Philanthropy

**Philanthropy** throughout Lupe Fiasco's career. He and his sister Ayesha Jaco are co-founders of M.U.R.A.L., a Chicago-based organization through which they work to empower youth in inner-city communities. Programs include food justice, providing hip-hop music curriculum, and building leadership and literacy skills.

Along with supporting charitable causes through music and live performances, Fiasco has been vocal about worldwide issues such as poverty, racism, police brutality, poor education system, and negative impacts from glamorized content in the media. Known as being a socially conscious rapper, his music discusses topics like colonialism, gun violence, child soldiers, and violence in hip hop music and culture.

## 2005

### Anthony Walker Fundraising Concert

On October 27, 2005, Fiasco performed at the memorial concert for the murdered teenager, Anthony Walker. Walker was a Black British student of Jamaican descent who was brutally killed in an unprovoked racist attack.

## 2006

### Save the Rhino

A benefit concert hosted by Marc Ecko. It was to raise awareness for the endangered species, where proceeds went to the International Rhino Foundation. Fiasco performed in the 2006 lineup on June 8.

## 2008

### New Yorkers for Children

An organization which focuses on child welfare. On September 16, 2008, Fiasco performed at their Manhattan event.

## 2009

### Peapod Foundation Benefit

On February 5, 2009, Fiasco performed at the 5th Annual Black Eyed Peas' Peapod Foundation benefit concert in Los Angeles, California. The project works on social issues, including child welfare, such as shelter, hunger, poverty, and access to education.

### Joyful Heart Foundation Gala

An organization that supports survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, and child abuse. On May 5, 2009, Fiasco performed at their second-annual gala. As an encore, he pledged a $20,000 donation.

## 2010

### *Summit on the Summit*

In January 2010, Fiasco was a part of the documentary film where celebrities climbed to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro to raise awareness about the water crisis.

### "Resurrection"

With the 2010 Haiti earthquake, Fiasco and Kenna joined forces to create the song, which was for Music for Relief's charity album, *Download to Donate for Haiti*, released on January 19.

### Invisible Children Benefit Concert

His 2007 song "Little Weapon" discusses child soldiers. He was inspired when meeting the organization Invisible Children who spread awareness, backstage at a Fall Out Boy concert. He performed at the organization's benefit concert at the University of San Diego on May 9, 2010.

### B.O.M.B. Fest

A music festival that donates over 70 percent of all proceeds to select national and local charities. Fiasco joined the lineup for the May 30, 2010 concert.

### Re:Form School

On October 9, 2010, Fiasco participated in the Living Remix workshop with DJ SpazeCraft. Children could collaborate and create music from scratch, where SpazeCraft helped with the beat and Fiasco helped with the lyrics.

## 2011

### OneXOne Hope Belongs to Everyone

On September 10, 2011, Fiasco performed at the benefit concert. The organization, ONEXONE, aims to provide quality of life for all children.

### Occupy Wall Street

On September 17, 2011, Fiasco attended the protest against corporate greed in New York City. He also donated tents, wrote the poem "Moneyman," and spread awareness during his Generation Laser Tour.

## 2012

### "Gone"

On April 4, 2012, Mikkey Halsted and Fiasco released the song "Gone" featuring Jim Lavigne, which centers on gun violence.

### The Lupe Fiasco Foundation x IMAN

On July 31, 2012, it was reported of the LFF's goal to feed 100 people a day during Ramadan. They worked with Inner-City Muslim Action Network (IMAN) and Payless Grocery to serve Soul Vegan Food in Englewood, Chicago. He said, "It may seem like it's insignificant, but you never know who's going to walk away with something and what's the best way to put it but juxtapose it next to the thing, which is the most visited thing in the community, which is the corner store."

## 2013

### Mass Black Male Graduation and Transition to Manhood

On June 29, 2013, Fiasco was a keynote speaker for the graduates from Chicago's public high schools, dubbed as the "Mass Black Male Graduation and Transition to Manhood" ceremony. He criticized his city's education system, stating:

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> Congratulations, you have graduated from one of the most terrible, substandard school systems in the entire world. You have just spent the last... 12 years receiving one of the worst educations on Earth. You are at least four, five steps behind people in other countries that are younger than you. Transition to manhood is the most important thing that's going on right now. The caps and the gowns and your tassels and your honorary blah blah blahs don't mean nothing. That's just some clothes. Meaningless clothes, too, because they have no real purpose in life. What do they do? They just represent to someone else that you've achieved something. But then when you look back at it, what have you achieved? For young black men, it is one the last things that we have and one of the last things that we can control. Manhood is connected to humanity.
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At the very end, he "pledged $100 to each of the 150 students." Michael Crenshaw of The Black Star Project held a raffle where ten students could receive $100, though Fiasco extended it to everyone "on the spot."

