Hip-Hop Donates Over $5 Million, 100,000 Masks, $20,000 in Meals and More to Coronavirus Relief
The coronavirus pandemic has stagnated citizens and the healthcare industry around the world over the last few months. As a result, members of the hip-hop community have since lent a helping hand by donating funds and essentials needed to help those fighting the virus or individuals affected by it.
Healthcare professionals working on the frontlines to care for people who have contracted the coronavirus are experiencing shortages on their supply of personal protective equipment, such as gloves and medical masks. They have also been commissioned to work long hours as chaos consumes hospitals that are filled with ill patients.
According to the World Health Organization, the lack of necessities has been "caused by rising demand, panic buying, hoarding and misuse."
"Without secure supply chains, the risk to healthcare workers around the world is real," said WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. "Industry and governments must act quickly to boost supply, ease export restrictions and put measures in place to stop speculation and hoarding. We can’t stop COVID-19 without protecting health workers first."
Citizens have been affected as well following a quarantine that was put in place amid the pandemic. The quarantine has caused temporary business closures due to advised social distancing, resulting in job loss that has prevented people from being able to provide food for their families.
Jay-Z and Rihanna are two artists who have contributed to coronavirus relief in a major way. Jay's Shawn Carter Foundation and RiRi's Clara Lionel Foundation collectively donated $2 million to help those who have been affected by the pandemic.
They hope to assist "undocumented workers, the incarcerated, homeless and elderly populations, and children of frontline healthcare workers" in New York and Los Angeles with their donation.
Many more artists are giving back to assist with coronavirus relief efforts. Check out how hip-hop is giving back below.
Jay-Z and Meek Mill Donate 100,000 Masks
Thanks to the help of their Reform Alliance, Jay-Z and Meek Mill were able to donate 100,000 masks to Rikers Island, the Tennessee DOC and the Parchman Prison in Mississippi.
Cardi B Donates Meals to Healthcare Workers
Cardi B shows her appreciation for medical professionals by donating 20,000 meals to New York City hospitals.
Quavo Launches Fundraiser
To ring in his 29th birthday on April 2, Migos member Quavo announced the launch of Quavo Cares Foundation COVID-19 Fundraiser. The Atlanta rapper is encouraging fans to friends to donate funds to aid healthcare workers. He also partnered with a nonprofit organization and Emory Healthcare to provide masks, isolation gowns and face shields to ensure the safety of health care professionals.
Lecrae Provides Washing Stations to Homeless
Lecrae teams up with Love Beyond Walls nonprofit to assemble portable handwashing stations for homeless people in Atlanta.
Future Donates Masks
Future's FreeWishes Foundation joins forces with Atlanta's Sewing Style to provide masks for healthcare workers and patients dealing with the coronavirus.
Jay-Z and Rihanna Donate $2 Million
Jay-Z's Sean Carter Foundation and Rihanna's Clara Lionel Foundation have teamed up to donate $1,000,000 each to coronavirus relief.
DJ Khaled Donates Masks to Hospitals
DJ Khaled's We The Best Foundation partners up with Direct Relief to supply healthcare workers in Miami and New York with 10,000 masks.
Quality Control Donates $100,000 in Groceries
Quality Control's CEO Pierre "P" Thomas and COO Kevin "Coach K" Lee donate $100,000 to GOODR to help feed families in Atlanta.
Slim Thug Donates 1,000 Bottles of Hand Sanitizer
Slim Thug donates 1,000 bottles of hand sanitizer to police officers and bus drivers in Houston.
Megan Thee Stallion Donates Money, Supplies to Nursing Facility
Megan Thee Stallion partners with Amazon Music to provide supplies, money and tablets to both the staff and residents at the Park Manor Skilled Nursing Facility in Houston.
Master P Helps Elderly With Free Hand Sanitizer
Master P provides elderly people in New Orleans with hand sanitizer to slow the spread of the Coronavirus.
Trae Tha Truth Donates 4,000 Masks to Houston Hospital and Jail
With healthcare workers and inmates being the most susceptible to the coronavirus, Trae Tha Truth donates 4,000 masks to the Houston Methodist Hospital and Harris County Jail.
Ja Rule Donates Masks to Homeless Shelters
Ja Rule has now donated 3,000 masks to homeless shelters around New York City as conoravirus cases in New York skyrocket.
Cinematic Music Group's Jonny Shipes Donates Learning Devices
Cinematic Music Group founder and CEO Jonny Shipes partners with NYC Together to provide learning devices to 20 students in Brooklyn. The devices will help with remote learning amid the coronavirus pandemic.
NYC Together's mission is to provide an opportunity for students of color and New York City police officers to support one another in collaborative efforts to increase civic engagement, foster leadership and strengthen communities.
Jonny also offered a $50,000 singles deal to an artist he found via Instagram during the quarantine. Artists were encouraged to submit their music to him for a donation of $20 per submission for consideration. Jonny raised $10,000 from those submissions, the funds of which were used to pay for the learning devices donated to NYC Together and also to pay for tutors from home for the kids.
