Memphis rapper donates to Red Cross after tornado displaced residents

Phillip Jackson
Memphis Commercial Appeal

Memphis rapper NLE Choppa donated $5,000 to the American Red Cross after a tornado damaged several homes in Southeast Memphis, an area he has been familiar with since he was young. 

The 16-year-old hip-hop artist, who has a Cottonwood tattoo on his arm, said he donated the money because it was the right time to begin giving back to the community from which he came. 

"I have always wanted to give back and give positive vibes, but as soon as this happened I texted my mom and was like, 'We need to hop on this as soon as possible,'" he said in an interview. "I know if it was me, I would want someone to do that for me, helping out, giving back and doing what God would want you to do." 

Memphis rapper NLE Choppa donated $5,000 to the American Red Cross on Tuesday for relief after several homes were damaged on Monday by strong storms and an EF1 tornado.

The National Weather Service in Memphis said preliminary evidence showed an EF1 tornado touched down in Southeast Memphis early Monday morning. The tornado in Memphis reached an estimated peak wind speed of 105 mph which moved 1.4 miles and had a width of about 250 yards.

No fatalities linked to the tornado were reported. 

The storm uprooted trees, downed power lines, and caused structural damage to homes and business.

The Red Cross of Tennessee established an emergency shelter at the Marion Hale Community Center at 4791 Willow Rd. in response to the storms. Crews with Memphis Light, Gas and Water worked to restore electricity after over 30,000 customers were left without power Monday. 

The number of customers affected dropped to 10,025 Tuesday morning. The Shelby County School System announced seven school closures due to the impact of the storms.