2 Chainz, other rappers show spirit of holiday giving
He may not have the most wholesome lyrics, but this holiday season, rapper 2 Chainz has his heart in the right place.
The Atlanta rapper, along with his two daughters, surprised a disabled veteran by offering to pay her rent and buy her furniture. Dierdre Plater, a single mother in Palmetto, Ga., was paid a visit from Mr. Chainz Saturday. He came with a U-Haul, which contained a bed and sofas.
As part of his Tru Foundation charity, this gift to the Platers is funded by part of the proceeds from the rapper’s Christmas sweater collection this year.
“This season – but really, every season I try to give back – but I’ve been selling these really cool Christmas sweaters with Santa Claus doing the Dab,” 2 Chainz, also known as Tauheed Epps, said in a CBS46 video. “A lot of the proceeds go to families in need so that y’all can get out of the mud.”
The Dab is a dance move popularized by hip-hop artists from Atlanta.
"It's hard to keep gas in the car, food in the house, and do everything by myself being a single parent," Ms. Plater said. "I am on a fixed income." She recently underwent surgery and says she was touched beyond words by 2 Chainz’s generosity.
The Grammy-nominated rapper also comes from a single mother household in Georgia, he said. This isn’t the first time he’s given back to communities in his home state. Tru Foundation, a nonprofit organization founded in 2012 by 2 Chainz and his fiancée Nakesha Ward, hosts annual benefits concerts, toy drives, and back-to-school events in Atlanta’s underprivileged districts.
2 Chainz also harbors political ambitions. Earlier this year, the 38-year-old told the Atlanta Journal Constitution he’s considering a mayoral run in his hometown of College Park, where he graduated as the salutatorian of North Clayton High School before attending Alabama State University on a basketball scholarship.
Two Chainz isn’t the only rapper this holiday season to give back. Snoop Dogg paired up with the city of Inglewood, Calif. this year to pass out 1,500 turkeys right before Thanksgiving to local families in need. This was his second year in a row – a likely tradition for the coming years, he said.
Last year, rapper Snoop Dogg reached out to Inglewood mayor James Butts asking what he could do for the city, where his production crew is located. Mr. Butts suggested the turkey drive.
Other notable rappers with philanthropic ambitions include J. Cole, Eminem, and Dr. Dre. Mr. Cole created the Dreamville Foundation in 2011 to support the education of urban youth in Fayetteville, N.C., the rapper’s hometown. Eminem spearheads the Marshall Mathers Foundation for disadvantaged children in Michigan and the Eight Mile Boulevard Association, a transportation infrastructure nonprofit.
Dr. Dre is known for his $70-million donation 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.
2 Chainz’s ugly Christmas sweaters are still available online.
“All you gotta do is pray,” he told Ms. Plater. “You never know where it’s going to come from. But this is straight from my heart.”
