Terrence J Registers 100,000 New Voters

As corny as I think Terrence J is, I must give him props for doing such a great job for his efforts during this election season.

Being the host of one of today's top hip hop shows, Terrence J is looked at as a leader for the next generation. At only 25 years-old, Terrence knows that he's in a powerful position. A position where what you say and what you do, can shape and mold a young mind.

He recently did an interview with Hip HopDX this month and said, "I've been put into a powerful position. I think, for a while, I didn't realize the power of the position that I had. It took something happening with me - seeing how the things I say out of my mouth will be widespread, if I say the wrong thing."

After a challenging year on the show, that saw a shift in co-hosts, Terrence believed and used the upcoming election as a way to re-brand his position in entertainment and his power as a role-model. "With this year's election, I really started feeling a little hypocritical just being on television, telling people to register to vote. I didn't feel as though I was doing enough, I wasn't getting my hands dirty. I wasn't worthy to be in that position. I really wanted to do something to make a change."

Traveling by car with his brother, this past summer Terrence launched Crank That Vote, a campaign to register 100,000 American voters. The host and actor revealed his thinking in the effort, "We were just not gonna come back to New York City till we got 100,000 people registered to vote." Stopping for stints in New York, Newark, Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta, New Orleans and points in between, Terrence says the labor helped him as much as his cause. "I really got back in touch with God. When I got this position, I would talk to God every single day and pray every single night. Then, once you get into that position, you start getting busy, and forget."

With the election just over a month away, Terrence stresses this won't be his last push for activism. "I might tackle HIV in America, I might tackle poverty, I might tackle something else." Having recently inked endorsement deals with McDonald's and Rockport, the host stresses that it's not just dollars and cents that makes sense. "I also want to do free projects, like Crank That Vote," acknowledging financial assistance from BET, as well as mentorship from Russell Simmons and Diddy in his efforts. Humbling himself and his image, the afternoon host adds, "The intent of this is to get people to say, 'If corny Terrence from 106 & Park can 100,000 people, well let me get 1,000 people from my high school.'"

Even down to its name, this voter registration campaign may appeal to a different generation and audience than previous ones from Diddy or T.I. "Soulja Boy, whether you like him or not, you've got to respect him with his movement with 'Crank Dat Superman,'" With legions of first time voters having watched Terrence the last three years, this is an opportune time. "The whole 'crank dat' movement picked up where the Crunk movement left off. The movement is the young people. It's the young people that make everything else cool. When I meet them, a lot of times, they respect the elder statesmen of Hip Hop."

Aside from hosting 106th & Park, Terrence has just been added on to the roster of Sean John as one of it's new faces in print ads beginning this fall.