Today I am overjoyed because I got to witness the true power of hip-hop once again.  The power of giving back.  That is what hip-hop has been about since day one and what it will always be…because the tie between the poets and their communities is unbreakable.

At the Rush Gallery, we announced a partnership with Bounty to launch a program called Bounty-Ful Bridges, which will create more arts programs for young people.  I was thrilled to see my dear friend, Mary J. Blige there – it is a testament to her character that every time we call on her, she is always there.  Always.  There is not a cause in the world that Mary doesn’t care about.

So, there we were with all these kids at the gallery and this wonderful company who wants to keep giving back.  And we all know the importance of art in the lives of kids, so the impact that partnerships like this can have is endless.  I just love giving kids a chance to express themselves.  The brand manager of Bounty, Eric Higgs, told me how “estasctic he is about being part of something so special, that will help so many young people by exposing them to the arts.”  They even gave a check to Mary’s foundation, FFAWN.

Throughout the years, I have been inspired by so many artists who rarely get recognized for their incredible work they do in the community and the various foundations that they have started.   But this is hip-hop, so we try to brush that off and continue to do the work, because we know that we must do the work, so we can help our communities.  So with this blog, I not only want to celebrate our new partnership with Bounty, but I also want to celebrate the work of my peers, like Ludacris with The Ludacris Foundation, Wyclef with Yele Haiti, Diddy with Daddy’s House, Eminem with Marshall Mathers Foundation, Nelly with 4Sho4Kids Foundation, 50 Cent with G Unity Foundation, David Banner with Heal The Hood, John Forte with In Arm’s Reach and so many others who have charities or who are doing charitable work.  This is the spirit of our generation.  This is the spirit of hip-hop.  This is the spirit that I am humbled to have the ability to promote every day I go to work!

-Russell