When politicians are tied up with the influence of big money, it's not always smart to speak in favor of the public. That's why the following list of celebrities may sound very refreshing — they cut through the bullshit and give strong opinions when it matters most.
1. Killer Mike
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Killer Mike poses with his daughters Aniyah and Mikey. (Instagram)
It's no surprise that Killer Mike was recently invited to the White House Correspondents' Dinner. The Run The Jewels rapper frequently speaks out against bigotry, police brutality and many other problems facing Black America. Whether he's giving lectures on race relations at MIT and NYU or penning op-eds revealing the underlying chaos of Ferguson, Missouri — everything Killer Mike scribbles is like an anarchists' cookbook.
Mike raps on "Lie, Cheat, Steal:"
And I love Dr. King but violence might be necessary/ 'Cause when you live on MLK and it gets very scary/ You might have to pull your AK, send one to the cemetery/
2. John Legend
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Common and John Legend accept the Oscar for Best Song for "Glory." (NBC)
John Legend is one of the most distinguishable voices of our generation. The Grammy award-winning singer isn't afraid of using one of the largest platforms to address serious political issues.
Legend’s speech after receiving the Oscar for Best Song for "Glory" from Ava DuVerney's Selma:
"Selma is now. The struggle for justice is now. The Voting Rights Act that they fought for fifty years ago is being compromised right now in this country today. Right now the struggle for justice is real. We live in the most incarcerated country in the world. There are more black men under correctional control today than were under slavery in 1850. When people march with our song, we want to tell you: we see you, we are with you, we love you, and march on."
3. Kanye West
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Kanye West and Kim Kardashian West at Paris Fashion Week. (Instagram)
One day, Kim Kardashian caught Bruce Jenner in a dress and wasn’t sure how to respond to her father’s gender identity. Jenner recalls a conversation with his daughter during his interview with ABC:
“You know what really turned me around?... Kanye.”
The Grammy award-winning rapper — and Kardashian’s husband — offered the following advice to his wife on truly accepting her father's transition:
“'Look, I could be married to the most beautiful woman in the world, and I am. I could have the most beautiful daughter in the world… I have that... But I'm nothing if I can't be me... If I can't be true to myself — they don't mean anything.'”
4. Serj Tankian
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Frontman Serj Tankian performs with System Of A Down during the Wake Up the Souls Tour. (Instagram)
This year, System Of A Down embarked on a special tour called "Wake Up The Souls," which will end Thursday with their first-ever performance together in Armenia — part of a global effort to draw attention to the Armenian genocide. Turkey denies that the mass killings of Armenians by Ottoman Turks were a genocide.
"When you talk about a genocide, when you talk about a holocaust, using a world war as a pretext is offensive above everything else," Tankian told NPR. "We'd be happy if they stopped with the disinformation before accepting it, even one step at a time."
5. Angelina Jolie
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Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie is no stranger to political discourse. The seasoned producer, actress and cancer advocate continues to speak out against the harsh struggles against.
“The crisis in Syria illustrates that our inability to find diplomatic solutions causes mass displacement, traps millions of people in exile, statelessness and displacement," she said.
6. Aziz Ansari
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Aziz Ansari enjoys an afternoon drink. (Instagram)
Comedian and Parks & Recreation star Aziz Ansari took a moment from his assumably busy schedule to make fun of Rupert Murdoch and speak truth on Twitter. The News Corp. founder tweeted the following, extremely offensive hot take in the wake of the Charlie Hebo attacks: "Maybe most Moslems peaceful, but until they recognize and destroy their growing jihadist cancer they must be held responsible."
And Ansari slayed old man Murdoch with the following string of tweets:
“Rups can we get a step by step guide? How can my 60 year old parents in NC help destroy terrorist groups? Plz advise."
"Are you responsible for the evil shit all Christians do or just the insane amount of evil you yourself contribute to?"
