Three years ago, New Zealand-based rapper Lil Mussie, a guy who graduated with honors from the University of Auckland, started the Bread Charity to help kids in poverty. The inspiration was drawn from his childhood and seeing the effects of poverty first-hand. Wanting to make a difference, he founded the charity that hosts supercar events to raise money for poor kids.
“The main reason I got into music is because it’s such a great way to raise awareness,” says Lil Mussie during a recent Skype call from his Auckland home. “It’s a vessel through which I tell stories. I started up the charity to show people that if I did something like that at 22, what is your excuse. As people succeed, they should aim to uplift others. We want to develop the importance of education in addition to having goals and dreams. We tell kids about our lives and how we got to where we are. We help them realize that it’s achievable.“
To raise awareness for his charity, Lil Mussie will release his latest single, "On Me," at the end of the month. For it, Lil Mussie teamed up with Kanye West’s engineer, Anthony Kilhoffer, who's worked on many of West’s projects, including Grammy-winning albums My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, Graduation and Late Registration.
In a recent call with West, Lil Mussie, who's building a youth center in New Zealand, received advice from West, who's creating Yeezy Campus, a place he says will be an innovative space that "awakens" people and gives them a new sense of purpose.
"On Me" features Cleveland-based rapper Chip Tha Ripper (also known as King Chip). Chip the Ripper's credentials are impressive too. He's worked with a multitude of rappers, including Kid Cudi, A$AP Rocky, West and Travis Scott.
“Chip is someone I have always liked,” says Lil Mussie. “His flow is amazing. He was on my bucket list. I reached out to him about the song, and everything fell into place. I told him about the charity and why I do music. Within a day, he sent me the final verse. It shows you how professional he is."
The single comes out on July 31, and Lil Mussie says he might make a music video later.
All proceeds from the record go to helping kids in poverty.
“Cleveland has such amazing talent," says Lil Mussie. "Hopefully, when the borders open, I'll be able to come to town to collaborate with Chip and [Shaker Heights native] Kid Cudi in the near future."
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