Big Sean Isn't Just a Rapper: How He's Giving Back to Kids in His Hometown and Helping the People of Flint

Artist opens up to E! News about the Sean Anderson Foundation

Big Sean isn't just spending his time in the studio these days.

In fact, he's spending a great deal of time is spent giving back to his hometown of Detroit, Mich. Sean tells E! News exclusively that starting the Sean Anderson Foundation (the rapper's real name) was very important to him and his mother, Myra.

"I started it with my mom a few years ago, she has dedicated her whole life to it," he explains. "We wanted to see how we could help out the city of Detroit."

"My roots are tied to the city of Detroit," Sean adds. "It's a city that needs a lot. Detroit public schools are full of kids who can't afford clothes or books. I really felt the need to give back. The first thing we did was donate backpacks with tons of school supplies and paid for school uniforms for kids who couldn't afford them. At the beginning the foundation didn't have much money and initially the money spent was out of my own pocket.

And that "was some of the best money I ever spent."

"The word started to spread throughout the city, people started donating more and more. Now we're able to have after-school programs, we built a recording studio in my old high school," he continued, recalling how he used to get in trouble for selling his CDs in the school's hallway, "and now we have the Sean Anderson Studio."

"Whenever I am back in Detroit, which is pretty often, just going through the neighborhoods people come up to me and say they appreciate the work I'm doing. Seeing the impact we're having changed my whole attitude and my priorities have changed."

In addition to his education foundation and work with kids in his hometown, Big Sean has also turned his attention to Flint, Mich., where the water supply was found last year to be tainted with lead.

"We launched Heal Flint Kids not too long ago to try and raise money for the kids of Flint," Sean told us. "The toxicity in the water is a very big deal causing irreversible harm. People don't understand what it's like to have that many people affected. So far we've raised close to $60,000 for the community."

"It really brings down my spirits when I see the constant suffering—I talk with my mom about what we can do and how can people help."

Sounds like Mom raised a heck of a kid.

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