Bobby Shmurda is for the children. The 27-year-old Brooklyn rapper, who was recently released after a six year stint in state prison on gang charges, is rapidly becoming a positive force in his community. On Father’s Day this year, he gave away free haircuts and meals, and he’s spoken repeatedly about how his experiences made him more socially aware and made him want to be a better role model.
To that end, Bobby donated 2,000 backpacks loaded with school supplies to schools all over New York City, including three elementary schools in Brooklyn, an all-boys middle school in Queens, another elementary in Harlem, and Health Opportunities High School in the Bronx. The backpacks were filled with needed items like folders, notebooks, and pencils, and each school was played a video message from Bobby himself, who encouraged the kids to behave, and praised them as “unstoppable.”
“Please do not give your mommas no trouble this year,” he said in the video. “And please do not give your teachers no trouble this year. I want to say that I’m proud of y’all for being brave, for being strong, and for staying in school. Always remember you guys are unstoppable. You can do anything you set your mind to.”
You can watch Bobby’s video message below.