According to ABC 7 NY, the rapper headed back to his neighborhood and donated items such as sweatsuits, tracksuits, t-shirts, shorts, and sneakers on Sept. 21. Fat Joe, born Joseph Cartagena, held a back-to-school clothing drive at The Eagle Academy for Young Men. He also made the same gesture at I.S. 219 New Venture School and at the elementary school he attended as a youngster, P.S. 146 Edward Collins.
He advised the teenagers at The Eagle Academy for Young Men and spoke to the media outlet as well.
“What we’re telling them is that you can become successful, but you don’t have to leave where you’re from. You can be in your community, and you can also inspire the youth because every now and then, all they need is a little push. They need a little inspiration,” Fat Joe explained.
As well as the items given to the students, the “What’s Luv?” emcee assured them that the clothing they received would keep them looking correct after the school day was over and they were out of their uniforms.
Jamir Dickens, who is the dean at The Eagle Academy for Young Men, said, “I’m going to be able to really emphasize the importance of working hard, and you get rewarded for the hard work that you put in, so I’m excited that they got to participate in this today and I’m even more excited that every student got to have something today.”
“It takes dedication, and if you apply that in the future, you’ll become successful at whatever you want to do,” Joe said. “It’s only right for me who has been blessed in my life, me and my partners at UpNYC, my sneaker store, we said, ‘Let’s give back to the community. Let’s give back to the young people and let them know that they are stars of the future.”
AllHipHop reported that Joe collaborated on this effort in conjunction with the clothing store he owns in the Bronx, UpNYC.
RELATED CONTENT: Fat Joe And Gayle King Among Featured Guests At Jay-Z’s United Justice Coalition Summit
Source: Black Enterprise
