Travis Scott made amends for agreeing to perform at the Super Bowl by donating $500,00 to prison reform and local youth initiatives.
From a number one album to becoming a parent with a member of the Kardashian clan, 20018 was a big year for Travis Scott. While he’s finally ascended to being Hip-Hop’s new number 1, La Flame recently caught some flak from his peers for breaking the solidarity of the Super Bowl Halftime Show protest.
Black Artists including Rihanna, Cardi B, Jay Z, and Lauryn Hill all declined to perform at the Atlanta halftime show, opting to stand in solidarity with NFL player Colin Kaepernick who faced backlash after kneeling in protest of police brutality and social injustice.
People felt like Scott was about his money more than he was for Kaepernick. Others implied that his superstar rise into the Kardashian/Jenner family has caused him to forget his roots.
With critics calling to boycott the NFL, Maroon 5, Travis Scott, and Big Boi risk backlash by agreeing to perform at Super Bowl LIII. https://t.co/Y7of7pkqE5
— POPDUST (@Popdust) January 14, 2019
Scott must have been taking the criticism to heart. News broke that he made two financial donations during the past week that would defy the narrative that he doesn’t care about his community. Scott and the NFL will make a $500,000 joint donation to Dream Corps, an organization that fights for social justice and prison reform.
Their slogan “21st-century jobs, not jails,” emphasizes Dream Corps’ mission to decrease jail and prison populations by 50% in the next 10 years.
“I back anyone who takes a stand for what they believe in,” said Scott in a statement about the charitable donation. “I know being an artist that it’s in my power to inspire.”
.@trvisXX agreed to do the @SuperBowl halftime show under one condition 👀
The @NFL must contribute part of a $500,000 donation to @thedreamcorps, a nonprofit which backs “initiatives that close prison doors and open doors of opportunity" https://t.co/UC1YJ3jxap pic.twitter.com/aYArZHCgIM
— Complex Music (@ComplexMusic) January 14, 2019
“So before confirming the Super Bowl Halftime performance, I made sure to partner with the NFL on this important donation and decision. I am proud to support Dream Corps and the work they do that will hopefully inspire and promote change.”
Genius move by Scott to deflect the fact that he and OutKast member Big Boi basically crossed the picket line, weakening the Super Bowl boycott. The donation shows that Scott is fully aware that his decision to perform at halftime comes amidst controversy and while his fans are a cornucopia of ethnicities, genders, and races, he doesn’t want anyone think that he lost touch with his audience and doesn’t understand the potential of his power as a celebrity to facilitate change.
Scott didn’t stop there. According to ABC13, he’s also donating $100,000 to “Workshop Houston”, a local nonprofit from his hometown. The organization aims “to provide youth with creative, technical and educational resources” and they offer a series of after-school programs which focus on topics such as music production and graphic design”.
Travis Scott donates $100,000 to Houston nonprofit after-school program https://t.co/yO4P7n78kX pic.twitter.com/v0EmRMzFaj
— billboard (@billboard) January 10, 2019
Travis’ kind-heartedness will also fund a drone racing competition, to be held at Space Center Houston. In addition, his donation will help Houston kids make their own music with the latest software available.
Travis Scott's donation will help students in Workshop Houston make their own music with the latest software. https://t.co/39PByHrawD
— ABC13 Houston (@abc13houston) January 13, 2019
This is the first time I have heard of Scott contributing to improving education in underserved communities, so I commend him for that. It’s not, however, the first time he’s shared his paper.
After Astroworld went No. 1, Scott celebrated with an announcement that he was giving away $100,000 to his fans. All they had to do was tweet lyrics from Astroworld, and in return, he was going to break them off with something.
Whether you agree with Scott performing at the Super Bowl or not, he has put his money where his mouth is when it comes to improving the education and conditions of kids in the underserved community that fueled his rise to fame.
