Black female rappers are pouring back into their communities by eliminating sweeping amounts of debt.

Missy Elliott, the first female rapper inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, recently settled rent debt in her hometown of Portsmouth, Virginia. Similarly, Megan Thee Stallion, a Grammy-winning rapper, eliminated debts for students at her alma mater. Both are proof that cultural impact can grow into financial impact.

With the rising cost of living and Virginia’s rental prices increasing an average of 13.7% in 2023, 26 families in Portsmouth were in danger of eviction. Missy Elliott’s $50,000 donation this October to the Portsmouth Redevelopment and Housing Authority eliminated families’ past-due rent bills, keeping them in their homes.

“I love my city. I love my state. I love everything about it. Everything about Missy comes from here — the hospitality, the humility, the confidence. If you mess with me, it’s a problem. We sweet, but don’t try us,” Missy Elliott said during a ceremony celebrating the anniversary of her street dedication.

To honor Missy Elliott’s success and influence, in 2022, Portsmouth named a street after her, Missy Elliott Blvd. Virginia Gov. Glenn Younkin also declared Oct. 17 of that year “Missy Elliott Day” in the commonwealth. Missy Elliott presented the $50,000 gift on the one-year anniversary of the occasion.

Patricia Elliott, Missy Elliott’s mother, spoke at the ceremony, saying, “So when you give, you give because you remember those days when you didn’t have. If each person would give when they get to the top, then, what a real beautiful world we would be in.”

Debt cancelation means freedom for many who carry a financial burden, especially college students. Megan The Stallion recently launched the Flamin’ Hot Fund, a scholarship in partnership with Frito-Lay to alleviate outstanding debt for students at Texas Southern University, an HBCU in Houston and Megan The Stallion’s alma mater.

Student debt like tuition costs, parking tickets and library fees at college campuses can keep students from accessing their transcripts, using their student IDs and even graduating.

The $150,000 scholarship will be funded through a line of streetwear inspired by Flamin’ Hot Cheetos. The stallion varsity jacket, a hot girl club sweater, a Flamin’ Hot tennis skirt, shorts, a jersey and a necklace once sold will go toward the fund.

Applications closed on October 13 for graduating seniors with student debt at Texas Southern. The money will be distributed to students in the Spring of 2024 ‘so they can focus on making it to graduation day’ free of debt.

“I feel like everyone knows I love education and I would definitely advise anyone to pursue a real degree and to finish school,” Megan Thee Stallion told Vibe.

While juggling her career in the music industry Megan Thee Stallion earned a bachelor’s degree in health administration from Texas Southern in December 2021. The rapper has openly shared that she stayed enrolled in college despite her career taking off to make the women in her family proud, specifically her mother and grandmother, who passed away more than three years ago.

Additionally, Frito-Lay Flamin’ Hot will make a separate donation of $100,000 to the Pete and Thomas Foundation, a non-profit Megan Thee Stallion launched in 2022 to help underserved communities in her hometown of Houston.

“A lot of people that I knew couldn’t come back to school because they couldn’t pay for it. No one wanted to take out a loan. It’s a part of it, and it’s something that you have to do. But once I got into the position to help, I knew I wanted to. I am happy that I am able to help somebody’s college experience,” Megan Thee Stallion told Vibe.