Activist politician and rapper, Rhymefest, partners with Blackstone Bicycle Works and Donda's House to attempt the impossible: a compelling song about bike safety.
Che Smith, AKA Rhymefest, is probably most famous for writing Kanye West hit "Jesus Walks", but he also co-founded Donda's House, Chicago youth organization that takes its name from Kanye's deceased mother. Jorge Mikell, Adarah Hale, Rio and Maalik, the featured MCs in this video, were connected with the project through the South Side Chicago organization.
While bike advocates are divided on helmets, the position in this song is unambiguous. If this video gets a few more kids riding around 79th and Racine, where Donda's House is based, the group’s success will also be unambiguous—a noteworthy accomplishment especially when law enforcement has made biking a less attractive proposition there.
FULL STORY: Stay in Your Lane
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City of Albany
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research