Major Key: Which Rapper Has the Keys to Your City?
Which rapper holds the key to your city?
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Kendrick Lamar - Being awarded a “Key to the City” is a symbolic and prestigious honor, in which members of a local government present the ornamental key to recognize an esteemed visitor or resident. Most often, the rappers and hip hop executives who receive the key are recognized for charity work and overcoming adversity, as well as being role models in their hometown.Kendrick Lamar was presented with the Key to the City by Compton Mayor Aja Brown in a special ceremony held at City Hall today (February 13).“Kendrick Lamar is a phenomenal artist whose work has served as a catalyst to raise a new level of consciousness for this generation,” Mayor Brown said, regarding the decision to bestow this honor. “His message challenges the status quo and listeners to rethink our society’s institutions.”Lamar is being recognized for his achievements as a rapper and beyond, which include his 1...
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Drake - Before coaching the Canadian celebrity basketball team as a part of NBA All-Star Weekend, Drake was awarded the Key to the City on February 12, 2016 by Toronto’s Mayor John Tory, saying, “This is one of the greatest moments of my life, if not the greatest.”Drake is definitely a hero in his hometown, of which Mayor Tory noted in his announcement saying, “When we give out the key to the city, we want it to be something really special. I believe the key should go to individuals who make people across the city feel good about themselves and about their city. It should make us proud of who we are and what we can achieve. I want these moments to inspire us, as a city, and to send a real message: Toronto can do great things." Playing off of lyrics from Drake’s new single “Summer Sixteen,” where he raps, “I might get a key to the city and give it to Wayne / Or give it to...
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Fetty Wap - Fetty Wap received the honors in his hometown of Paterson, New Jersey, and celebrated by performing a free concert for 1,200 students at Paterson High School. Wap himself didn’t graduate from the high school, with Mayor Jose “Joey” Torres flipping that fact into a positive, by calling him “an inspiration” for forging his own path. “Without y’all, the world wouldn’t know who I am,” the rapper said during the event. (Photo: Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for iHeartMedia)
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Rick Ross - The boss holds the key to Memphis, Tennessee, and was recognized to commemorate his economic and community contributions. He was presented with the honor during a grand opening of a new Wingstop in the city. Mayor A.C. Wharton and the franchise hosted the event, with Rick Ross saying, “It is most definitely an exciting time for me and what I like to call the 'Boss Wings' team when we open a new Wingstop.”"Not only is it growth for us, we know that it is also growth for the community, providing jobs, good food and a family environment for the people of that town,” Ross continued. “We definitely look forward to continuing to help grow the city of Memphis."Rick Ross also holds his own “Rick Ross Day,” as proclaimed in August 2010 by North Miami Mayor Andre Pierre, during his third annual Rick Ross Be Out Day, which was a backpack drive and concert presented by R...
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Diddy - Diddy has been presented with the Key to the City more than once, holding it down in Chicago, Las Vegas and Miami Beach.Although he’s from Harlem, Puff was recognized throughout the U.S. for giving back to inner-city communities and for his generosity, most recently in Miami for his REVOLT Music Conference, of which Diddy is chairman. The conference brings together industry folk and creators alike to engage the community through entertainment and music-based panels, keynotes, workshops, and of course, parties. (Photo: Brian Killian/Getty Images)
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Big Sean - Big Sean was awarded the key for his hometown, Detroit, in 2011, calling the occasion one of his career milestones. In an interview on BBC 1, the rapper talked about how seeing his grandmother and mother’s faces at the ceremony made it worth all of his years struggling in the industry. (Photo: Taylor Hill/FilmMagic)
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J. Cole - If you don’t know where J. Cole is from, you may not be listening to his music close enough. Shouting out his native Fayetteville, North Carolina, in live performances and recorded material alike (Forest Hills Drive is pretty much an album dedicated to his roots and his come up), the city showed love back in 2012, honoring him with his own day. It’s a safe bet to put money on the rapper receiving his own city key next.(Photo: Gary Miller/Getty Images)
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Wiz Khalifa - Also one to shout out his hometown of Pittsburgh every chance he can, Wiz Khalifa was honored with his own day, with the city declaring 12/12/12/ “Wiz Khalifa Day.” The rapper has not yet received the Key to the City, but it’s a goal that isn’t too far out of reach, especially considering his career is still rising to new heights with the release of his sixth studio album this month on February 5. (Photo: Joe Scarnici/Getty Images for Fanatics)
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Mac Miller - For Pittsburgh native Mac Miller, being given the key to the city coincided with his own “Mac Miller Day,” on September 20, 2013, as presented and declared by Mayor Rick Burgess.“It’s cool to get recognized by your city, to get that hometown appreciation and love,” Miller said of the recognition. “There’s no love like hometown love.”(Photo: Scott Legato/Getty Images)
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T.I. - Receiving the Key to the City of Jackson, Mississippi was an opportunity the Atlanta-born rapper took to encourage others to avoid the mistakes that he made. Some had an issue with T.I. receiving the honor because of his criminal record, but Mayor Tony Yarber was set on the decision saying that it was about trying to reach young people.T.I. gave a speech to students at Forest Hills High School highlighting the importance of staying out of trouble and in school, saying “If you want to be different, you must do things differently.”(Photo: Paras Griffin/Getty Images)