"You are Catholic, why are you not hunting pedophiles? #RupertsFault"
"Rupert Murdoch is responsible for all pedophilia committed by anyone Catholic. Why are you pro-pedophile :("
"Rupert Murdoch is Christian just like Mark David Chapman who shot John Lennon. Why didn't Rupert stop it? #RupertsFault"
"To be clear, I am not religious and have nothing against Christians or Muslims, just ignorance like what Rupert Murdoch is spreading.”
7. Ellen DeGeneres
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If only homophobic voices could be shut down this effortlessly: Anti-gay pastor Larry Tomczak wrote a hateful column in The Christian Post criticizing Ellen DeGeneres for “promoting gay agendas.” Tomczak said that Ellen “celebrates her lesbianism and ‘marriage’ in between appearances of guests like Taylor Swift to attract young girls.”
“OK, let’s just break this down,” DeGeneres began addressing the column on her daytime show. “First of all, I’m not ‘married,’” she corrected, using air quotes. “I’m married. That’s all.”
She then admit she doesn’t have an agenda but said that she’s is trying to influence viewers — by encouraging them to be kind and compassionate with one another.
“Attention, youth of the world,” she said. “I want you to live your lives being exactly who you are. Be true to yourself — the most important thing is to be true to yourself.”
“The second most important thing is that you wear Ellen underwear and only Ellen underwear.”
8. Beyoncé
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Beyoncé poses for an Instagram shoot. (Instagram)
Queen Bey is not only one of the most famed celebrities in the world, she may also be the most famous self-proclaimed feminist. Here's an exert from Bey's essay titled “Gender Equality Is A Myth” featured in Maria Shriver’s "The Shriver Report: A Woman’s Nation Pushes Back from the Brink:"
“Humanity requires both men and women, and we are equally important and need one another. So why are we viewed as less than equal? These old attitudes are drilled into us from the very beginning. We have to teach our boys the rules of equality and respect, so that as they grow up, gender equality becomes a natural way of life. And we have to teach our girls that they can reach as high as humanly possible.”
9. Kristen Bell
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Kristen Bell shares a selfie with her Instagram followers. (Instagram)
Actress and mother-of-two Kristen Bell is pro-vaccination. Bell frequently tweets to share the Mother Jones story of a young girl with cancer who has unfortunately been exposed to the measles, listing yet another reason why she believes kids should be vaccinated. The “House of Lies” star told “The Hollywood Reporter” she won’t allow her unvaccinated friends to hold her children.
“It's a very simple logic: I believe in trusting doctors, not know-it-alls,” she said.
10. Amandla Stenberg
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Hype Hair Magazine
Amanda Stenberg is wise beyond her years. The 16-year-old Hunger Games actress recently set the record straight on cultural appropriation in a viral video titled "Don't Cash Crop My Cornrows: A Crash Discourse on Black Culture."
"[In the 2010s,] pop stars and icons adopted black culture as a way of being edgy and gaining attention," Stenberg said. "In 2013, Miley Cyrus twerks and uses black women as props, and then in 2014, in one of her videos called 'This Is How We Do,' Katy Perry uses Ebonics and hand gestures and eats watermelons while wearing cornrows before cutting inexplicably to a picture of Aretha Franklin. So as you can see, cultural appropriation was rampant."
"What would America be like if it loved black people as much as it loves black culture?"
10. Nicki Minaj
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Nicki Minaj posts a selfie to her fans on Instagram. (Instagram)
Nicki Minaj has outrapped every male spitter in her short time as an MC. The multi-platinum recording artist Nicki Minaj told Rolling Stone why the rest of our favorite celebrities usually keep quiet on the issues that matter most.
"I've been reading so many people saying, 'Why are we surprised?' That's what's really sad, that we should somehow be used to being treated like animals. It's gotten to the point where people feel like there's no accountability: If you are law enforcement and you do something to a black person, you can get away with it."
"People say, 'Why aren't black celebrities speaking out more?... [Kanye] was the unofficial spokesman for hip-hop, and he got torn apart, and now you haven't heard him speaking about these last couple things, and it's sad. Because how many times can you be made to feel horrible for caring about your people before you say, 'Fuck it, it's not worth it, let me live my life because I'm rich, and why should I give a fuck?'"