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Simmons, Others Kick Off Vote Initiative

Posted on: Tuesday, 20 January 2004, 06:00 CST

Hip-Hop mogul Russell Simmons and artists including LL Cool J, Rev. Run and Jadakiss kicked off an initiative to register millions of young people to vote.

The "One Mind. One Vote" campaign aims to register 2 million voters between the ages of 18 and 34 by the November presidential election and a total of 20 million voters over the next five years.

"We have a powerful, powerful initiative," said Simmons, chairman of the Hip-Hop Summit Action Network, an organization that educates young people about politics. "Politicians are starting to recognize that."

The nonpartisan campaign plans to reach out to hip-hop fans through the syndicated radio show hosted by Doug Banks and through voter registration booths set up on the 2004 Doug Banks Jam Session concert tour.

Speaking Monday at the kickoff event in Times Square, Banks said he would air public service announcements featuring Simmons and other celebrities and register voters during live concerts aired on his morning show, which reaches more than 2 million listeners a day on the ABC Radio Network.

Banks said there are some 47 million people between the ages of 18 and 34 who are not registered to vote.

"This is not a movement based on anything that can separate us," said LL Cool J, who made news in 2002 when he publicly registered to vote. "It's based on the average Joe voting."

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On the Net:

Hip-Hop Summit Action Network: http://www.hsan.org

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