Families may get $1,000 monthly payments in free money from new ‘music’ program – and there are no strings attached

SELECT American families could soon receive thousands of dollars in monthly distributions for an entire year.

The direct payment opportunity comes as part of a new “music” guaranteed income program in partnership with a popular rapper .

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Gunna's Great Giveaway

Qualifying Georgia residents experiencing financial hardship will see the money starting this month thanks to rapper Gunna and his Great Giveaway Foundation.

Gunna partnered with The Black Music Action Coalition (BMAC) to make the $500,000 initiative possible.

The organizations, along with sponsors such as Live Nation and Adidas, worked to assist 30 families residing in the 30349 area zip code near South Fulton, approximately 19 miles southwest of downtown Atlanta, according to the giveaway’s website .

Eligible applicants of the program were required to be from the 30349 zip code and demonstrate “financial need.”

While applications for the funds are now closed, approved families should see their first $1,000 payment this month, with 11 more on the way — and no strings attached.

According to the program details, the first $1,000 would’ve already gone out on September 1.

“My goal was to uplift my hometown by providing resources that could make a tangible difference in at least one household,” Gunna told local news outlet WSB-TV .

“The Guaranteed Income program in South Fulton is a significant step toward enhancing these communities and transforming the economic landscape of the city.”

Interested residents in zip code 30349 who missed the application window can provide their name and email on Gunna’s Great Giveaway Foundation website for more information on future programs.

WHO IS GUNNA?

Gunna, whose real name is Sergio Giavanni Kitchens, is a prominent rapper signed to Young Thug’s record label, YSL Records.

He gained considerable fame after being featured on Young Thug’s song Floyd Mayweather alongside Gucci Mane and Travis Scott .

Throughout his career thus far, Gunna has received four Grammy Award nominations and has over 39 million monthly listeners on Spotify.

The 31-year-old is also a Georgia native, born and raised in College Park, about 9 miles south of downtown Atlanta.

He’s been helping his community for a while now through other programs, including Gunna’s Drip Closet, a free clothing store for students at McNair Middle School, per WSB-TV.

That’s along with the Goodr Grocery Store, also within the school, that offers students supplies at no cost.

How does Guaranteed Income work?

Guaranteed Income and Universal Basic Income programs have taken off in popularity recently.

After the Biden administration’s American Rescue Plan of 2021 sent stimulus money to local governments, dozens began testing guaranteed income (GI) systems.

The specifics vary, but GI typically involves payouts to people with low incomes. Unlike traditional welfare, there are no job requirements, drug tests, or other strings attached.

Some have pushed for a Universal Basic Income (UBI), which would go to everyone regardless of how much money they make at work. Alaska has used a similar system since the 1970s.

Proponents say this alleviates poverty while incentivizing work, unlike classic welfare, which cuts benefits from people who begin earning “too much” money to qualify.

Opponents argue such a system is too expensive to function on a large scale and suggest Americans should avoid becoming reliant on government money.

With some cities heralding the success of GI programs, some Republican-led states have moved to ban them. States like Texas and Iowa, for example, have undermined major spending plans by pushing against GI .

HELPING ATLANTA

Gunna’s guaranteed income program in Atlanta coincides with another program aimed at benefiting women in neighborhoods on the city’s Westside.

Thanks to a recent expansion from In Her Hands, the largest guaranteed income program in the United States with a focus on Black women, about 270 eligible women will get $1,000 monthly payments for three years, per the Georgia Resilience and Opportunity Fund (GRO Fund).

GRO Fund and GiveDirectly, a non-profit operating in low-income areas, supported the expansion to include the Atlanta neighborhoods of Bankhead, English Avenue, Vine City, and Washington Park.

The In Her Hands applications have since closed, but prospective applicants should remain aware of three crucial requirements for future initiatives.

• Must be women 18 years or older.
• Must live “within the geographic boundaries” of the four listed neighborhoods on Atlanta’s Westside.
• Must be living at or below two times the Federal Poverty Level

Americans in other states should also remain aware of guaranteed income programs they could potentially benefit from.

In California, $500 monthly payments are headed out to select residents as part of a “breathe” program with no strings attached.

A controversial initiative in Texas is also getting a second chance and sending out $500 monthly payments to some.