Student loan debt has been a hot issue for a while now; it's on every presidential candidate's radar.
According to CNN, "Republican presidential candidate Marco Rubio favors automatic income-based repayment plans for student loans, while rival John Kasich's plan includes letting high school students earn credit for basic college courses. Democrats Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton have offered plans to reduce or eliminate tuition at public colleges."
To every financially-struggling college kid, it is the stuff of nightmares, the work of the devil; it's sacrilegious. No one likes owing money, especially not to Sallie Mae. I've had professors in their 30s and 40s tell me they were still in great debt, which is quite frankly terrifying. I don't want to be that old person musing on how they JUST finished paying off their loans after more than several decades.
(Suddenly Jack's fate doesn't seem so tragic)
Anyone who has had debt will agree that it's a terrible weight on one's shoulders. Can you imagine the feeling of finally paying Sallie Mae back? Well, New Orleans musician Dee-1 can!
In his new record, the enthusiastic rapper celebrates how he "finished paying Sallie Mae back" while dollar bills rain from the sky. #GOALS
The video begins with text shots explaining just how out of control student loan debt is. Apparently, "In the US, over $12 trillion is owed in student loans." Jesus.
According to Wikipedia, Dee-1 was a popular guy in his hometown of New Orleans. He was a star basketball player AND homecoming king his senior year. The high school he graduated from, Ben Franklin High School, is apparently "the most selective and academically rigorous public school in Louisiana." Impressive, Dee!
Augustine began rapping while in high school, but it didn't begin until after graduating from LSU in 2008. He started teaching middle school math in Baton Rouge, but later resigned to focus on music. After releasing a few mixtapes, he landed his first major record deal at RCA's Inspiration. And then... Well, you know the rest.
Dee-1 explained in a Nola interview: "I did this song to give people hope when it comes to their financial situation, whether they're in debt and it's looking bleak and they don't make enough to make monthly payments on time, I wanted to give them hope and give them something to look forward to, be that light at the end of the tunnel. We wanted to capture fun and hit on real points in the video, so that's why we have people in different professions, that's why we show how much they owe Sallie Mae in the video. We certainly do touch on the issues a lot of people can relate to, and our goal was just to make it fun."
Thank the Universe he did, because he created the most relatable college anthem EVER.
Well, hopefully relatable in the near future. Most of us are still climbing that mountain of debt. One day, we'll be as happy as Dee-1. One day.
(Cross ya arms if you wanna, Sallie. He's free!)
