Dr. Dre and Lil Baby Promote Proposition 28 in Barnum Hall

By Indigo Craane, Opinion Editor

Grammy award-winning rappers Dr. Dre and Lil Baby dropped onto the Samo campus Oct. 7, to promote a ballot measure on the Nov. 8 election that, if passed, would guarantee state funding of approximately $1 billion per year for music and arts education in California public schools. As soon as the entrance to Barnum Hall opened after school, students who had chosen to attend the rally flooded the auditorium in order to get a front row view of the rap royalty.

The celebrities’ appearance at Samo was all thanks to Fender Musical Instruments, which sponsored the after-school permitted assembly, featuring a staged conversation between former Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent and lead advocate for Prop. 28 Austin Beutner, Beats Digital and Interscope Records founder Jimmy Iovine, financial advisor Paul Wachter, Dr. Dre and Lil Baby, who had flown in that day from Atlanta, GA. The  event was brought to Samo by the “Yes on Prop. 28” campaign in order to showcase the value of music education in California public schools. Student attendance was voluntary.

“Ok.  Listen”, said Dr. Dre, responding to Beutner’s questions.  “I would not be sitting here today without arts and music.  

Dr. Dre went on to explain that only one in five public schools have funding for arts and music education and that our society might be missing out on the “next Beethoven or Basquiat,”, Dre said.

“Y’all are lucky that you have all these things [Samo music and arts programs] available,”  Dre said.  “A lot of kids don’t have access.”

After, when Beutner introduced Lil Baby, referring to him as the “next Beethoven”, the crowd erupted into jumping, screeching superfans. 

Quelled by an army of security guards, Lil Baby testified that if he had had music education in his school, he would be “way further” in his career.

“Get y’all parents to vote for it.”

Lil Baby ended his pep talk by announcing that his new album is coming out soon and admitted that he was rooting for the Atlanta Braves in the coming playoffs against the Dodgers.

Speaker Paul Wachter, a Santa Monica local, has worked with artists such as Billy Idol and Drake, to help them turn authentic ideas and artistry into businesses, and encouraged the audience members to “do something authentic”.  

Iovine, who founded Beats Electronics in 2006 with Dre as his partner, explained how when he first started Beats, he found that he needed well-rounded employees who knew about cross-disciplinary learning and collaboration, which he said comes from having diversified education opportunities.  But he said he mostly thinks music and arts education are necessary for the soul.

“Without the soul engaged, you aren’t going to be the right kind of person,” said Iovine.

At the end of the event, the panelists announced a surprise giveaway of Fender Acoustisonic Telecasters for ten individuals in the audience. Those who won, a mix of students and teachers alike, went backstage to meet the panelists face-to-face and receive their prize. 

“I couldn’t believe the guitar pick was under my seat,” Caleb Silver (’23) said. “To win that Fender guitar and meet Lil Baby…that was such a dream come true. He’s my idol.”