Icewear Vezzo: Our parents 'voted blindly' for generations, but our votes should be 'worked for'
Detroit rapper Icewear Vezzo responds to backlash for supporting former President Trump on 'The Story with Martha MacCallum.'
Detroit rapper Icewear Vezzo, who says his family has historically voted Democrat, is adopting a new practice for the 2024 presidential election, saying his vote this year will be based on his "personal experiences" with President Biden and former President Trump.
Vezzo told "The Story with Martha MacCallum" on Tuesday that the Black community's vote should be "worked for," cautioning against past instances where people "blindly" voted and were driven by personal feelings.
"Sometimes a lot of Democrats assume that we're supposed to just vote blindly, and I feel our votes should be worked for," Vezzo said. "I feel like our parents blindly voted for generations, but I think this generation is now understanding that we have to ask questions and our vote should be worked for. We should not just blindly vote because people say it's ‘cool,’ or tell us who to vote for because they want us to vote based on personal feelings. I vote based off of personal experience. I've experienced both presidents."
After meeting with Trump during a campaign stop in Michigan, Vezzo explained why he decided to meet with the 2024 presidential candidate.
"Told Donald I Made the 6 great again @realdonaldtrump," Vezzo wrote on Instagram. "But naw in all seriousness everyone not gonna agree with this picture but we don’t all have to agree on everything I just know not many of us will ever have the chance to really speak up for us and address how we may really feel so I stepped out on faith I didn’t meet him as a rapper I met him as a man and a father who understands the only way to attempt change things is to address things."
Other prominent rappers such as Lil Pump, Kodak Black, Amber Rose and Sexyy Red have also voiced support for the former president in past years.
Earlier this year, Snoop Dogg said he has "nothing but love and respect" for Trump.
The former president's growing support among Black Americans was also showcased by New York Giants legends Lawrence Taylor and Ottis Anderson's appearances at his New Jersey rally on May 11.
BLACK VOTERS REJECTING BIDEN AS SUPPORT DWINDLES AHEAD OF 2024: ‘EVERYTHING WAS BETTER’ UNDER TRUMP
A USA Today/Suffolk University poll published Sunday found that support for Biden among Black voters dropped roughly 20 percentage points since the last election in both Michigan and Pennsylvania. In Michigan, the poll found that Trump has 15% of Black voters, compared to Biden, who has 54% of the support from Black voters.
Vezzo said he hasn't "fully endorsed" former President Trump just yet, but he's "leaning that way."
"My life was different when Trump was in office. My family's life was different, the economy was different, and I actually care about the border, you know?"
"I actually have sense — we have sense, we have enough sense to ask questions. Not everybody that makes music or everybody that's from the trenches or the ghetto, we not all fools. You know, we don't do everything about money. No, I do not get paid. I'm just someone that… I'm a felon. I haven't always been able to vote, but now I'm able to vote, and I want to take advantage of my voting power, and I would like to ask questions," Vezzo added.
"The crazy thing is that, you know, my entire life, my family and the generations before my mother and grandmother — they all voted Democrat. They didn't ask questions, but I decided to ask questions."
Fox News Digital's Taylor Penley and Nikolas Lanum contributed to this report.
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