September 07, 2005 @ 12:43 pm

The Hip Hop Community Helps Hurricane Victims

by: Alyssa Rashbaum

On September 7, Fat Joe will host The Takeover on 99 JAMZ from 6-10 pm in Miami, in hopes of raising money for those affected by Hurricane Katrina.

"I have been watching all the coverage on the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina," the rapper said in a statement. "I had to get myself involved in some type of fundraising event for the survivors of this hurricane and tragedy. Since I live in Miami it was a perfect opportunity for me to host The Takeover on 99 JAMZ and help raise money for all those affected. The hip hop community needs to band together and help out through monetary donations. I feel honored that I'm even in a position to help out. I'm personally donating $25,000. Listeners can call into the 99 JAMZ hotline today at 305-567-5780 between 6-10pm. But we really want everyone to donate to the Red Cross at 1-800-HELP-NOW."

T.I. spent seven hours on Labor Day at Atlanta's V-103 FM station, petitioning listeners to lend their support to the people affected by the Gulf Coast disaster. The rapper personally donated $50,000 himself and helped raise more than $263,000 which was donated to Mississippi-based David Banner's "Heal the Hood Foundation." Banner and Young Jeezy will also join T.I. in a food and clothing drive to be held at Atlanta's Club Vision at 1068 Peachtree Street from September 6-7 from 9am-9pm. The trio is asking for clothing, non-perishable food and drinks, children's toys and games and battery-included radios and flashlights.

Tupac's mom, Afeni Shakur and her sister Gloria Cox are pitching in, in honor of the late rapper. The pair will visit Houston's Astrodome on September 8 to help lift the spirits of the families whose lives were disrupted by the natural disaster. "If my son were here, he would already be in Houston volunteering and lifting spirits,” Shakur said in a statement.

Meanwhile, the newly-opened Tupac Amarau Shakur Center for the Arts will unveil its bronze memorial statue of Tupac on September 13 (the same day as the nine-year anniversary of his death). Organizers have invited survivors of the Hurricane to join in a service immediately following the unveiling, to spread hope to displaced families. Donations of food and other items will be collected from the public and distributed to Hurricane survivors. For more information, visit www.2PAClegacy.com or www.TASF.org.

Timbaland is putting the call out to his peers to help out the victims of the Hurricane. "I want to challenge my peers to dig deep into their wallets and help all those who are less fortunate than us," he said in a statement. "Everyday on TV I see more destruction, hurt and pain on the faces of ordinary people who need our help. If you can afford to splurge on materialistic treats for yourself like cars, jewelry and clothes, then you can also afford to forego those luxuries for a moment and give to people who desperately need that money for basic necessities. If you can put a smile on one person's face just by being out there in the trenches and supporting the relief efforts, then it'll be worth it." Timbaland will donate clothing, toys and basic necessities himself when he visits evacuation centers in Dallas and Houston later this week.

Former Real World cast member and VIBE writer Kevin Powell is heading up his own benefit for New Orleans in New York and asking people to check out www.blackamericaweb.com/relief where they can make on online donation. Via mail, monetary donations can be sent to BlackAmericaWeb.com Relief Fund, PO Box 803209 / Dallas, TX 75240. In addition, Powell has also suggested a list of other legitimate organizations accepting non-perishable items. They are:

Center for LIFE Outreach Center
121 Saint Landry Street
Lafayette, LA 70506
Attn: Minister Pamela Robinson
337-504-5374

Mohammad Mosque 65
2600 Plank Road
Baton Rouge, LA 70805
Attn: Minister Andrew Muhammad
225-923-1400
225-357-3079

Lewis Temple CME Church
272 Medgar Evers Street
Grambling, LA 71245
Attn: Rev. Dr. Ricky Helton
318-247-3793

St. Luke Community United Methodist Church
c/o Hurricane Katrina Victims
5710 East R.L. Thornton Freeway
Dallas, TX 75223
Attn: Pastor Tom Waitschies
214-821-2970

S.H.A.P.E. Community Center
3815 Live Oak
Houston, Texas 77004
Attn: Deloyd Parker
713-521-0641