FLINT, MI — Hip Hop Caucus is turning up the volume in Flint with a powerful night of culture and activism. Barz & Ballots is happening Saturday, November 22 from 6:00–8:00pm at Comma Bookstore (132 W. 2nd St.). Presented in collaboration with Michiganders for Money Out of Politics (MMOP), the event will bring stand-up, spoken word, and live hip-hop to amplify community voices and drive momentum for a campaign that aims to stop big money from dominating Michigan politics.

Hosted by comedian RJ Leery, Barz & Ballots blends performance, culture, and civic engagement, featuring a lineup of powerful Michigan artists including Featured Artist Semaj Brown, along with acclaimed performers Cherisse Bradley and Steve Banks (AKA This Life. We Lead.). Together, poets, lyricists, musicians, and activists will use their voices to inspire action and help generate the 356,958  signatures needed to place the MMOP campaign finance reform proposal on the November 2026 ballot.

MMOP is a grassroots, nonpartisan coalition committed to reducing the influence of big money in Michigan politics. Their citizen-initiated proposal would ban political contributions from regulated utilities and large state contractors and modernize disclosure rules for political ad spending, closing the long-standing “issue ad loophole.” The Coalition partners include The Hip Hop Caucus, Clean Water Action, Climate Cabinet, Detroit Action, Michigan LCV, Michigan United Action, MOSES Action, and Voters Not Politicians.

As a member of the MMOP steering committee, Hip Hop Caucus is hosting Barz & Ballots along with future events to educate voters and build public awareness. Affordable, reliable, and clean energy policies cannot be achieved when regulated utilities like DTE and Consumers Energy can influence state decision-making through political contributions.

“Cutting off the flow of utility money into Michigan’s political system is essential to ensuring elected officials are accountable to the people, not corporations,” said Jasmine Gil, Hip Hop Caucus Senior Director for Think 100%. “Barz & Ballots uses culture as a catalyst to move communities from awareness to action.”

Event Details

BARZ & BALLOTS – FLINT
WHO: Hip Hop Caucus
HOST: Comedian RJ Leery
ARTISTS: Featured Artist Semaj Brown, Cherisse Bradley, Steve Banks (This Life. We Lead.)
WHAT: An event blending culture and purpose by uniting poets, lyricists, musicians, and comedians to support a signature collection for the Michiganders for Money Out of Politics (MMOP) ballot initiative.
WHEN: November 22, 2025 | 6:00–8:00pm
WHERE: Comma Bookstore, 132 W. 2nd Street, Flint, MI 48502

Click HERE to  RSVP for Barz & Ballots. For media inquiries, contact media@hiphopcaucus.org.

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About Hip Hop Caucus

Founded in 2004, Hip Hop Caucus is a national, nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that connects the Hip Hop community to the civic process to build power and create positive change. The organization works at the intersections of climate justice, economic justice, and civil rights—using culture, storytelling, and advocacy to drive systemic transformation.