It’s been quite a year for hip hop artist 21 Savage. Despite dealing with immigration issues, the 21 Savage, real name, Shéyaa Bin Abraham-Joseph, has managed to remain at the top of the charts and has solidified his place as a staple of the genre. While he may be best known for lyrics about his car accumulation and his famous “in my bank account,” he’s putting his money where his mouth is (quite literally) and using his fame (as well as his financial knowledge) to help youth develop sound financial goals, increase financial literacy, and assist with job and college placements.
This week, 21 Savage announced the second phase of his “21 Savage Bank Account” campaign, a partnership with Juma and Get Schooled, designed to teach financial literacy through local programs and workshops throughout Georgia as well as an online program.
During an appearance with Georgia Congressman Hank Johnson at a local elementary school, 21 Savage led a mini-workshop for a group of delighted fourth graders, where he talked about the value of financial education and literacy as well as opportunities within the music industry.
He also announced his first upcoming event and pledged to help each child in attendance open his or her first bank account- complete with $100 already in it.
As for the artist, developing a sound financial future is a cause near to his heart.
“While my #1 song was called ‘Bank Account,’ growing up, I knew almost nothing about bank accounts,” 21 Savage says in a press release. “As I have gotten smarter about financial management, I realize how empowering it is to control your money rather than be controlled by it. I want to help kids with a background similar to mine to get smart about their money.”
According to their website, “Get Schooled was founded in 2010 through a partnership with Viacom and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Our mission is to empower and engage young people and to give them the tools and inspiration to get the education they need to succeed. We use our digital platform, gamification and a recipe we call ‘sizzle and substance’ to inspire and engage students. Since launch, we’ve posted more than 10 million visits to our site and have built a community of close to a million young people attending close to 11,000 middle schools, high school and colleges throughout the United States.”
