These Rappers Keep It Real By Giving Back

 

Many famous rappers like to talk about how rich they are, but are they willing to put their money where their mouth is? These particular hip-hop artists had no problem doing so. They’ve donated chunks of their bank accounts to worthy causes, such as providing scholarships for kids going to college and helping to feed the hungry. For some, it was a one-time donation; for others, it is an ongoing charitable effort. Many rappers have even started their own charities in order to help make a difference. But when you are a chart-topping rapper, money just ain’t a thing.

 



 Drake’s Double Donation



When Drake filmed the video for his single “God’s Plan” at Miami Senior High School in Florida, he allowed many of the students to appear in the video as extras. But then he really shocked the students when he donated $25,000 to the school.
He then committed to providing all of the students with uniforms designed by his clothing line OVO.
 The rapper didn’t stop there; he then headed over to the University of Miami to surprise one lucky student with a $50,000 scholarship. The student was Destiny James, a first-generation college student who was raised in a single-parent home from a low-income family.

  Fighting For Disadvantaged Youth



Last June marked the second consecutive year that Big Sean made a significant contribution to the youth in Michigan, his home state. In 2016, through his own Sean Anderson Foundation, he donated $25,000 to Wayne State University’s HIGH (Helping Individuals Go Higher) program, which supplies “short-term support” to students who struggle to meet basic needs, such as food, shelter, and childcare.

 Then last year he donated an additional $15,000 to the program. He established his foundation in 2013 “to assist in the education, health, safety and well-being of Detroit area school aged youth as well as disadvantaged youth in other areas across the nation.”


  Social Justice




In 2016, Jay Z hosted a star-studded benefit concert at Barclays Center, featuring Beyonce, Nikki Minaj, Lil Wayne, Usher, Damien Marley and Jay himself.

The concert was not only celebrating one million subscribers to Jay and Beyonce’s streaming service Tidal, but it also raised money for a variety of national and international social organizations in line with the Black Lives Matter movement and related social justice issues: $1.5 million to be exact.

 That wasn’t the first time Jay has made charitable contributions. His organization, The Shawn Carter Scholarship Fund, has awarded over $1 million to college students who want to study abroad.


The Next Generation of Moguls



In an effort to promote the next up and coming generation of entrepreneurs, P. Diddy donated $250,000 to the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NTFE), an organization that “activates the entrepreneurial mindset and builds startup skills in youth from under-resourced communities to ensure their success and to create a more vibrant society.” He even also offered private coaching sessions with the top four finalists in the organization’s NFTE Challenge in New York City. “I believe all young people should be given the opportunity to be successful and to pursue their passions,” said Diddy. “And NFTE gives all kids the tools they need to be the CEOs of their future.”


  A New Academic Program



 Dr. Dre teamed up with his Beats Electronics partner, Jimmy Iovine, who’s also the chairman of Universal Music Group’s Interscope-Geffen-A&M Records, to donate a total of $7 million to the University of Southern California for the creation of an undergraduate program called USC Jimmy Iovine and Andre Young Academy for Arts, Technology and the Business of Innovation.

 The program “focuses on nurturing and developing original thought, leading to breakthrough products, systems, technologies and more.” According to USC President C. L. Max Nikias, “The vision and generosity of Jimmy Iovine and Andre Young [Dr. Dre] will profoundly influence the way all of us perceive and experience artistic media.”

In His Mother’s Honor

 Dr. Donda West may be the late mother of megastar Kanye West, but she was an icon in her own right. After passing away in 2007, Donda’s House, a nonprofit dedicated to premium arts instruction for children in impoverished communities of Chicago, was opened in her honor.

West himself donated $133,000 to help get it off its feet. The program accepts about 30 students per semester and has already helped almost 100 students. Then in 2014, West teamed up with fellow rapper Common and The Chicago Urban League, creating more than 22,000 jobs for Chi Town’s youth.



 After Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans in 2005, Lil Wayne donated $200,000 to help rebuild a park that was damaged in his hometown. He used to play at that park when he was growing up, and he had hoped that it would inspire other musicians and artists to also donate to help rebuild the city after the disaster. Weezy also helps out his hometown by teaming up with Cash Money Records to hand out an estimated 1,000 turkeys to families from their city. Additionally, he built a skate park in the city’s Lower 9th Ward Village, another area that was hit hard by Katrina.





 After learning about an unemployed Washington D.C. widower with eight children who lost his home in a fire, Nas launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise money for the man and his family. Nas connected to the man’s story, being a single father himself, and immediately donated $5,000 of his own money. “…I believe and hope that we should all, as a community, come together to help our fellow American men and women when they need us in desperate situations like this,” said Nas. The campaign ended up exceeding the intended $50,000 goal, and Nas then added an additional $5,000. He, along with 2,219 other contributors, raised over $63,000.

Helping the Poor

The Game created “The Robin Hood Project” solely for giving back and “helping people in need, people that are struggling, people that come into hardships in their life.” He launched the project after meeting a man who lived with 20 of his family members and was struggling to make ends meet.

 The Game gave the guy his last $20 and decided to figure out how to do more for society. Soon after the organization was formed, he heard another story about a young girl who was shot outside her family’s home, and her last words were her asking if her father was alright. The Game contributed $10,000 to the funeral’s costs.

Mentoring Through Education and Creativity

Common loves his hometown of Chicago and has dedicated himself to helping the youth of his South Side community.

 That is why he created the Common Ground Foundation, whose mission is “to empower high school students from under-served communities to become future leaders.” The program’s intention is to expose underserved inner-city youth to new opportunities through the creative arts.

 The organization provides a team of dedicated coaches and mentors that work with students in an individual and group setting, as well as providing community service projects and cultural field trips.