Gunna Opened a Free Grocery and Clothing Store in the Middle School He Attended
“Pushin’ P” rapper Gunna was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, and like many other rappers from the city, he’s proud of where he comes from. Now that he’s a world-famous rapper, Gunna took some time to give back to his community in a big way: by gifting the middle school he attended with a new, one-of-a-kind store.
Gunna grew up in Atlanta
Gunna first started making music when he was in high school at age 15. In 2016, he released his debut mixtape Drip Season, his first for his label YSL Records; the project featured appearances from YSL artists including Young Thug. He released a follow-up mixtape, Drip Season 2, in 2017. It contained popular Atlanta artists including Young Thug, Playboi Carti, and Offset.
He released the mixtape Drip Season 3 in 2018. It included appearances from Lil Durk, Metro Boomin, and Lil Yachty. In 2022, Gunna released the long-awaited next installment in the Drip Season series: DS4Ever, the rapper’s third full-length album.
Gunna created a grocery store in his middle school
As a proud Atlantan, Gunna took the opportunity to help those from his community in 2021. He teamed up with the company Goodr to create Gunna’s Drip Closet and Goods Grocery Store. The store was set up at Ronald E. McNair Middle School on Atlanta’s south side — the same middle school that Gunna attended nearly two decades ago.
The combination grocery store and clothing store serves more than 900 students, and is stocked with the “Dollaz On My Head” rapper’s favorite foods and snacks, as well as fresh produce and toiletries. The “Drip Closet” section of the store offers clothes and sneakers, including highly-coveted Nike Air Jordans. And students don’t have to pay a thing for anything: Gunna provided everything free of charge.
“I have the highest regard for Gunna’s dedication to giving back to the community that raised him,” Goodr founder and CEO Jasmine Crowe said of the collaboration in a statement. “Goodr and Gunna have teamed for the greater good several times in the past couple years. His commitment is inspiring.”
Gunna’s Goodr Grocery Store and Drip Closet is the first Goodr Grocery Store, which the company hopes to bring more of to schools and community centers across the country.
Gunna struggled to climb to where he is today
Gunna spoke about his upbringing in an interview with Billboard. “I didn’t have life that good coming up,” he said. “I wasn’t born with a lot of money. We weren’t dirt poor but we weren’t rich. All I knew was struggle. My family taught me about saving and how to stretch to make ends meet.”
He told CBS Mornings about his decision to help his middle school. He was frank about his youth and how it played into his decision to open the store. , which wasn’t luxurious to say the least.
“We weren’t doing no splurging,” he said. He acknowledged that he had to work hard to get to where he was today. To help the youth of tomorrow, he wanted to show the students of McNair Middle School some help that he could’ve used. “That’s stuff that I wanted when I was a kid that I know I couldn’t just go to my momma and ask for.”
Gunna’s own mother worked in the cafeteria at his elementary, so he feels especially for the mothers who aren’t able to provide the things in the Drip Closet for their kids. “Moms at home struggle but don’t ask,” he said. “So you just gotta find it in your heart to just give back and just help others, especially if you can.”
