Mariah Parker | |
---|---|
Born | 1991 (age 32–33) |
Other names | Linqua Franqa |
Education | |
Musical career | |
Genres | |
Athens-Clarke County District 2 Commissioner | |
In office June 4, 2018 –September 8, 2022 | |
Preceded by | Harry Sims [1] |
Succeeded by | Melissa Link [2] |
Mariah Parker (born 1991 [3] ),also known by the stage name Linqua Franqa,is an American rapper and labor organizer. Based in Georgia,they served as the District 2 County Commissioner for Athens-Clarke County from 2018 to 2022.
Parker was raised in a small town near Louisville,Kentucky. [4] Parker first became interested in music from listening to their mother,a gospel singer,singing alongside other family members. [5]
After completing their undergraduate education at Warren Wilson College, [6] Parker briefly worked as an English teacher in Brazil before moving to Athens,Georgia in 2014. [4] [5]
After moving to Athens,Parker founded Hot Corner Hip Hop,a project to organize shows for local hip hop acts. [4] [5] During this period,Parker adopted the stage name "Linqua Franqa",a pun on the term lingua franca. [4] Parker also began writing their own raps and participating in rap battles. [7] This early work culminated in the release of Parker's debut album,Model Minority,in 2018. [5] Spin has described Model Minority as "a sophisticated aural exploration of self,race,mental health,and social justice". [6]
Parker holds a Ph.D. in Language and Literacy from the University of Georgia. Their second album,2022's Bellringer,was composed as a portion of their dissertation for this program. [8] Parker describes their academic experience in linguistics as an "analytic toolkit" that helps them refine their songwriting approach and delivery. [5] Georgia Public Broadcasting characterized Bellringer as an album that "capture[d] the essence of 2022". [9] Bellringer also includes the single "Wurk",which has attracted attention among organized labor advocates and led Parker to be invited to perform at the 2022 AFL–CIO Convention. [9] [10]
Parker's music has been described as combining hip hop and neo-soul. [5] [11]
In addition to their music,Parker hosts a podcast titled "Waiting on Reparations" on iHeartRadio,alongside fellow Georgia rapper Dope Knife. [12]
After their political lyrics attracted positive attention from the community,Parker began to become involved in community organizing. From there,they entered the political sphere by serving as a campaign manager for local activist Tommy Valentine,who ran for Athens-Clarke county commissioner in 2017. [8]
At the urging of Athens mayor Kelly Girtz,Parker ran for office personally in 2018,campaigning for the Athens-Clarke County District 2 Commissioner seat. [4] Parker was elected to the seat,and attracted widespread attention after being sworn in on a copy of The Autobiography of Malcolm X . [3] [13] They were reelected in 2020,in an unopposed election. [1] During their tenure as commissioner,Parker prioritized racial justice and the reduction of poverty in their district. [4] Parker was also a leading advocate of the 2021 Linnentown Resolution,an effort to make reparations to families who had been displaced in the Linnentown urban renewal project in the 1960s. [8]
Parker announced their resignation from the county commission in August 2022,stating that they had become disillusioned with the commission's limited scope and sought to return to external activism. [1] After their resignation took effect on September 8, [14] Parker moved to Atlanta and joined the Union of Southern Service Workers as a labor organizer. [6] [8]
Parker identifies as nonbinary and queer. [3] [7] They have a son,born in 2021. [8]
Athens is a consolidated city-county in the U.S. state of Georgia. Downtown Athens lies about 70 miles (110 km) northeast of downtown Atlanta. The University of Georgia,the state's flagship public university and an R1 research institution,is in Athens and contributed to its initial growth. In 1991,after a vote the preceding year,the original City of Athens abandoned its charter to form a unified government with Clarke County,referred to jointly as Athens–Clarke County where it is the county seat.
