After donating to various charities, Nas is extending his philanthropic efforts to the pioneers of hip hop.
Nasir “Nas” Jones and Hip hop were born in the same year, 1973. Nas has been able to grow with hip hop and witness the legends who established the genre since it’s inception. From Roxanne Shante to Rakim, Nas has had MC coaches to give him a roadmap that would ultimately make him one of the most respected and influential rappers of his generation. Now Nas wants to make sure these pioneers are being helped through his most recent philanthropic endeavor – providing financial support to the forefathers of hip hop.
While many of the 50th anniversary of Hip Hop celebrations have been about the luxurious parts of the genre, a not-so-glamourous part, often not discussed, is the financial disparities faced by the pioneers.
The Pain In Full Foundation, founded by Nas and his partners including executive Steve Stoute, venture capital co-founder Ben Horowitz, and Felicia Horowitz, aims to rectify this issue.
The foundation’s mission is encapsulated in a statement on its website: ” Many of the most impactful original artists never received recognition proportional with their exceptional contributions to arts and culture. The Paid in Full Foundation aims to rectify that through its grantmaking program, by both honoring the people who built hip-hop and enabling them to pursue their creative and intellectual pursuits for the benefit of society.”
Nas and his partners are also behind the first-ever Hip Hop Grandmaster Awards, which is set to honor artists Rakim and Scarface. Of the event’s proceeds, 100% will go to the foundation’s programs “to support hip hop greats and other creatives.”
During an interview with “Rap Radar Podcast,” Stoute revealed that the foundation will give $500,000 as well as health care to Hip-Hop “contributors who didn’t get what they deserved.” The executive also shared that he and the team are making the Hip Hop Grandmaster Awards an annual event.
The sold-out Hip Hop Grandmaster Awards will take place Nov. 17 in Las Vegas, NV.