Lil Jon Helped Fund a New Primary School In Ghana
For those who didn’t know, The King of Crunk is also the King of the Good Deeds. Jonathan Smith, also known as Lil Jon, celebrated the completion of a primary school built to increase education efforts to an eastern region of Ghana. On Saturday (Oct. 14) the legendary producer shared a few images on social media of Abomayaw D.A. Kindergarten, a school block he helped fund along with education organization Pencils of Promise. The block features three fully furnished classrooms, lavatories and an office.
Ghana radio outlet StarrFM Online reports the school replaced a battered building in the rural area of the Asuogyaman district. Previously, children were subjected to attend school in sheds and would be sent home on rainy days. It also caused farmers to refrain from sending their children to school. Speaking to the outlet, Lil Jon expressed his content in its completion and how the school was also made in honor of his late mother, Carrie Smith-Williams.
“This is the first project we’ve done together of this kind and it is amazing to see the community come out to support [it],” he said. “I just feel like I’m lost for words of how amazing it feels to give the community something like this school.”
So far, the school has admitted 75 of the 200 children that live in the area. The project kicked off in January. “If you can provide appropriate environment for education it can make learning very easy for them,” he added. “I’m glad I can help facilitate that for these kids looking at where they came from (open basically sheds outside). You can imagine the heat and the obstruction. Now they have a well building if it rains.”
While known for hits in the 2000s with his group, Lil Jon & The Eastside Boyz along with other acts like Usher and Ludacris, his humanitarian efforts shined during his stint on the The Celebrity Apprentice. In 2011, the artist raised $80,000 to help rebuild schools in his hometown of Atlanta.
Ghana MP for the Asuogyaman region Thomas Ampem Nyarko also contributed to the project. Shortly after the ribbon cutting ceremony, community members gifted Lil Jon and his family with traditional garb and took part in a few dance numbers. Take a look at some of the celebration below.
This article originally appeared on Vibe.