On Sunday, August 3, Atlanta rapper 21 Savage, along with his Leading By Example Foundation and Momma Flystyle, hosted the ninth annual Issa Back to School drive.
“He’s homegrown, he is our own, straight out of 285 and Glenwood,” said Hank Johnson, U.S. representative for Georgia’s 4th Congressional District, in regards to what Grammy-winning rapper 21 Savage means to the community of DeKalb County.
The event was able to serve thousands of DeKalb County school students and surrounding counties as they prepare to start the first day of school on Monday, Aug. 4.
This school year, many parents across the nation are concerned about the impact tariffs will have on the rising cost of school supplies. With the implementation of Liberation Day Tariffs in April of this year, all imported goods, no matter the country, were hit with a 10% universal tariff.
“Oh, it’s huge, because prices are going up all across the country due to Trump’s tariffs and other policies. And so everything is more expensive, but income remains the same,” said U.S. Representative Johnson.
The event was responsible for providing students with bookbags filled with school supplies, shoes, food, haircut and braiding services, school uniforms, and skin care products.
“It was nice of him to do this because he didn’t have to,” said Tasha Lewis, a parent in attendance.
“We just wanna make sure we take some type of load off for these parents so they’re not worried about sending their children to school and spending their last,” 21 Savage’s manager, Justin Williams, told The Atlanta Voice.
The Leading By Example Foundation was founded in 2018 by 21 Savage to encourage the youth to understand the basics of managing money, opening bank accounts, and saving for college by partnering with prominent financial literacy organizations. The organization has held many events and granted scholarships to students as well.
The back-to-school drive featured sponsors from DeKalb County Commissioner Mereda Davis Johnson, Walmart, Prime Hydration, Live Nation, Adidas, and Goodwipes.