Lil Jon Sets Off 2024 Democratic National Convention

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Lil Jon set off the 2024 Democratic National Convention last night with a riveting performance during the state roll call.

Lil Jon Hypes Up DNC With "Turn Down for What" and "Get Low" Performances

On Tuesday (Aug. 20), Lil Jon popped out for a surprise performance at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. States ceremonially pledge delegates to Harris to be the Democratic nominee for president. Jon repped Georgia as he ran through his hit song "Turn Down for What" with DJ Snake during a celebratory roll call of the state.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we are here tonight to officially nominate Kamala Harris for president," Jon called out before diving into the track.

DJ Snake wasn't at the event, and claims he didn't approve his music to be used. "I did not and do not allow the use of my music to be played at a political event of any kind," Snake wrote on X.

The performance capped off what was already a hip-hop-infused night inside the DNC. DJ Cassidy kicked off the second night of the convention by transforming a usually drab event into an absolute rager. Cassidy ran through dozens of tracks as the roll call commenced, with each one correlating to a specific state as the night slowly became the ultimate dance party.

Eminem's "Lose Yourself" soundtracked Michigan since Em is from Detroit, while Tupac Shakur's "California Love" obviously did the same for California. DJ Kool's "Let Me Clear My Throat" then served as the District of Columbia's anthem, while Kool & The Gang's "Celebration" was linked to Iowa and Jack Harlow's "First Class" linked to Kentucky.

"I had many goals, but the overarching goal was to turn the arena into a party," DJ Cassidy said in a follow-up interview with MSNBC after Tuesday night's festivities. "A celebration of our country in all its diversity and glory, and I wanted the music to represent us all, represent all genres, all people, all generations. I think everyone who worked on this achieved that."

While Common and John Legend also performed "Fortunate" and "Glory" in support of Harris' nomination, it was Lil Jon's surprise appearance that set the convention, and the internet, ablaze. Considering Georgia's pivotal role in both the midterm elections and the 2020 election, it made sense that the state got a boost of serious star power and energy. Lil Jon, a longtime advocate for voting and supporter of the DNC, played into it beautifully, as he closed out his appearance by rapping "to the Walz" over his 2003 song "Get Low." Longtime fans of the song know the bar originally goes "to the window to the wall."

In summary, Democrats succeeded in briefly transforming the view of their political party into a political party. The second night of the Democratic National Convention was filled with joy and plenty of great music, even as Democratic leaders continued to issue frightful warnings about why the country needed to defeat Republican nominee Donald Trump.

In fact, the comparisons to the Republican National Convention became more and more apparent as Tuesday's party raged on. One X user noted the DNC's vibe made the RNC look "like a funeral." Another supporter also noted that the DNC's sprawling soundtrack meant each of those artists had approved the use of their songs, serving as a sharp contrast to the growing laundry lists of artists that don't want Trump performing their music at his rallies or elsewhere.

Rappers Continue to Support Kamala Harris

Lil Jon and Common are just the latest rappers to show support for Vice President Kamala Harris. Megan Thee Stallion appeared at Kamala's Atlanta rally in July, and performed her songs "Girls in the Hood," "Mamushi," "Body" and "Savage" for the crowd.

"I'm so happy to be here, Atlanta," Megan said. "We about to make history with the first female president. The first Black female president. Let's get this done, Hotties."

Quavo also spoke at the event about the importance of quelling gun violence and pledging his support for the VP's presidential run.

"You can't understand the struggle of gun violence if you not in the field or in the heart of it," Quavo said. "So, one thing I learned from working with Vice President Harris is she always stand on business. From inviting me to the White House last year to discuss these solutions, to passing the biggest gun safety laws today."

In June, Kamala also spoke at a fireside chat at Quavo's 2024 Rocket Foundation Summit on gun violence prevention in Atlanta.