Larry T. Pretlow II, who goes by the stage name, LaPret, teamed up with Rasi Caprice, another local rapper to record a song, “State 51”, supporting increased representation for the District of Columbia. LaPret’s advocacy, however, is not a full-throated call for statehood. He believes that D.C. will draw the short straw if it attains full statehood.

As he recently told The Washington Informer:

“It’s mandated by our federal forefathers that there be a central hub for the federal government,” LaPret said. “When they give us statehood, we’re going to be getting gypped. We will lose monuments, certain funding, and we’re going to be completely responsible for ourselves.”

When asked that some critics would retort that “being responsible for ourselves” would be the point, LaPret responded, “I am probably one of the most criticized people in D.C. for my ideas.”

“Call me crazy but, we will potentially lose our land to Arlington, Virginia, or the state of Maryland,” LaPret said. “That is because the next argument will be the District is too small to be a state; it needs to be a city in a surrounding state.”

A former U.S. Postal Service employee, LaPret ran an unsuccessful campaign in 2010 to become an advisory neighborhood commissioner. During this time that he met Caprice, who former D.C. Shadow Rep. John Capozzi managed. The two resolved to record what they hoped would be an anthem for D.C. advocates.

You can hear and purchase “State 51” through LaPret’s website.