Yahoo Lifestyle Lil Jon Pumps Up the 2024 Democratic National Convention with Surprise Performance During Georgia's Roll Call
The Atlanta-born rapper appeared during his home state's ceremonial vote to lead a series of chants
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Lil Jon performs at the 2024 DNC in Chicago on Aug. 20, 2024Lil Jon knows how to get a crowd going!
The Atlanta-born rapper, 53, won day two of the 2024 Democratic National Convention with a surprise performance as the spotlight moved to his home state during the event’s ceremonial roll call.
On Tuesday, Aug. 20, the crowd at Chicago’s United Center was already lively when it came time for Georgia to award Harris — who officially secured the 2024 Democratic presidential nomination earlier this month — with its ceremonial delegates.
Lil Jon performs during roll call at the Democratic Convention pic.twitter.com/OYADgYt1qb
— Kamala HQ (@KamalaHQ) August 21, 2024
But things kicked up a notch when suddenly, the event DJ began playing "Turn Down for What.” As the intro to the 2013 hit played, the “Shots” rapper appeared in the crowd, inspiring a booming round of applause before giving a drawn-out “Yeah!”
"Ladies and gentlemen, we are here tonight to officially nominate Kamala Harris for president,” he continued before launching into "Turn Down for What.”
The musician made his way through the crowd — a sea of cut-outs featuring the heads of Harris, 59, and Tim Walz — and rapped “Everybody get your hands up!” before stopping beside Congresswoman Nikema Williams, the Chair of the Democratic Party of Georgia.
Chip Somodevilla/Getty
Lil Jon performs at the 2024 DNC during Georgia's roll call on Aug. 20, 2024 in ChicagoAfter leading a chant directed at the Republican party's presidential nominee, Donald Trump — “We not going back! We not going back!” — the rapper expertly tweaked the lyrics to another one of his hits, 2003’s “Get Low.”
The star replaced the iconic lyric to mirror the Democratic presidential ticket, swapping “To the window / to the wall” with “VP Harris / Governor Walz,” before standing by Williams as she announced that Georgia was casting 123 votes to select Harris as the party’s presidential nominee.
Backstage at the United Center, Lil Jon also explained his own personal endorsement of Harris and Walz, 60. While speaking with Don Lemon, the rapper said, “I will say this. People are tired of negativity. People are tired of fighting. People want hope.”
“They want to be positive. They want to be able to depend on your neighbor again,” he said, adding that that’s “what Kamala’s bringing, just a good energy.”
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After the DNC’s second day came to a close, Lil Jon also celebrated his cameo online, sharing several posts on Instagram Stories lauding his roll call performance. “Georgia wins best intro,” one post read, while another dubbed the rapper a “DNC ICON.”
The rapper also kept the energy going well into the evening at a DNC after party hosted by the Democratic Party of Georgia, according to NPR’s Stephen Fowler.
At the post-DNC bash, punnily titled “Window to the Walz,” Lil Jon got behind the DJ booth, where he performed a set “until the wee morning hours,” Fowler said.
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