Jay-Z Teams with the U.N. and MTV to Fight the Global Water Crisis

 •  XXL Magazine  •  by XXL Staff  •  21 Comments

jay_close.jpgBrooklyn rapper and Def Jam executive Jay-Z joined U.N. Secretary General Kofi Anaan and MTV president Christina Norman for a press conference on Wednesday (August 9) to announce a joint initiative to bring awareness to the global water crisis. MTV will accompany Jay on his upcoming world tour and document his experiences as he travels to areas affected by the lack of drinkable water. The resulting footage will be compiled for a special documentary titled Diary of Jay-Z: Water for Life. By the end of the tour, the rapper has stated that he intends to build 1,000 play pumps, which are merry-go-round-like devices that pump water from wells into storage tanks. “As I started looking around and looking at ways that I could become helpful, it started at the first thing—water, something as simple as water,” he explained at the press conference. He has also reportedly reached out to friends in the entertainment industry and asked them to get involved. According to statistics, over 1 billion people in the world are without clean drinking water and some 2.6 billion are forced to live in unsanitary conditions. Jay-Z’s international tour kicks off on September 9 in Poland.

  • PunchLinePrince

    First

  • http://www.facebook.com DEDICATION

    MORE HIP HOP ARTIST SHOULD TRY TO DO THING’S LIKE THIS FOR THE COMMUNITY!!!!!!!!!!SEL

  • Venessa Davis

    Jay, I think is AWESOME -No, I know this is AWESOME. Speaking scientifically, the body can not live without WATER, Speaking spirtually, we can not LIVE without water (JESUS)For the BIBLE says he is the Water of Life. God Bless You for thinking it is not robbery for sharing Life.

    Venessa Davis

  • pop a poppa

    its about time jigga did something
    worthwhile like this.
    hopefully more rappers follow his lead.

  • tobeboo

    Thats right jigga help our people!!!!!

  • INTERSCOPE JACKSON

    it’s bout time Gay-Z did something useful & worthwhile with his money other than drink cristal, & spill Cristal on naked women’s bodies in his video’s all the time then complain bout’ Cristal maker’s being racist.

  • INTERSCOPE JACKSON

    it’s bout’ time Jay-Z did something useful & worthwhile with his money other than drink cristal, & spill Cristal on naked women’s bodies in his video’s all the time then complain bout’ Cristal maker’s being racist. & boycotting his favorite beverage

  • Mr.Me

    ^^LMAO! Truth be told…

  • H-man

    The things that keep us alive are the same thangs that kill us …Ironic Damn, Ive had 2 water leaks in my house in 2 days…ok.ok.ok shits gettin real twisted…what a coicidence…John 4:10 Living water iz what John calls Jesus…HIS blood iz the life…drink hiz blood and eat his flesh and U will have eternal life…Should get 2 the root of da problem and start a blood and flesh world tour….Proud of ya Jay-z, oh yeah U 2 Interscope… and that concludes my sermon for today…peace oh yeah, 2 only help those who help U and you will not receive your inheritance in heaven. word

  • SOOTHSAYER

    ONE THING THAT I CAN RESPECT JAY-Z FOR IS ALWAYS DOING WHAT KNOW ONE ELSE WILL DO….NOWADAYS IN THIS HIP-HOP GAME, THESE RAPPERS ARE KIDS TALKING ABOUT KID SHIT….EVEN WHEN JAY WAS RAPPIN ABOUT CARS, MONEY AND WHATEVER ELSE, IF YOU READ BETWEEN THE LINES, HE WAS ACTUALLY SAYING SOMETHING..JAY CAN OUT-WIT ANY SO-CALLED RAPPER NOW-A-DAYS….SO JAY DOING SOMETHING LIKE THIS DOES’NT SURPRISE ME AT ALL..BIG UP SHAWN!

  • Ellio

    Jay-Z is the shit son!!!! great deeds by a great man. peace

  • Kanye

    Yeah, We’ll see. It’s easy to talk about it, but is he really gon BE about it?? Yall always bigging him (and others)up on everything you HEAR that they do or allegedly does, but the truth is, yall don’t know this man and you don’t know his intentions! No sir, you don’t.. POLITICIANS and other so called ‘leaders’ always bumping their gums about what they’re gonna do for ‘the people’ but you see how nothing ever changes once their sorry asses get voted in! He’s partenering with the United Nations- one of the most useless and crooked organizational fronts ever (that should be a red flag fer ya right there)And I ain’t hating, I hope that I’m completely wrong about him; I pray that he’s different and proves me wrong…”elections then came and went,you worked so hard for it, but in the end we all got dicked-these are our heroes- thanks a lot- public school systems still rotten-still harrassed by cops,SNITCHES on blocks, selling there peoples out..” (NaS- These are our heroes)

  • jonjon-23

    Hope its not just for pub…Time will tell…

  • Mrs.Jones

    i think that’s nice of him to do that

  • knowledge

    yo its very good to see that all this entertainers are getting more aware about whats going on in the world instead of just wasting the money on stuff thats not important….now that this cause has a very influential rapper of their side maybe more rappers can follow on his footsteps ..

  • http://n/a EAST COAST

    “EVERYTHING I SAY, I’LL DO!” HE SAID IT HIMSELF! JUST LOOKING AT JAY Z’S HOLLYWOOD COULDA HAD OFFERED HIM A LITTLE BIT OF CHANGE TO MAKE A MOVIE ABOUT BIG HOMIE!! “THE INDUSTRY IS SHADY IT NEEDS TO BE TAKEN OVER!!! DUDE IS WELL ON HIS WAY TO TAKE OVER THE MUSIC INDUSTRY. BY TAKING OVER I AM TALKING BMG TIME TAKE OVER….WATCH JIGGA

  • GOD

    This man is something GREAT! WE all need to see that and move on. Good job JAY! Get that ass

  • Dipset

    FUCK GAY-Z!!!!… old alf ass nigga hahaha!!!… its DIPSET BITCH!!! EAT A DICK AND DIE!!!

  • nigga for da north

    respect hov

  • http://yahoo u know

    it take some pussy ass nigga to hate on dat man……. dat man always doing something positive… remember he was da first to give when da trade center drop…da first…one of da first three major arstist in katrina…..most of these half ass gansta….hatin cause he got more than them{cam and whoever elses}its been proven he’s da best rapper,most down to earth, on his way to been da riches black man….and you’ll got dat hata diease….you mad cause u sell dimes and he push weight…pussy

  • LULU

    I just finished watching DIARY OF JAY Z: WATER CRISIS…and it was nice to see that Jay went himself to south africa, and experieneced frist hand, how people and young children who are suffering each day..its so sad, and is a HUGE reality check, that makes ME want to make a difference, and it was a very noble and humble act, not an act for “recognition and fame.” But to recognize people CAN make the difference, by donating at LEAST $10. I did, and you should too.