|
 E-mail Story Print Friendly
Related HELP OUT How you can help the victims of Hurricane Katrina.
DONATE
WEB SITES  Journal photographer Josh Stephenson photo slide show from Hurricane Katrina.
|
Friday, September 2, 2005
Jay-Z, Diddy Team Up For a $1 Million Donation
The Associated Press
NEW YORK— Sean "Diddy" Combs and Jay-Z have pledged $1 million to the American Red Cross to help victims of Hurricane Katrina.
The two rappers announced their joint donation Thursday, saying they hoped to inspire others, especially blacks, to give.
"This is our community," Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter, who is president and CEO of the Def Jam record label, told The Associated Press by phone. "When I turn on CNN, I see a lot of black people on the streets. I know it's other people, too, but those projects have been hit hard."
Combs agreed. "We are all descendants from each other's families. When you hear black people say 'brothers' and 'sisters,' it's really true. These are all people that I know I'm related to somehow, some way— the human race family."
Also on Thursday, Celine Dion and the partners of her Las Vegas show, "A New Day"— companies Concerts West/AEG Live and Dragone— pledged a $1 million donation to the Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund.
And Oscar-winner Nicolas Cage, who has a home in New Orleans, donated $1 million Thursday to the American Red Cross for hurricane relief efforts for ravaged New Orleans, a spokeswoman said.
In his statement, his publicist, Annett Wolf, said Cage "wishes to help his neighbors during this most devastating time."