Pennsylvania DNC delegation celebrates native music legends with roll-call vote songs
The celebratory energy of the Democratic National Convention continued into day two Tuesday. Although high-profile speeches from former President Barack Obama and Sen. Bernie Sanders, among others, served as the cornerstone of festivities Tuesday night, the preceding ceremonial roll call was arguably the highlight of a highly spirited evening.
The roll call kicked off the night’s speeches with rose-colored descriptions of the history and spirit of all 57 delegations represented, including all 50 U.S. states in addition to territories like Puerto Rico and Guam. New York City native DJ Cassidy served as the ceremony’s host alongside Jason Rae, the DNC’s secretary, as each delegation celebrated with its own music.
The music largely served as “walk-up songs” as delegations crowded together and passed around a microphone to tout the beauty, history and contributions of their home region before pledging their support for Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as the Democrats’ nominees for president and vice president, respectively. The votes are ceremonial, however, since Harris was already confirmed as the Democratic nominee during a virtual vote that closed in early August.
The reimagined roll call evolved from a pandemic-era approach taken in 2020 and highlighted a theme of “coming together” at the first in-person convention since 2016.
“The roll call is a beloved and time-honored tradition, and we’re proud to bring it back in a new and fun format,” said Jaime Harrison, DNC chair, in a press release.
What did Pennsylvania play during the DNC’s roll call?
Once the night’s ceremonial roll call reached states that start with “P,” Pennsylvania introduced itself by playing a pair of classics from Keystone State natives.
DJ Cassidy introduced Pennsylvania’s delegation by playing “Motownphilly,” the beloved smash hit by the vocal harmony group Boys II Men, before transitioning into “Black and Yellow” by Pittsburgh native rapper Wiz Khalifa. Aliquippa Mayor Dwan Walker and Gov. Josh Shapiro cast Pennsylvania’s votes alongside Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker and other commonwealth officials.
Boyz II Men released “Motownphilly” as a single from their debut album, “Cooleyhighharmony,” in 1991. The group first formed under the name Unique Attraction in 1985 at the Philadelphia High School for the Creative and Performing Arts. The group, which has won four Grammy Awards, even has a portion of Philadelphia’s Broad Street named after it.
Khalifa, meanwhile, grew up in Pittsburgh after frequently moving across the globe due to his parents’ military service. “Black and Yellow,” which peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts as the lead single from Khalifa’s 2011 album “Rolling Papers,” references growing up in Pittsburgh. The song is named after the city’s colors and remains a mainstay at Pittsburgh Steelers football games.
Other delegates at the DNC picked songs that reflected their states’ own histories or natives. Alabama aptly chose “Sweet Home Alabama,” while Illinois chose to celebrate with British rock band The Alan Parsons Project’s “Sirius,” which served as the backing instrumental while introducing the Chicago Bulls’ starting lineup during their Michael Jordan-led dynasty.
Most delegations played only one song, leaving Pennsylvania as an outlier. Minnesota’s group chose “Kiss” and “1999” by Prince, while Georgia played “Welcome to Atlanta” by Jermaine Dupri and featured a cameo appearance by Lil Jon, who played “Turn Down For What” and “Get Low.” California celebrated with contributions from three artists: “The Next Episode” by Dr. Dre, “California Love” by 2Pac and both “Alright” and “Not Like Us” by Kendrick Lamar.
%202.JPG)