### "Violent Music" Tweets

He discussed about violent music over a series of tweets on March 25, 2012:

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> Violent music (and all violent media) effectively says its "ok" to be violent. It provides positive reinforcement for negative actions. If you rap and make violent music then own up to it. Stop hiding behind "art imitating life" as a way to evade the guilt. "How the hell you gonna tell this man not 2 be violent?, Cuz he dont need to go the same route that I did" -Eminem & Dr. Dre "Choices". Sorry…"Bad Meets Evil"…"Guilty Conscious"…sorry…lol correct title of the song aside, U know what I meant! The issue stands that violent music puts violence into this world one way or another.
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> It creates the atmosphere that violence is an acceptable means to an end. Agree or disagree doesnt really matter at this point honestly. But to not even acknowledge the possibility that violent music has even the most minute effect on violence in the world is frankly bullshit. Ive made violent music. Done violent things. Most my friends are violent. Lived in violent neighbors. Seen violence first hand. A certain point you start to get tired of it. You ask why? why is it like this? what is causing this? why is this ok to live like this? Then you turn on the news and see that a 12 month old got shot in the face by two teenagers in Georgia for no reason at all. Then you hear a song on the radio talking about "shooting everyone in sight"…bad times man…fuck… you may not give two shits about the next man and his troubles and thats cool with me…live you life…but I do and most people I know do. but dont sit there and act like high ass inner city murder rates are just falling from the sky for absolutely no reason… everything plays a part…EVERYTHING. Take responsibility for the part you play. motherfuckers can at least start there. yeah I got issues. My hood aint been safe in 25 years! At the point now u can die for nothing. just random death and disregard. tired of it. I know you don't hear me. I guess its the LAST desperate act of a desperate man in desperate times. On one…peace…
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> And that's it. In That last retweet. CARE. Compassion. Empathy. Do you care? Yes or no? Sometimes? All the time? That's the issue at hand. One more and I'm done. Promise. Somebody just said the violence in Shakespeare didnt make people more violent or had no effect. And my thought was the people who could even afford to see a Shakespeare play at the time probably got their money from the slave trade. Now ain't that bout a bitch…bad, woman good…lol…y'all move in peace out there one love #CHI
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## 2014

### Stand Up to Cancer

In 2014, Fiasco was announced as the ambassador for Stand Up to Cancer that year. He released the song "Mission" that featured Chef Tone, along with the remix featuring Common and Jennifer Hudson, where all proceeds went towards the organization.

### Aahh! Fest

An annual two-day charity music festival created by Common, held in Chicago, Illinois, to raise funds for local non-profit organizations. Fiasco joined its inaugural year lineup on September 21, 2014.

## 2015

### "Supreme"

On June 20, 2015, Fiasco penned an open letter on white supremacy, denouncing it and addressed white supremacist Dylann Storm Roof, who brutally murdered nine black churchgoers in Charleston. He concluded, "In closing white regularity (the race formerly know[n] as white supremacy) I myself on behalf of my own black regularity salute you."

### "The Police"

Fiasco wrote an open letter to the United States' law enforcement, posted to his Instagram account on July 26, 2015. It was split into seven parts and mentions the definition of police, complications of law and crime, and the death of Sandra Bland.

### Neighborhood Start Fund

The non-profit organization was founded by Lupe Fiasco and Ann Eisnor, where they would support entrepreneurs in spaces that are underserved. It was announced in October 2015 and held its first event on November 13, 2015.

## 2016

### FRDM Fest

A charity music festival based in Long Beach, California. Fiasco was part of their 2016 lineup, performing on July 2.

## 2017

### *ELeague Street Fighter V Celebrity Showdown*

In 2017, Fiasco appeared on the televised special in support for charity, where he represented M.U.R.A.L. The episode aired on April 28, 2017.

### Help Houston Heal

On September 18, 2017, a benefit concert was hosted by Robert Glasper. It was in aid for victims of Hurricane Harvey, where Fiasco was part of the lineup.

## 2018

### Power to the People

On March 18, 2018, a benefit concert was hosted for victims in Puerto Rico from Hurricane Maria.

### "Alan Forever" and "Jonylah Forever"

The following tracks from his album *Drogas Wave* memorialize the two people:

* Alan Kurdi, a two-year-old boy who drowned on September 2, 2015. This happened when him and his family attempted to flee to Europe, during the refugee crisis.
* Jonylah Watkins, who was only six months old when she was fatally shot in Woodlawn, Chicago. She died from her injuries in the Comer Children's Hospital on March 12, 2013.

## 2019

### Source

On January 10, 2019, Fiasco gave a keynote speech about the tech company, which provides a sustainable way for safe, clean drinking water. Originally called Zero Mass, it only uses solar power. Using specialized hydropanels, it converts water vapor into liquid, then uses the combination of minerals magnesium and calcium to make drinkable water.

