Rapper Ludacris appears to endorse GOP Gov. Nathan Deal at Atlanta charter school event

A campaign event without the usual political rhetoric is as rare as seeing Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal and rapper Ludacris sharing a stage. Yet, both occurred on Friday at a charter school near Atlanta, where the unexpected duo was met with cheers from over 200 attendees.

Republican Gov. Deal remarked that he couldn't think of anyone better than Christopher "Ludacris" Bridges to inspire students, despite the rapper's controversial lyrics and his outspoken support for President Barack Obama. Seated together on stage, Deal in a suit and tie and Ludacris in jeans and a dress shirt, the two occasionally exchanged words with each other and school officials. The crowd erupted as Deal introduced Ludacris.

Rather than delving into politics, Ludacris addressed the eager students at Utopian Academy for the Arts, Georgia's first state-commissioned school, which is aimed at serving an underserved community. Drawing from his own experiences, Ludacris told the students, "A lot of people will tell you that you guys are at a disadvantage. I feel you're at an advantage. And you know why? Because you have street smarts, but when you add book smarts to that, you are unstoppable."

Despite Ludacris' positive message, his lyrics have not always been so uplifting, sometimes depicting violence against women and promoting reckless behavior. Deal's spokesperson, Brian Robinson, couldn't immediately comment on the appropriateness of those messages but defended the governor's appearance with Ludacris as beneficial for the school. "If we help keep open a school that's doing tremendous work on behalf of children, it was a good day's work for us," Robinson said.

Bryan Thomas, the spokesperson for Democratic candidate Jason Carter, noted on Twitter that there was an "inordinate" amount of Ludacris being played in Carter's campaign office. He found it interesting that the governor seemed unaware or indifferent to the controversial lyrics, or at least that’s what Deal claimed.

Prior to this event, Ludacris had mostly aligned himself with Democrats, notably releasing a profane song during the 2008 presidential campaign that criticized Obama's opponents. Deal clarified that the appearance with Ludacris was not an endorsement and that they didn’t discuss politics. "So many people try to divide us along ideological lines," Deal said. "I think the things we ought to concentrate on are the things that bring us together."

Education remains a key issue in the gubernatorial race between Deal and Carter. While Carter supports charter schools that boost student performance, he opposed the creation of the statewide charter committee that approved Utopian, arguing that local boards are better suited for such decisions. "Sen. Carter doesn't believe that a state bureaucracy in Atlanta is the best place to determine what's right for kids across the state," Thomas said.