E-40 Sprinkles A $100K Bag On Grambling University Alma Mater

Rapper gives back to his undergraduate school, helping young students interested in music.

Bay Area pioneer and Shakespeare of Rap, E-40, has dropped a massive gift to his alma mater, Grambling State University. According to a release sent out by the school, Earl “E-40” Stevens, a multiplatinum recording artist and entrepreneur who attended the school briefly before his career popped off in the ’90s, dropped $100,000 donation to the Music department to help support the school’s World Famed Tiger Marching Band and to help the school install a new recording studio.

At the Conrad P. Hutchison Performing Arts Building n Friday (February 3), it was announced a the music studio will be named in his honor.

The Mt. Westmore rapper said, “I just wanted to make a contribution to my school, Grambling State University, so I talked to the Doc (GSU Band Director Dr. Nikole Roebuck) and she said, ‘Let’s see what we can do,’ and this was what I came up with,” Stevens said as he unveiled the $100,000 check to the Grambling University Foundation. “I feel good about it, too. I feel really good. God is great.” 

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GSU President Rick Gallot was grateful for the contribution and said, “E-40 has used his success as a recording artist to create an entrepreneurial empire. We are so grateful that he is giving back to his alma mater in such a substantial way. Our current and future students will benefit from his investment in our state-of-the-art student recording studio.”   

Gifts from alum, whether high profile or the regular Tameka, to HBCUs like Grambling U are always appreciated, as these schools designed to educate African Americans are always underfunded.

“Grambling State is incredibly grateful for Mr. Stevens’ appearance at the university and especially his donation,” said GSU Vice President for University Advancement and Innovation Melanie Jones. “It’s gifts like this from our alumni and supporters that are the driving force that keep the university moving forward and creating bigger and better futures for our students.”