And now, not one, but two deserving artists, rappers QRunItUp and Team Toon, are in the process of being signed to Cinematic for the promised singles deal.
Diddy Raises $3.7 Million for Coronavirus Relief
In order to help raise funds for non-profit humanitarian organization Direct Relief, Diddy has been hosting a special dancethon, which kicked off on April 12. According to the Direct Relief website, the donations will "support Direct Relief’s emergency response to COVID-19."
Thus far, the dancethon, which has been taking place through his Instagram Live, has been attended by Drake, Wiz Khalifa, Megan Thee Stallion, Timbaland, Lizzo, Jennifer Lopez and more. It's raised $3,726,110 to date.
Meek Mill Donates Rolls-Royce
Meek Mill contributes to Fanatics executive chairman and Philadelphia 76ers partner Michael Rubin’s All In Challenge to aid with coronavirus relief efforts. Rubin has recruited athletes, sports owners, entertainers, business owners and artists, such as Meek, to donate their most prized possessions and/or create memorable experiences that will be available for an online auction or as a giveaway.
On Tuesday (April 14), Meek announced his plans to donate his 2018 Rolls-Royce Phantom. “Yo, what’s up. It’s your boy Meek Mill, right here checking in the All In Challenge," the Philadelphia rapper began. "My guy hit me about the All In Challenge. I quickly accepted, I’m checking in. This for people who was affected by the coronavirus, who are less fortunate, so you know, I’m in a position where I can help out. So, you know me, they said all in, I came right off the door with my biggest car, my favorite car, my Rolls-Royce Phantom. I’m donating it to the All In Challenge.”
The All In Challenge, launched on April 14, has also partnered with organizations like, Meals on Wheels, No Kid Hungry and America’s Food Fund to support Feeding America and World Central Kitchen organizations. All funds raised will be divided equally among the four charities that are helping to combat food insecurities during the pandemic.
Snoop Dogg Donates 1 Million Vegan Burgers
As the coronavirus pandemic continues to affect the lives of many, Snoop Dogg has partnered with Beyond Meat to donate over 1 million vegan Beyond Burgers to people in need. The rapper announced on April 11 that the patties are set to be distributed to food banks, frontline workers and organizations over the next 30 days.
Bun B Provides Meals for Over 1,000 Families in Houston
Bun B and former Houston Texans guard Chester Pitts partner with the Altus Foundation and Church at Bethel’s Family to provide meals and groceries for more than 1,000 families in the Houston-area.
Roc Nation Will Help Provide 200,000 Meals
Roc Nation is working alongside goPuff, an on-demand convenience store, to provide over 200,000 meals to aid Feeding America and local food banks across the country. Companies like Beyond Meat, Arizona Iced Tea, Manhattan MilK, Power Up Snacks and more will be supplying food items to accommodate those affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
Drake Donates All-Expenses Paid Trip
Drake has joined Philadelphia 76ers partner Michael Rubin’s All In Challenge, which is raising money for coronavirus relief efforts and providing once-in-a-lifetime experiences during the pandemic. The rapper announced on his Instagram that he will be gifting a fan with a flight on his private jet to spend time with him and his friends.
"I’m going to offer up everything I can for this challenge. So whoever wins, you’ll get the chance to fly on Air Drake. I’ll have the OVO package waiting for you on the plane, the Nike care package waiting for you on the plane. Fly you to L.A. You’ll get to come and party with us, one of our private parties at Delilah," he said in the video.
Drake added that the winner will also receive hotel accommodations and tickets to his next show in their hometown.
2 Chainz Donates Meals From His Restaurant
2 Chainz and his business partner, Mychel “Snoop” Dillard, donate meals from their Escobar restaurant to feed healthcare workers at the Southern Regional Medical Center in Atlanta.
Kanye West Donates Over 300,000 Meals
Kanye West partners with Chick-fil-A and LA Dream Center, a nonprofit organization dedicated to assisting underserved communities in the Los Angeles-area, to donate over 300,000 meals.
Birdman Pays New Orleans Residents' Rent
Birdman announces that he will be paying the rent of some New Orleans residents, who have been affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
YG Donates $10,000 in Supplies
YG’s nonprofit, 4Hundred Waze, donates $10,000 worth of personal protective equipment to families in Emergency Crisis Housing in Central Los Angeles. These supplies include masks, gloves, sanitizer, board games, diapers and more.
Warner Music Group's PlayOn Fest Will Support COVID-19 Relief Efforts
From April 24 through 26, Warner Music Group will launch the virtual music festival PlayOn Fest to support the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund for the World Health Organization (WHO), powered by the UN Foundation.
Warner Music Group labels have opened up their vaults to showcase rare performances for this one-time-only live viewing event. Cardi B, Lil Uzi Vert, Wiz Khalifa and Nipsey Hussle are all included.
