Lil Baby’s annual back-to-school drive provides over 4,000 kids with school supplies, family fun, and more.
And just like that, families across the country are preparing to send their children back to school at a time when the cost of everything from notebooks to new sneakers continues to stretch household budgets. If Lil Baby has anything to do with it, however, the children of Atlanta’s West End will be set regardless.
The 31-year-old Grammy award-winning rapper, in partnership with his nonprofit The Jones Project, hosted his annual Back to School Fest on Saturday, July 25, at West End Production Park, where more than 4,000 children received backpacks filled with school essentials.
“10 yrs strong in this sh—,” the “My Turn” artist captioned an Instagram post from the event, likely referencing his roughly decade-long career that has had philanthropy at the center nearly from the start.
The post included a carousel of photos from the day’s festivities, including shots of him attending and meeting with city officials.
Now in its sixth year, the annual back-to-school giveback serves one of Atlanta’s oldest and historically Black neighborhoods with a community festival complete with family-friendly activities, carnival games, school supplies, prizes, and more. The event is just one of the many ways the “Freestyle” rapper, born Dominique Amari Jones, continues to pour into the same Atlanta communities that raised him through his nonprofit, The Jones Project, which launched in 2025.
The carnival-themed celebration featured barber and hair-braiding stations, face painting, food, and opportunities for fans to meet Lil Baby. Families also walked away with clothing, school uniforms, diapers, and other essentials, including supplies provided by Baby2Baby.
Among the thousands of attendees were several Atlanta city officials, including Commissioner Khadijah Abdur-Rahman, City Council representative Michael Bond, and Judge Penny Brown Reynolds.
“Thank you for doing this for the schools, man,” a young boy said in recap footage shared with theGrio.
Another young attendee added, “You did your big one with this.”
Meanwhile, one mother praised the rapper’s continued commitment to the community.
“A lot of famous people will leave out of the community and forget about the community,” she said.
“He has been big with helping the community and staying in the community, and that is a lot,” she continued. “Especially with the kids we have here, him being a good role model to them, especially since I know this year for me it’s been a hard year. So it’s just amazing that we’re able to come here and get whatever we need for the kids. A lot of times they don’t have nowhere to look at. So I really appreciate this.”
Long before launching The Jones Project—which he did during last year’s back-to-school festival—the Grammy winner had already made giving back part of his legacy. In 2020, the hitmaker donated proceeds from his top-five single “The Bigger Picture” to organizations supporting social justice efforts. The following year, he made headlines after buying out an entire Foot Locker so local students could head back to school in brand-new sneakers before partnering with the retailer to renovate the aging basketball courts at Oakland City Park.
The Atlanta native has also distributed 200 bicycles to neighborhood children, provided 2,000 winter coats to families in need, and established a $150,000 scholarship fund at his former high school. His efforts have continued through The Jones Project, from last year’s holiday toy giveaway to this year’s Mrs. Trendsetter Mother’s Day Flowers Pop-Up, where children celebrated their mothers with custom bouquets and handmade cards.
Saturday’s event was made possible with support from The Athlete’s Foot, Dr. Bombay, Dude Wipes, Fanatics, It’s Bigger Than Us, J. Mcallister Events, NextEra Energy, The Period Abundance Foundation, West End Production, Wet Ones, and more.
“Giving back to my city is everything,” the rapper said in a statement.
“You need the right tools to build your future,” he continued. “We’re keeping the next generation fresh, locked in, and motivated to learn.”
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