“Bank Account,” an online financial literacy program created by Atlanta rapper 21 Savage, aims to help educate the youth about money management and planning for the future.
Launched in partnership with the nonprofit Leading by Example and Chime online banking, “Bank Account at Home” will be offered to students K-12 for free during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as providing access to internet and tablets to participating schools in a joint-effort with Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms.
“I started my ‘Bank Account’ financial literacy program in 2018 to help the youth with money management,” 21 Savage said in a video announcement. “Now that times are hard as ever during this pandemic and so many families are affected across the country, I feel it’s more important than ever to give our next generation of leaders the tools to succeed in life.”
In 2018, when 21 Savage was asked on the radio show REAL 92.3 in Los Angeles about what he thought of Jay-Z calling out rappers posing with the money phone on “The Story of O.J.”, the Atlanta rapper responded saying that, “everybody ain’t no billionaire.”
Jay-Z later stated that the “The Story of O.J.,” meant to be a message of advice to young, Black youths to learn how to be more responsible with money management, but some rappers felt that the lyrics overlooked the struggle that many go through to acquire even a small amount of wealth–and that no one should take away their ability to flaunt it.
“Some n****s make $100,000 and they be happy as a mu’fucker,” 21 Savage continued. “He’s rich as fuck, and everybody can’t be Jay-Z. Some n****s gon’ hold money to their ear ’cause they come from shit. [Jay-Z] comes from shit, but it’s been a long time.”
When 21 Savage was held in an immigration detention center for ten days in 2019, according to what U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement explained was due to an expired visa from when the rapper was seven-years-old, he told the Associated Press that, “When you’re a child, you don’t know what’s going on.”
“Now, you grow up and got to figure it out,” he explained. “Can’t get a job. Can’t get a license. I’m one of the lucky ones who became successful. It’s a lot of people who can’t.”
“We got a fight that we need to continue in this country,” 21 Savage said. “It ain’t over yet. Even after everything is cool with me, we still have to fight and help people who can’t fight for themselves.”
While “Bank Account at Home” is currently only available to participating schools, questions and worksheets which can be completed without the videos and lessons are available online for anyone to use.