On Saturday, 20 kids from Pittsburgh’s Faison and Westinghouse academies performed alongside rapper Lil Durk on stage. The Chicago rapper was in Pittsburgh to support Drake and J. Cole on their “It’s All A Blur” tour, which included a two-night stay.
The kids joined the rapper onstage at PPG Paints Arena to perform his track “All My Life.” Last week, Dr. Kimberly Price, Pittsburgh Public Schools’ Coordinator of Performing Arts, got an unexpected email that triggered this once-in-a-lifetime event.
According to Dr. Price, the two schools brought together 20 pupils of all ages. From high school, sixth and fifth grade. Teachers gave up their weekends to be present for the students. To have a team that pulled together like they did, from our communications department to our teachers who gave up half a day on a Saturday, people want our kids to succeed, and they do.”
Following their performance, Dr. Price mentioned that Lil Durk got along well with the kids. She recalled, “He was really kind to the kids. I wish you had seen it. He was giving them high-fives and fist bumps. Originally, with the photographs, he stood to the side so that the children could receive the attention they deserved.”
Finally, Lil Durk and his other star musicians gave each student who sung a $100 bill. They were overjoyed.
“Our kids were so pleased that they cried. It was an unforgettable experience for me to witness the children perform so brilliantly and be treated so nicely by an artist; they will not forget it either.”
According to HiphopDX, Lil Durk, popularly known as the “Neighborhood Hero,” has already received acclaim for meeting with Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson to discuss ways to improve the lives of youngsters in the city.
Last year, he and Amazon Music created a scholarship fund to help students attend college. The first two recipients of the campaign received scholarships to Howard University.
Lil Durk also donated $250,000 to Howard University’s GRACE Grant, which was intended to help students who need financial aid for tuition.