## 2020

### "Shoes"

In memory of Ahmaud Arbery, Fiasco and Kaelin Ellis released the song featuring Virgil Abloh. Arbery was killed by a racially motivated hate crime, where he went jogging and was targeted by three white men. Fiasco explained that he researched the footwear Arbery wore and wanted to be accurate but not disrespectful or macabre. He enlisted the help of Abloh to hypothetically design a pair of shoes.

### Grubhub Sound Bites

On August 7, 2020, Fiasco and Tierra "UMI" Wilson did a YouTube livestream together to raise money for World Central Kitchen. Their goal was to raise up to $100K for Black-owned restaurants and food-insecure communities. Viewers would leave a comment in the livestream's chat to share their favorite delivery order. Each comment would result in Grubhub donating $1.

## 2022

### CurbFest for Political Prisoners

A community event held to raise awareness of political prisoners held captive in America. On November 5, 2022, Fiasco was a featured guest, where he taught self-defense.

### Friendsgiving

An annual event founded and hosted by the musical duo, Louis the Child, where they organize a canned food drive and donate some of the proceeds to charitable organizations. Fiasco joined their 2022 lineup, performing on November 25.

## 2023

### Generation Drill: Violence, Art, and the Future of Hip Hop

On March 2, 2023, he attended a panel at Harvard that discussed drill music and its impact on culture and society. It included panelists Dee-1, Saida Grundy, and Forrest Stuart. Fiasco was a staunch opposer of the subgenre, which has been traced to originate in Chicago's South Side by Pac Man. It was noted by *Pitchfork* in 2019 of its importance, "The stories were often sad, teenage rappers forced to grow up early thrust into the spotlight. Some were against the genre's candid depiction of violence, but this was the real world these rappers lived, and thus rapped about, a world borne of conditions that racism helped to create." *BBC* made note of its controversy, where some believed it to be linked to violence, where Pac Man was killed in 2010 and Lil Jojo, an 18-year-old drill rapper, was killed in 2012. Fiasco had said back in 2022, "We not supposed to be dancing to the shit, man, you feel me? This is different. And the only reason I care so much is these n\*\*\*as is 13, 14." Fiasco reflected upon his own juxtaposed situation, where his family and friends were criminals or police officers alike, and stated, "drill music should never happen [...] I still don't fuck with it." Dee-1 also made note of prioritizing Black lives before Black art.

## References

1. ↑ Carter, Helen (July 30, 2015). "Anthony Walker murder: What has changed in the decade since his death?". *BBC*.
2. ↑ "Lupe Fiasco to Headline B.O.M.B. Fest 2010 in Connecticut". *PRS News*. March 25, 2010.
3. ↑ Moore, Natalie (July 31, 2012). "Lupe Fiasco feeds Chicagoans in food deserts". *WBEZ Chicago*.
4. ↑ Robinson, Nicholas (July 5, 2013). "Lupe Fiasco gives Chicago grads stern speech about their 'terrible school systems'". *Rolling Out*.
5. ↑ Robinson, Melia (July 2, 2013). "Lupe Fiasco Obliterates Chicago Public Schools in Speech to Grads". *Insider*.
6. ↑ Kujundic, Peter (March 25, 2013). "Lupe Fiasco Talks Violence in Music". *Hypebeast*.
7. ↑ Galil, Leor (September 22, 2014). "Common and Kanye West make Aahh! Fest a great end cap to festival season". *Chicago Reader*.
8. ↑ "Read Lupe Fiasco's Open Letter About White Supremacy". *Billboard*. June 21, 2015.
9. ↑ "Lupe Fiasco, T-Pain, Kid Ink Headline FRDM Fest For Charity, July 2nd In Long Beach, CA". *AllAccess.com*. May 26, 2016.
10. ↑ Watson, Elijah (2018). "Watch Black Star, Black Thought, And Lupe Fiasco Perform At Puerto Rico Benefit Concert". *Okayplayer*.
11. ↑ "Lupe Fiasco (@lupefiasco)". *Facebook*. January 10, 2019.
12. ↑ Virk, Kameron (July 26, 2020). "Lupe Fiasco: America's influence in the world is 'dwindling'". *BBC*.
13. ↑ Montrose, Alex (August 7, 2020). "Watch Lupe Fiasco and UMI's Livestream Charity Concert". *Complex*.
14. ↑ Zagula, Zack (December 20, 2017). "Louis the Child - Friendsgiving - Aragon Ballroom Chicago". *WiDR FM*.
15. ↑ "Generation Drill: Violence, Art, and the Future of Hiphop". *YouTube*. March 2, 2023.
16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 Davies, Sam (June 7, 2021). "The controversial music that is the sound of global youth". *BBC*.
17. ↑ Pierre, Alphonse (October 15, 2019). "11 Songs That Define Chicago Drill, the Decade's Most Important Rap Subgenre". *Pitchfork*.
18. ↑ Cummings-Grady, Mackenzie (July 16, 2022). "Lupe Fiasco Wishes Drill Music Was Just Entertainment: 'They Telling the Truth'". *HipHopDX*.