Bun B is Trill personified. As part of the Houston-based, rap duo UGK and as a solo artist, he’s broken records and solidified his presence as one of the most well-known and well respected M.C.s in the music industry. However, Bun B is about a lot more than just music. Along with being a professor and an author, he’s lent his political commentary on this election’s campaign trail to VICE, where as this video shows he traveled to Wisconsin, one of the most politically charged states in the country, to attend campaign rallies and meet some very interesting people both on the opposing and affirming sides of two of the most theatrical candidates, Donald Trump and Ted Cruz.
From a political point of view, Wisconsin is a state divided and as Bun B points out, “it is a very volatile area politically.” The state is important to all the candidates in the race for nominations, especially those on the Republican ticket due to poll results that show low favorability amongst many of the nominees. Bun B’s approach to taking on this exclusive look into the campaign trail is to understand how those nominees will appeal to the wide range of opinions and voices in the cheese state.
Before the Donald Trump rally started, there were clear and literal lines drawn between supporters and protesters. While both sides of the fence had it’s fair share of signs armed with words and symbols aligned with their moral and political stances, it was the conversations between Bun B and the people that spoke volumes about the tension surrounding Trump and his political campaign. On one side, Bun B spoke to the protesters who despite the usual division between Wisconsin citizens, had banded together to collectively speak out and rebuke the idea of Donald Trump as president.
“We all out here, Black, White, Mexicans for a good cause and I feel like we need to point that out, if anything. We are all divided and it’s so sad.”
When supporters stood outside waiting to be shuffled into the Holiday Inn Express conference room where the rally took place, Bun B interviewed several supporters to get an understanding of their alliance to the “Make America Great Again” campaign. He learned that one supporter was on his side because of a love for America and his belief that Trump’s passion would help rebuild the economy. He went so far as to say that “I want somebody who puts forth a vision that doesn’t revolve around more government, more authoritarianism, and I don’t think the people [protesters] out here know what they are supporting and that’s very troubling to me.” Supporters of Trump in Wisconsin appeared to not only be strong in their stance but, also very spirited in the ways they chose to aid in his campaign. A one-legged preacher, and owner of a town strip-club, offered free lap dances to anyone with a Donald Trump ticket and does so in the idea that he is doing his part to stimulate the economy, that he feels Trump will restore as President of the United States.
The atmosphere surrounding the Ted Cruz campaign trail was a staunch opposite to the high tensions of the Trump rally. Before heading off to the Cruz assembly, Bun B met with volunteers in a call center who were devoting their time to chat and encourage Wisconsin residents to form an alliance with the Texas senator. A woman from the Wisconsin area revealed that she had never previously volunteered to help with any political campaign but, believes in the notion that without Ted Cruz as president, “our country is going under.” At the rally, Bun B noticed many of the differences between Cruz’s and Trump’s approaches to connect with the people. Along with there being very little security or law enforcement at the Cruz gathering, the stage itself was designed as a sort of round-table discussion where Cruz sat in the middle along with his wife and allowed himself to connect with the people in the room. The experience led Bun B to make the comment:
“Politics doesn’t actually leave a lot of room for people to actually show humanity. There’s lots of room for people to talk about humanity but, very little room and opportunity for people to show humanity. I think we saw a little bit of that. It was kind of refreshing.”
In the final take-away, Bun B reflected upon the realization of how Donald Trump’s campaign, riddled with notions of racism and violence towards others, is no longer a joking matter and how his influence is revealing a militia of people who not only believe and affirm his views but, are willing to do whatever it takes to see him be the leader of the free world.
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