Posted by Growing cannabis company Viola has appointed T.I. as their Social Justice and Reform Ambassador.
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Viola announced the role in a press release on Monday (December 28), expanding on Tip’s new duties that include directing the company’s community impact strategy by “pioneering initiatives that make the cannabis industry more diverse, equitable and inclusive.” Working through Viola’s social equity program Viola Cares, the company is also looking to the Dime Trap rapper to assist in creating “100 Black millionaires in the near future.”
“I have the utmost respect for Al and all the work he has done with Viola to increase minority representation in cannabis and help Black and brown communities who have fallen victim to the War on Drugs,” T.I. said in a statement. “Together we will expand social justice reform by providing tangible resources for disenfranchised communities and opportunities to build economic autonomy within the cannabis industry.”
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There are also plans to support adult halfway houses in California, Colorado, Oregon, Washington, Michigan and Oklahoma, as well as to provide scholarships to HBCU students who are studying the cannabis field at Southern University.
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Tip has been close with the Viola brand since its inception, and in April of this year, he released a limited-edition capsule collab with them and his AKOO clothing brand to supply COVID-19 relief funds. In a statement to DX, Viola owner and retired NBA vet Al Harrington told HipHopDX how much it meant to him that people like T.I. were willing to collaborate.
“I’m both humbled and inspired by the cross-industry support, especially from leaders in the Hip Hop community,” he said.