After personal tragedy, rap producer Metro Boomin launches grant program on tour: ‘I had to give back and share blessings’

By Elizabeth Wagmeister, CNN

(CNN) — Two years ago, Metro Boomin suddenly lost his mother.

The Grammy-nominated rap producer – who has collaborated with Travis Scott, 21 Savage, Drake, The Weeknd and is currently on tour with Future – was raised by a single mother and knew he had to give back in her memory.

“Being raised by a single mother myself growing up, I know firsthand how hard things can get,” Metro Boomin told CNN in a recent interview. “My mother dedicated her entire life to being the best mother she possibly could, and I watched her do it all on her own.”

Metro Boomin – born Leland Tyler Wayne – had been dedicated to celebrating single mothers and their children prior to losing his mother, whom he commemorated as his “best friend in the universe” on his Instagram back in the summer of 2022. Five years before her passing, he launched his “Single Moms Are Superheroes” initiative. But after he experienced tragedy, the cause became even more personal.

He launched a continuation of his program to celebrate single mothers, named after his own mom Leslie Joanne Wayne, in December 2023. Now, “Leslie Joanne Single Moms Are Superheroes” has kicked off a national grant program, in conjunction with Metro Boomin and Future’s North American “We Trust You” tour that will hit 21 cities.

The multi-city grant-giving initiative will provide $20,000 grants and show tickets to non-profit organizations supporting single mothers in each city on the tour.

“As soon as I got the routing for the tour, I knew that I had to give back and share blessings with the cities and communities who are coming out and sharing blessings with me,” the producer said.

“There are thousands and thousands of people in each one of these cities spending their hard-earned money on a ticket to come to the show. I’m more than grateful and don’t take that for granted,” he added. “In return, it means a lot to me knowing that I can support a great cause in each city and leave a positive impact there in a way other than entertainment.”

The charity program’s first three stops were at Metro Boomin and Future’s concerts in Kansas City, St. Paul and Detroit last week, where grants were given to the Kansas City non-profit Essential Families, which provides development services for single mothers and families in need; the St. Paul organization Jeremiah Program, which provides assistance to single mothers and children facing poverty; and the Detroit non-profit Alternatives for Girls, which helps young girls and women experiencing homelessness. Both non-profits brought single mothers and their children to enjoy the show.

The grant-giving program will continue through the month of August and into September at each stop on the tour, which includes Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Toronto and more.

“It’s an amazing feeling to meet these families and the heads of these organizations, hear their stories and notice the similarities with my own,” Metro Boomin said. “It’s reassuring to know you’re doing the right thing and that the funds are safe in the right hands.”

Metro Boomin also said that he recognizes his platform and recognizes his responsibility – and privilege to help others – as a public figure. One of the most in-demand and influential producers working with top artists in the hip-hop space, he also has a massive fanbase with a large reach on social media with roughly 20 million followers across Instagram, X and TikTok.

“Giving back is important to me and essential because I know God shines his light on me in a major way,” he says. “And that leaves me responsible to let that light shine through me and onto others.”

The-CNN-Wire
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