Ludacris gave back in a major way when he visited a high school in South Florida on Wednesday, Jan. 29.
With the help of the ticket exchange company StubHub, “The Fast and the Furious” star donated $75,000 worth of musical instruments to the students of Hialeah-Miami Lakes Senior High School in Hialeah, Florida.
“I understand the importance of music education,” Ludacris told reporters about the donation. “It’s very important to me.”
The radio-personality-turned-rapper also joined a Q&A that took place during an assembly, where he provided students with words of encouragement.
“If it weren’t for individuals reaching back and giving me that confidence, I wouldn’t be here today,” said Ludacris. “If you get knocked down nine times, you get up 10. Just keep going.”
Kevin Segura, the school’s band director, also spoke about the new instruments and said they’ll do two things: One, they’ll improve the musical output of the current band members and, two, the instruments will hopefully inspire other students to join band.
“We have instruments being held together with tape, they don’t move, they’re banged up,” the band director explained. “So these instruments are going to improve our sound and going to motivate kids to want to do band so hopefully I can build up this program to what it once was back in the day.”
Plus, as a reward for working so hard and being so dedicated to the high school band members, Ludacris gave Segura two tickets to the Super Bowl, which took place Sunday, Feb. 2, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.
“I’m really, really excited that I’m going to the game,” said Segura. “I didn’t think I was going, so this was a nice surprise for me.”
