In an industry often characterized by excess, luxury, and entertainment, it can be easy to lose sight of the positivity musicians bring into the world. Musicians not only use their art to share a message, but also their voices outside of music to promote unity and philanthropy among their fans. Many go above and beyond to become role models for their fans, so we’ve rounded up a list of performers who have made notable strides toward making a difference to show how musicians are saving the world.
RIHANNA
Rihanna, one of the most influential pop singers of all time and a fashion icon, is also a devoted supporter of education. This year, she was named Harvard’s Humanitarian of the Year due to her creation of the Clara Lionel Foundation Global Scholarship Program, a nonprofit that helps students from Caribbean countries attend universities in the U.S. She has also been a constant supporter of the Global Citizen Project, which helps provide education to children from developing countries.
©Courtesy of Chance the Rapper/Facebook
CHANCE THE RAPPER
There’s a reason Chance has his city doing front flips. The young rapper has made it his personal agenda to help his hometown of Chicago in every way possible. Earlier this year, he made good on a promise to meet with Gov. Bruce Rauner to discuss public education. When the meeting itself did not result in any significant change, Chance took it a step further and donated $1 million to Chicago public schools. His nonprofit SocialWorks also continues to donate tens of thousands of dollars to individual schools.
©Courtesy of Nicki Minaj/Facebook
NICKI MINAJ
With more than 21 million Twitter followers, Nicki Minaj has the potential to break the Internet on a whim. Recently, she chose to do so by promising to pay off the college debts of various followers who tweeted their student loan and tuition statements, along with their grade point averages, at her. After replying to a slew of fans, she finished off the night by pledging to do another round in the near future. The timeframe is unclear, but what is clear is that over a dozen students were able to further their education thanks to her help.
©Courtesy of Lady Gaga/Facebook
LADY GAGA
For Lady Gaga, “Born This Way,” a song about being yourself, turned into an entire foundation devoted to creating positive online and offline communities for disenfranchised youth. Moved by a fan’s suicide due to bullying, Gaga formed the Born This Way Foundation and has since been using her resources to battle childhood depression and anxiety. The Born This Way Foundation, formed in 2012, funds research on youth mental health, as well as peer support and preventative initiatives.
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How Musicians Are Helping The World: Featured image courtesy of Rihanna/Faceboook
