There are some that talk about it, while there are few who actually about that life. Dee-1 is one of those people who lives what he raps about. You can tell he has a servant’s heart and seeks to aid his city in whatever way he can. Just recently a press conference was called in New Orleans as Mayor LaToya Cantrell, Sheriff Marlin Gusman, and Juvenile Justice Intervention Center (JJIC) Director Dr. Kyshun Webster celebrated Dee-1’s generous donation of PPE(personal protective equipment) to two correctional facilities.The New Orleans native teamed up with the national organization, Masks For The People and Pastor Mike McBride to donate 6,000 masks to Orleans Parish Prison. Dee-1 also donated 500 masks to the Juvenile Justice Intervention Center as well as 100 bottles of hand sanitizer. No youth in the JJIC have contracted the disease and this donation will help keep it that way.
Dee-1 has always served those who needed him the most, stretching back to his days as a teacher. Before he realized he could reach many more through the medium of hip hop, Dee-1 served the students in front of him. Dee-1 also knows that many in the classroom fall victim to the correctional system and are forgotten about. The donations to the most vulnerable and marginalized people in society, shows that Dee-1 honors their humanity. Every person is made in the image of God, no matter what they have or haven’t done. This isn’t Dee-1’s first time helping out in the community either. Mayor Cantrell asked him to put out a PSA telling people to wear masks and Dee-1 took that PSA and made it into the viral “Corona Clap,” which has over 10 million views across multiple social media platforms.
Shout out to Dee-1 for holding his state and city down. Dee-1 had this to say during the press conference thanking him for his donation, “It’s important for me to make this donation because I’ve dedicated my whole life to serving those in need, at all times, in any way possible,” Dee-1 said. “This pandemic has really placed each and every one of us in the same boat. We must be conscious of protecting not just ourselves but others; not simply to be ‘aware’ of those in need but to explore ways where we can share our resources in an effort to help. This is what it’s about for me and this is what it will continue to be about.”
Dee-1 has been a One Man Army for years, and continues to move forward and be the change he wants to see in his city. Make sure you go purchase and stream his music so he can make more donations like this and continue to serve those who often get overlooked.
