Jeezy is giving back in a major way as he honors the 20th anniversary of his landmark debut album Let’s Get It: Thug Motivation 101. Staying true to the message he delivered two decades ago about doing it for the hood, the rap icon is teaming up with a leading national nonprofit to support families near his hometown.
As reported by TMZ, Jeezy is joining forces with Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), one of the largest community development groups in the country, to host a free Community Day event on Saturday, July 26. The gathering will take place at Impact Church in East Point, Georgia, just outside of Atlanta, and will be open to the public.
The celebration will feature the distribution of nearly 25,000 pounds of food, free health screenings for residents, and a back-to-school giveaway for roughly 500 local students. The event is part of Jeezy’s ongoing mission to uplift the community that helped shape him.
July 26 also marks the exact day the Snowman delivered his official commercial debut in 2005. Though he had already released Thuggin’ Under The Influence (T.U.I.) in 2001 and Come Shop Wit Me in 2003, Let’s Get It: Thug Motivation 101 introduced Jeezy’s gritty realism to a global audience. The album featured standout singles like “And Then What” with Mannie Fresh, the Akon-assisted anthem “Soul Survivor,” “Go Crazy,” and “My Hood.”
Upon release, the project made a strong debut at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 chart, moving nearly 172,000 units in its first week. It has since earned double platinum status from the Recording Industry Association of America.
Speaking to the Associated Press this past June, Jeezy reflected on why the album still connects with listeners today. “The music and the words came from a real place,” he said. “I wasn’t trying to entertain, I was trying to reach.”
He also opened up about what motivated him to make it out of his surroundings. “If you’re doing something to change your life and you know that the only other avenues are prison or death, you’re just like, ‘This gotta work.’”