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Ludacris - Rapping on track, “I’m The Truth,” Luda calls out his career achievement saying, “I got the key to my city and unleashed the block.”Ludacris was awarded the city key for Atlanta back in 2004, giving back to the communities that support him through his Ludacris Foundation, which promotes education, leadership and healthy lifestyle choices. (Photo: Miikka Skaffari/FilmMagic)
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Flo Rida - Flo Rida holds the Key to the City of Miami Gardens, Fla., and was rewarded for his work giving back to the community through his Big Dreams for Kids Charity and through his time working with the Florida Youth Football League.Presented with the key in 2014, he also acted as celebrity principal for the day at Miami Edison Middle School celebrating the Get Schooled Diplomas Now Attendance Challenge. Fellow Floridian Ace Hood and Atlanta rapper Gorilla Zoe were also in the building commending the efforts of the students and staff for their efforts and achievements. (Photo: Jennifer Stewart/Getty Images)
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Master P - Master P was recognized by the city of Memphis, Tennessee, for his community endeavors, and was awarded the key in 2008 during Let the Kids Grow Day, which helped promote the importance of education and the dangers of drug use."No other rapper or entertainer is as committed to the community as Master P and I am proud of him," Mayor Willie Herenton said in a statement, regarding the decision to give the rapper a Key to the City. "Master P changed his life and took the negativity out of his music but stayed true to the hood."(Photo: Erika Goldring/Getty Images)
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Dr. Dre - Not being offered a Key to the City of Compton until 2014 had many Dr. Dre fans asking what took so long. Dre has long shown love to his hometown, most recently donating royalties from his new album to the city of Compton to go towards a new performing arts facility. "He clearly has a heart for Compton, especially our youth,” Mayor Aja Brown said of entrepreneurial rapper in 2015. “I believe this performing arts center will provide a pathway for creative expression, exposure and training to the myriad of industries that support arts, entertainment and technology - while providing a much-needed safe haven for our youth.”More than 20 years after the start of Dre’s impressive career, the city of Compton finally offered Dr. Dre an actual “Dre Day” along with the key to the city. Much deserved. (Photo: Chelsea Lauren/Getty Images)
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Bun B - Bun B was honored by Houston back in 2011, although he is originally from Port Authur, Texas. August 30 was officially dubbed “Bun B Day” by Mayor Annise Parker.In addition to his achievements in music, Bun B is a professor at Rice University and has long been an advocate for his state and city. (Photo: Chelsea Lauren/WireImage)
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Pitbull - The self-proclaimed “Mr. 305” received the Keys to the City of Miami back in 2009, despite the Miami Commissioner Tomas Regaldo being criticized for the decision to bestow the honor given the rapper’s DUI conviction. Politics wouldn’t be politics without spinning a negative into a positive and Pitbull was acknowledged for turning his life around. (Photo: Alexander Tamargo/Getty Images for iHeartMedia)
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Eminem - Eminem was honored with the Keys to the City of Detroit back in 2011. The honor came after Chrysler aired a commercial that featured the rapper driving around his native Motor City, and the city decided to honor both Eminem and the car company, saying, “It is our duty as a Council to acknowledge those who make it a priority to uplift Detroit.” Excellent choice, but weird timing, Detroit. (Photo: Christopher Polk/Getty Images for MTV)
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Slim Thug - Houston Mayor Annise Parker honored the rapper in the form of an official “Slim Thug Day” on February 25. Slim Thug later was quoted saying that his rap moniker has gotten in the way of him receiving recognition he deserves, such as endorsements and the coveted city key, but that he’s glad he has his own spot on the calendar. (Photo: Gary Miller/Getty Images)
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David Banner - The Grammy Award winning music producer, rapper and actor was honored with the Key of the City by Mayor Harvey Johnson in Jackson, Mississippi.David Banner also was a keynote speaker at the event, “Reading Revolution: Black Males Achieving Success Through Literacy,” which is one of many reasons why Banner deserved the honor. In addition to promoting literacy, Banner also was recognized for his community activism after Hurricane Katrina. (Photo: Josh Brasted/Getty Images)
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Lil Kim - Lil Kim wrote a song about receiving the key in 2004, aptly titled, “Keys To The City” in which she declares “I’m the only b***h with the Keys to the City.” Probably not the response the city of Miami was looking for in return, but there ya go. Lil Kim later received the same honor in California back in June 2012. (Photo: Gilbert Carrasquillo/Getty Images)
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50 Cent - 50 Cent, native to Queens, was honored with the Key to the City in Bridgeport, Connecticut, coinciding with his own “Curtis Jackson Day,” back in 2009.It was a little random for this particular city to pick 50, but the rapper did film the 2008 drama Righteous Kill alongside veteran actors Robert de Niro and Al Pacino in the state, and at one point the rapper owned a 19-bedroom home there, too. So all that must have counted for something?(Photo: Shareif Ziyadat/Getty Images)
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Bow Wow - Back in 2002 when Bow Wow was still Lil, the city of Camden, New Jersey honored the then 14-year-old rapper with the Key to the City. His mainstream success at a young age was really the driving factor for the city to award the rapper when they did. (Photo: Noel Vasquez/Getty Images)