Fans will be encouraged to click-to-donate throughout the three-day-event as they watch never-before-released on YouTube performances like Nipsey Hussle's Victory Lap album release show from the Hollywood Palladium, Cardi B’s 2018 Global Citizen show from New York’s Central Park, Lil Uzi Vert’s 2018 Lollapalooza debut and Wiz Khalifa’s 2019 Coachella set, marking his third appearance at the fest.
Watch PlayOn Fest here.
Lil Durk Donates Meals to Hospital Workers
Lil Durk donates meals from Phlavs Restaurant, owned by his manager Dilla, to frontline workers at Chicago's Rush University Medical Center.
Tory Lanez Provides Meals and Diapers
After amassing major success with his Quarantine Radio show on Instagram Live during the coronavirus quarantine, Tory Lanez launches the Tory Lanez Dream City Fund in conjunction with The Dream Center and his own Dream City Project to donate meals and diapers to families affected by the coronavirus.
Amazon Music has also teamed up with Tory to match his donation of 50,000 diapers, covering the cost of 50,000 additional diapers.
Lil Tjay Donates Money to Help Formerly Incarcerated People
Lil Tjay is helping his community by giving the family members of formerly incarcerated inmates gift cards to help them buy essentials. The donations go to the Bronx Defenders, a New York City organization aiming to push boundaries and fight for the justice their clients are owed. Tjay is also donating masks to public defenders who are fighting for their clients that are considered high risk for contracting the coronavirus.
The Bronx rapper's fans will be able to take part in donating, too. Tjay is celebrating the release of his new mixtape, State of Emergency, with a 3D listening experience via Twitch. The event offers a feature in which viewers will be able to donate to The Bronx Defenders.
E-40 Donates 1,000 Gallons of Hand Sanitizer to Prisons
E-40 has manufactured and donated 1,000 gallons of hand sanitizers to USP Lompoc federal prison and San Quentin State Prison in California. He has also supplied sanitizer to US Penitentiary in Pennsylvania.
Don Toliver Provides 300 Prepared Lunches to Frontline Workers
Don Toliver, Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee and Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner partner with Lost & Found Midtown, a local Houston restaurant, to provide 300 lunches to frontline workers at the University of Michigan Medical Center.
Trippie Redd Donates Organic Beverages to Frontline Workers
Trippie Redd joins forces with Purity Organic and Sweet Leaf Tea to provide organic beverages to frontline workers in his hometown of Canton, Ohio. The drinks will also be provided to healthcare workers in New York City and Los Angeles. A total of more than 30,000 organic beverages will be given out to boost the wellbeing of medical workers who are helping citizens fight the coronavirus.
Conway the Machine Donates Meals to Buffalo City Mission
Conway The Machine partners with La Nova restaurant to donate pizzas and wings to the Buffalo City Mission in Buffalo, N.Y.
Ludacris and Mike WiLL Made It Donate Masks to Transit Workers in Atlanta
The Ludacris Foundation and Mike WiLL Made-It’s Making Wishes Matter organization have partnered with Carla Griffi, Atlanta's Sewing Style founder, to distribute 3,000 reusable face masks to MARTA (Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority) employees.
Jadakiss Donates Pizza to Frontline Workers in Los Angeles and New York City
Jadakiss partners with Slice Out Hunger, a pizza-related events and campaigns organization that helps support American hunger relief, to deliver pizza to frontline workers at hospitals in New York City and the Los Angeles-area.
G Herbo Donates Masks and Cleaning Supplies To Cook County Jail
G Herbo gives back to his hometown of Chicago by donating 20,000 masks to the Cook County Jail, which is currently battling the COVID-19 outbreak. Along with his mask donation, Herbo has included cleaning supplies to slow the spreading of germs.
Joey Bada$$ Help Homeless Youth With $25,000 Donation
Joey Badass partners with New York City’s Fund for Public Schools and the Department of Education to help homeless public school students during the COVID-19 pandemic. He's donating $25,000 to aid students impacted by the health crisis.
Flo-Rida Helps Open a Mobile Coronavirus Testing Center
Flo-Rida teams up with his doctor and business partner, Dr. George Tabi, to launch a $1.5 million mobile healthcare facility called the Asktabs Mobile Wellness Center to provide coronavirus testing. The center will test Florida residents for COVID-19 to hopefully allow them to return to work following the reopening of the state.
Pusha-T Provides Groceries and PPE Supplies
Pusha-T partners up with former NBA star Ricky Davis and Tony Draper, founder of Suave House Records, to launch the "Feed Your City Challenge" in Norfolk, Va. In response to the coronavirus pandemic, the event will provide fresh groceries and PPE supplies for up to 3,000 residents.
21 Savage Makes $25,000 Donation to Atlanta's COVID-19 Relief Fund
21 Savage donates $25,000 to the Atlanta #ATLStrong COVID-19 relief fund, which was established by Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms. His contribution will be disbursed by the United Way of Greater Atlanta, to local non-profit organizations to provide emergency assistance to Atlanta households.