While some hip-hop superstars brag about their riches, The Weeknd is putting his to good use.
The three-time Grammy Award-winning crooner is spreading his wealth to help the music community and his hometown during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Toronto native, whose real name is Abel Makkonen Tesfaye, donated $500,000 to the MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund, as well as $500,000 to Scarborough Health Network, which is the hospital network in his Ontario hometown.
“I was raised in Scarborough and felt it was important to give back to the community that raised me during the hard times of this pandemic,” the “Earned It” singer said in a statement.
The MusiCares donation will go toward helping members of the music industry who have lost earnings due to the coronavirus shutdown.
The Weeknd has been steadily raising money through sales of his XO-themed face masks, with 100% of the proceeds going to COVID-19 relief. He’s also matching every dollar raised.
Available through his official website, the XO Quarantine Logo face coverings retail for $15 each.
Earlier this month, he also donated $500,000 to be split between Black Lives Matter Global Network and the Colin Kaepernick Know Your Rights Camp Legal Defense Initiative, as well as $100,000 to National Bail Out – set up to raise legal fees for social justice protesters.
