House selected the artists because each "found ways to engage on the issues of criminal justice reform and empowering disadvantaged young people across the country" through their artistry or nonprofit work.
Keys is spearheading an effort to urge Congress pass criminal justice reform legislation. J. Cole, a Fayetteville, N.C. native, has established the Dreamville Foundation and has built his career on inspiring fans to achieve their dreams, the subject of a 2016 HBO documentary.
Janelle Monae has been a vocal advocate for voting rights; Common is a My Brother's Keeper partner, and Busta Rhymes will participate in an effort to reform the nation's prisons.
Wale, who has spoken about his time spent in a detention as a youth, attended First Lady Michelle Obama's "Beating the Odds" Summit last year.