Quavo of the chart-topping hip hop group Migos is using his platform for something deeper than platinum plaques.
The Atlanta rap star is the founder and driving force behind the Rocket Foundation — a grassroots initiative aimed at delivering real, on-the-ground solutions to the epidemic of gun violence in Black communities.
This week’s Rocket Summit, now in its second year, proved once again that Quavo is about action, not just talk.
“We talk about the problem all the time,” a speaker said at the Summit. “But what about solutions? Getting solutions.”
For Quavo, this mission hits home. The Rocket Foundation was created in memory of his nephew and fellow Migos member, Takeoff — whose life was tragically cut short by gun violence in 2022. The Rocket nickname was Takeoff’s moniker. Now, it’s the name behind a growing effort to help make sure no other families suffer that kind of loss.
At the heart of the Foundation’s work is a simple but powerful belief: Real solutions happen on the ground. Not in boardrooms or headlines.
Quavo on the front lines
“You got to be front line. You got to step out, pull up, actually be on the field,” a Foundation leader stressed. That means direct outreach: visiting neighborhoods, building trust, and working alongside community members. As one speaker said, “My guy Greg — he been went through it.” Lived experience matters here — it brings the credibility needed to drive change.
Quavo’s also challenging his peers to step up.
“I’m challenging all my celebrity friends. If gun violence going on in any of y’all’s cities — y’all can call us and we just gonna get it together.”
That’s a powerful call to action — one that leverages celebrity influence in service of real work, not just awareness.
And Quavo’s commitment is personal and unwavering.
‘Doing it for the Rocket’
“This is the second year… It’s in the blood,” a speaker said, echoing Quavo’s own words. “As long as I’m living and breathing, I’m doing it for the Rocket.”
At a time when many celebrity-led initiatives fade after a news cycle, the Rocket Foundation is showing staying power — fueled by purpose, lived experience, and deep community ties.
As the crisis of gun violence continues to grip our neighborhoods, we need more examples like this: public figures who don’t just lend their names but roll up their sleeves and get to work.
And with Quavo at the helm, the Rocket Foundation is proving that hip-hop’s influence can be a force for real change — one city at a time.
