Rick Ross performas at 2022 InvestFest Source: Paras Griffin / Getty
As back-to-school season approaches, rapper Rick Ross is ensuring youngsters are stepping into the classroom with confidence. The music artist—whose real name is William Leonard Roberts—was spotted giving children haircuts at his Ready Up school drive, iHeart reported.
The event was hosted in collaboration with the Miami Gardens-based Betty T. Ferguson Recreational Complex and Foot Locker. Youth who attended were gifted with free backpacks, school supplies, sneakers and haircuts.
Social good projects like the one led by Roberts are needed, especially in communities like Miami Gardens, where the poverty rate sits at 17.3 percent. Several rappers have spearheaded projects aimed at empowering youth.
Last year, Lil Baby teamed up with Foot Locker to refurbish a local basketball court in Atlanta and gift 200 bikes to children in the city. Roberts says it’s imperative to ensure youth in underserved communities have the tools and resources needed to thrive in school.
Foot Locker Miami shared a short video compilation of Roberts and the families in attendance. In an Instagram post, Foot Locker Miami called the event “the BIGGEST back-to-school event in the 305.”
“Regardless of how successful you are, it’s all about coming back to your community,” Roberts shared in a statement, according to the news outlet. “It makes it a reality for the youngsters the same way it was for me growing up. So it’s all about coming back to the community. When you have the support of the community, it’s really easy, and when you have partners like Foot Locker, it really makes it simple.”
“It’s all about coming out, watching the youngsters and making it a little easier for the family members and the communities going back to school and making sure they have that excitement to go back to school,” he added.
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