Shawntae Harris-Dupart,better known by her stage name Da Brat,is an American rapper. Born and raised in Chicago,she began her career in 1992 and signed with Jermaine Dupri's So So Def Recordings two years later to release her debut studio album,Funkdafied (1994). Receiving platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA),it became the first album by a female hip hop solo act to do so.
Jermaine Dupri Mauldin is an American record producer,rapper,singer,songwriter,and record executive. Raised in Atlanta as the son of Columbia Records executive Michael Mauldin,he began his career in music production at the age of nine. He discovered the teen hip hop duo Kris Kross in 1991. Dupri wrote and produced their 1992 single "Jump," which peaked atop the Billboard Hot 100 and was named the 23rd most successful song of that decade. He established his own record label,So So Def Recordings in a joint venture with Columbia the following year.
Raymond Scott,better known by his stage name Benzino or Ray Benzino,is an American urban media proprietor,television personality,rapper and record producer. Benzino produced records and co-owned The Source magazine.
Flagpole Magazine,often abbreviated to simply Flagpole,is an American alternative newsweekly that focuses on the cultural,liberal scene of Athens,Georgia,and its surrounding communities. Athens is known in Georgia and nationally as the home of the University of Georgia. It was founded by Jared Bailey and Dennis Greenia in 1987 and is currently edited and published by Pete McCommons,who joined the publication in 1993. Publishing under the banner "Colorbearer of Athens,Georgia," Flagpole covers local events like the Wild Rumpus Halloween Parade,AthFest Music Fest,and the Athens Twilight Criterium. The publication covers politics,art,theater,movies,books,food,local comics,and advice columns in Athens and surrounding areas.
The music of Athens,Georgia includes a wide variety of popular music and was an important part of the early evolution of alternative rock and new wave. The city is well known as the home of chart-topping bands like R.E.M.,Widespread Panic,The B-52's,and several long-time indie rock groups. Athens hosts the Athens Symphony Orchestra and other music institutions,as well as prominent local music media,such as the college radio station WUOG. Much of the modern Athens music scene relies on students from the large University of Georgia campus in the city. The University sponsors Western classical performances and groups specializing in other styles.
Jackson Street Cemetery,also known as Old Athens Cemetery,was the original cemetery for Athens,Georgia and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It was in official use as the town cemetery from about 1810 to 1856,until Oconee Hill Cemetery opened. The last known burial was in 1898.
Tim G. Echols is an elected official originally from Clayton County,Georgia,who was elected to the Athens-area seat on the Georgia Public Service Commission as a Republican in 2010. Echols unsuccessfully attempted to be appointed to the United States Senate in 2019. Echols currently serves as vice-chairman of the commission.
The 2012 United States House of Representatives elections in Georgia were held on Tuesday,November 6,2012,and elected the 14 U.S. Representatives from the state,one from each of the state's 14 congressional districts,an increase of one seat following the 2010 United States census. The elections coincided with the elections of other federal and state offices,including a quadrennial presidential election. The party primary elections were held on July 31,2012,and the run-off on August 21,2012.
Migos were an American hip hop group founded in North Atlanta,specifically Lawrenceville,Georgia,in 2008. The group was composed of rapper Quavo,his nephew Takeoff,and their mutual friend Offset. Quavo is from Athens,Georgia,while Offset and Takeoff were born and raised in nearby Lawrenceville. As a group,they were managed by Coach K,the former manager of Gucci Mane and Jeezy,and frequently collaborated with producers DJ Durel,Murda Beatz,Zaytoven,and Buddah Bless. Recognized for their contribution to trap music in the 2010s,Billboard stated that the group "influenced pop culture and the entire English language by bringing their North Atlanta roots to the mainstream".
Jeffery Lamar Williams,known professionally as Young Thug,is an American rapper. Known for his eccentric vocal style and fashion,he is considered an influential figure in modern hip hop and trap music,and a pioneer of the mumble rap microgenre. Williams embarked on a musical career in 2011,releasing a series of mixtapes beginning with I Came from Nothing. In 2013,he signed with fellow Atlanta rapper Gucci Mane's 1017 Records and gained further attention and praise for his debut mixtape with the label,1017 Thug,released in February of that year.
