Hip-Hop and R&B artists: ‘Be more like Taylor Swift.’

Taylor Swift and a fan. Photo courtesy of Instagram @TaylorSwift13 by Sylvester Brown Jr. | The St. Louis American & Other than “Shake It Off,” I couldn’t recite lyrics from a Taylor Swift song if my life was on the line. What I do know, however, is that if Megan Thee Stallion, Drake, Chris Brown and other young R&B and hip-hop artists followed the 12-time Grammy winner’s political lead, it would have a tremendous impact on the upcoming general election. Consider a couple months ago, on National Voter Registration Day, when Swift posted this message to her more than 270 million followers on Instagram: “If you are registered to vote in Colorado, Kentucky, Maine, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas or Virginia, it’s time to use your voice.”& According to Vote.org, a non-profit, non-partisan organization that aims to increase voting among underserved and underrepresented people, close to 40,000 new voters responded to Swift’s message. On one day from one Instagram post, the group saw a 115% jump in 18-year-olds registering to vote. It wasn’t the only time Swift has used her influence to motivate young voters.Vote.org, with whom the singer has a partnership, has credited the singer for...