Featured photo: Semaj Brown, Comedian RJ Leery, Cherisse Bradley and Steve Banks, who will all appear on stage November 22.
FLINT, MI — Hip Hop Caucus is turning up the volume in Flint with a powerful night of culture and activism. Barz & Ballots – refers to the musical bars, or measures, or segments of time in a piece of music for the rap verses and spoken word to be featured at the event.
The unique event is really about civic engagement and is happening Saturday, November 22 from 6–8 p.m., 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. The Caucus believes 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%.
Gil added: “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 | 6-8 p.m.
WHERE: Comma Bookstore, 132 W. 2nd Street, Flint, MI 48502
Click HERE to RSVP for Barz & Ballots.