Shéyaa Bin Abraham-Joseph,known professionally as 21 Savage,is a British-born rapper based in Atlanta,Georgia. Born in London and raised in Atlanta he began his recording career in 2013 and released three independent mixtapes to regional acclaim. His breakout project—the collaborative extended play (EP) with record producer Metro Boomin titled Savage Mode (2016)—peaked at number 23 on the Billboard 200. Its lead singles,"X" and "No Heart" both peaked within the top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100. Later that year,he saw further recognition for his guest appearance on Drake's single "Sneakin'". He then signed a recording contract with Epic Records in January 2017.
Rayshawn Lamar Bennett,known professionally as YFN Lucci,is an American rapper and singer from Atlanta,Georgia. In 2014,he signed a record deal with Think It's A Game Entertainment and released his debut mixtape,Wish Me Well in December of that year. His second mixtape,Wish Me Well 2 (2016) marked his first entry on the Billboard 200,and was led by the single "Key to the Streets" —his first Billboard Hot 100 entry. His debut extended play (EP),Long Live Nut (2017) peaked at number 27 on chart and spawned the single "Everyday We Lit",which peaked at number 33 on the Billboard Hot 100 and remains his highest-charting song.
Deborah Gonzalez is an American attorney and politician from Georgia. Gonzalez was elected as a District Attorney for Georgia's Western Circuit district on December 1,2020,and is a former Democratic member of the Georgia General Assembly. She served as a state representative for Georgia House District 117 from November 27,2017,until January 14,2019.
The Classic Center is a convention center in Athens,Georgia,United States. It was opened in 1995. Located within is Akins Ford Arena at The Classic Center,a large event hall that also serves as a 2,000-seat arena. The arena is home to the UGA Ice Dawgs hockey team and formerly the Peach State Cats arena football team. The Classic Center also contains a 2,122-seat theatre.
Kedrick Toga Mack,better known by his stage name Dope Knife,is an American hip hop rapper and record producer from Savannah,Georgia. He is a founding member of the hip hop collective Dope Sandwich and group Happy Thoughts.
Kelly Darryl Girtz is an American educator and politician currently serving as mayor of the unified government of Athens-Clarke County,Georgia,having succeeded Nancy Denson in January 2019. Before he was sworn in as mayor,Girtz maintained a long career as a teacher and school administrator in Northeast Georgia.
Mariah Amani Buckles,known professionally as Mariah the Scientist,is an American singer and songwriter. She signed with Tory Lanez's One Umbrella and RCA Records to release her debut studio album Master (2019) and its follow up,Ry Ry World (2021). She has since parted ways with both labels in favor of Epic Records to release her third studio album,To Be Eaten Alive (2023),which marked her first entry on the Billboard 200.
The Athens Confederate Monument is a Confederate memorial near Barber Creek in Athens,Georgia,United States. It is a Carrara marble obelisk mounted on a granite foundation engraved with names of the city's soldiers who were killed during the American Civil War. It was formerly located in the median strip of Broad Street in the Downtown Local Historic District of Athens until being removed in 2020 and being placed at its current site in 2021.
Linnentown was a Black neighborhood in Athens,Georgia that was destroyed in the 1960s by an urban renewal project of the University of Georgia (UGA) and the city government of Athens. Comprising an area of 22 acres,the neighborhood had about fifty families who were forced out,via eminent domain,to make room for student housing for UGA;the dormitories,Russell Hall,Creswell Hall,and Brumby Hall now stand on the site. UGA associate professor of Geography,Jerry Shannon,estimates that the combination of undervaluing the property at the time of sale and forcing residents into areas "of the city where property values have not climbed as quickly" has cost residents over $5 million of generational wealth.