Community Leader Outraged by Rapper’s Dropout of School Campaign

The allure of New York City during the holidays is something quite special, but my recent family trip there exposed us to a bewildering scene. Grand Central Station was abuzz with groups of teens, known as the “Z-gang,” disturbing the peace with chants of “f%k school” and  “Zmoneeey for President.”

With hundreds of gang members out promoting the movement, selling merchandise and urging each passerby to join the Z-list, their presence was impossible to ignore. Outraged by what I witnessed that day, I made a video about the Z-gang and posted it to my social media that same evening. 

As a community leader based in Philadelphia, a city plagued with poverty and crime like many urban cities across America, the last thing we need is a ‘drop out of school trend’ becoming popular. Alarmed and intrigued, I decided to probe into the origins of Zmoneeey and the Z-gang. 

Curiosity led me to interact with the most unusual member of the crew, a wheelchair bound, self-proclaimed ‘masked Z-ganger’ selling Z-Gang hoodies. He identified himself as Sparky Flinstone, spokesperson and co-founder of the Z-gang. Communicating through sign language and special interpreters, Sparky shared visions of a revolution funded by secret parties and driven by the ‘power of Z.’ 

Sparky’s words were quite unsettling as he detailed plans for a massive event in the making known as the Million Student March. The march will converge on the nation’s capital, drawing a parallel between the Z-Gang movement and the political stature of the current president. This revelation was extremely shocking and at the same time thought provoking.

Further investigation led me to a song by Zmoneeey titled “Saturday,” which has become a bit of a viral sensation for criticizing the public school system. From my perspective as an educator and a concerned parent, this entire scenario is deeply troubling. While the Z-Gang’s critique of the outdated educational system has some validity, promoting dropout culture and revolution seems dangerously anarchistic. 

I hope my concerns are exaggerated, but video content from Zmoneeey’s social media accounts suggest otherwise. As 2023 comes to a close, my holiday shopping experience in the big apple has left me questioning the direction in which our youth and educational systems are headed. Written by: Brandon Chastang, Community Leader, Educator & Social Activist instagram.com/b.mcfly_