A Rap Song About Bike Safety? Yes Please.

Activist politician and rapper, Rhymefest, partners with Blackstone Bicycle Works and Donda's House to attempt the impossible: a compelling song about bike safety.

1 minute read

June 19, 2017, 6:00 AM PDT

By Casey Brazeal @northandclark


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.

Tuesday, June 13, 2017 in YouTube

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Wastewater pouring out from a pipe.

Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage

Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”

April 13, 2025 - Inside Climate News

High-rise apartment buildings in Waikiki, Hawaii with steep green mountains in background.

Study: Maui’s Plan to Convert Vacation Rentals to Long-Term Housing Could Cause Nearly $1 Billion Economic Loss

The plan would reduce visitor accommodation by 25% resulting in 1,900 jobs lost.

April 6, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

April 10, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

A line of white wind turbines surrounded by wheat and soybean fields with a cloudy blue sky in the background.

Wind Energy on the Rise Despite Federal Policy Reversal

The Trump administration is revoking federal support for renewable energy, but demand for new projects continues unabated.

April 15 - Fast Company

Red and white Caltrain train.

Passengers Flock to Caltrain After Electrification

The new electric trains are running faster and more reliably, leading to strong ridership growth on the Bay Area rail system.

April 15 - Office of Governor Gavin Newsom

View up at brick Catholic church towers and modern high-rise buildings.

Texas Churches Rally Behind ‘Yes in God’s Back Yard’ Legislation

Religious leaders want the state to reduce zoning regulations to streamline leasing church-owned land to housing developers.

April 15 - NBC Dallas