Cliche Magazine Aug/Sept 2017 | Page 122
The Musician
EFFECT
These artists are going above and beyond to help
their communities and the world.
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 signifi-
cant change, Chance took it a step
further and donated $1 million to
Chicago public schools. His non-
profit SocialWorks also continues
to donate tens of thousands of
dollars to individual schools.
NICKI MINAJ
With more than 21 million Twit-
ter 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 follow-
ers 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.
LADY GAGA
©Rihanna/Facebook
I
n 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 perform-
ers who have made notable strides toward mak-
ing a difference. BY LILLY MILMAN
122
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.
www.clichemag.com
For Lady Gaga, “Born This
Way,” a song about being your-
self, turned into an entire founda-
tion devoted to creating positive
online and offline communities
for disenfranchised youth. Moved
by a fan’s suicide due to bully-
ing, 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.