When people picture a presidential candidate, Afroman certainly isn’t the first person to come to mind. His suits are typically covered with marijuana leaves, he carries a gold chalice with him nearly everywhere he goes—which he calls his “Pimp Cup”—and his Instagram page isn’t exactly family-friendly. But despite all odds, the “Because I Got High” rap phenom has indeed thrown his hat in the 2024 presidential race. Afroman filed the necessary paperwork in April with the encouragement of a few investors.
“I got these wealthy, hippie guys investing in me,” Afroman explains to BandWagon. “They got so much money, but they look like bums. They got flip-flops on and dreadlocks, and they’re cool as hell, man. But then they’re so smart. You look at ’em and their intelligence and it just throws you off. It’s just awesome to be around.”
What started as a joke soon evolved into something much more serious. The investors initially suggested a fake presidential campaign would be a “really good” publicity stunt to get more eyes on Afroman and his music.
“At first I was like, ‘Dude, get outta here. Whatever.’” he remembers. “Then I started thinking about it and what if I actually ran. There’s so much racism and hate in America, I’m thinking there’s no way I would make it. So it started looking fun to kinda enjoy it with people.”
Afroman got to work on a poster with a tagline that read, “Make America Pay For Slavery,” a play on Donald Trump’s infamous “Make America Great Again” campaign.
“I was just gonna go full dumbass just to be funny as fuck,” he says. “Even if I lost the presidency, I would still be a higher caliber rapper than what I am right now. I would not just be the ‘Because I Got High’ guy. I’d be like the ‘Because I Got High’ guy who ran for president. It’s the cherry on the milkshake.”
But then something strange happened. People were approaching Afroman, shaking his hand, asking him to fix the roads and tackle other community needs and “they weren’t laughing.”
He says, “People were taking me serious to the point I gotta take myself serious. Now, I really gotta do this.”
As an advocate of marijuana, legalizing it on a federal level would be a huge goal for Afroman. He also wants to address the housing crisis, inflation and the corruption in law enforcement.
“I believe I can improve America’s economy,” he says with confidence. And he has an actual website with a quote from his campaign manager, Jason Savage, who writes, “There comes a time in the course of human events when change must be affected. That time is now. Americans are suffering, and the status quo is no longer acceptable.
“We need a candidate that is truly elected by the people, and for the people. We need a man that can step up and lead with a firm hand. The people are starved for a Commander in Chief, that leads from a place of love and not hate. In these dark times, we need a leader that truly embodies the American dream. It is my immense honor and pleasure to formally announce Afroman as an independent candidate for President of the United States of America.”
By all intents and purposes, this is serious. There are eight priorities listed on the website, including decriminalizing marijuana, criminal justice reform, law enforcement reform, halt of all foreign aid, reparations, unity, love and peace, more sports celebrations and legalization of prostitution. But he’s going to need a running mate.
“Don’t take me too serious right now, but I’m tripping on people who you think are stupid but are actually really intelligent,” he says. “Don’t laugh too hard, but I got my eye on Flavor Flav. I haven’t thought too much about a running mate yet, but Flavor Flav is who’s been popping up in my mind. You think he’s dumb, but he’s smart and he kinda like me. People think I’m dumb and sometimes I don’t mind ‘em thinking that. I don’t wanna blow my cover. But yeah, my vice president would be kinda wild.”
Afroman plays the Moxi Theater in Greeley on August 9 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $25. Find more information on www.moxitheater.com.
