Entertainment Music Rap & Hip Hop Rick Ross Awards Students at His Former High School with Nearly $10,000 in Scholarships "You know, to come give back to the community right here, that means a lot," the rapper told CBS Miami after giving out scholarships in Miami alongside Rolling Loud co-founder Tariq Cherif By Jack Irvin Jack Irvin Jack Irvin has over five years of experience working in digital journalism, and he’s worked at PEOPLE since 2022. Jack started in the industry with internships at Rolling Stone and Entertainment Tonight, and he worked as a freelance writer for publications including Bustle, MTV News, Shondaland, L’Officiel USA, Ladygunn, Flood and PopCrush before joining PEOPLE. In his current role, Jack covers daily music news and has interviewed both up-and-coming and established artists including Dolly Parton, Michelle Branch, Ashanti, Cyndi Lauper, Normani, Carly Rae Jepsen and Coco Jones. People Editorial Guidelines Published on March 16, 2023 06:35PM EDT Rick Ross. Photo: WPLG Local 10 Rick Ross is "B.M.F. (Blowin' Money Fast)" on students at his alma mater. On Monday, the Miami-raised rapper teamed up with Rolling Loud festival co-founder Tariq Cherif, City of Miami Gardens Councilman Reggie Leon and school board member Dr. Steve Gallon II to award eight students with $1,000 scholarships each. The team presented the funds, as well as tickets to this year's Rolling Loud Miami, to students of Miami Norland Senior High School and Miami Carol City Senior High School — which Ross, 47, attended — during the schools' Boss Up Day 2023. Rick Ross Opens Up About His Sexual Preferences: 'Baby, I Ain't Watching 50 Shades of Grey' Rick Ross. WPLG Local 10 In a speech to the students onstage in an auditorium, Ross spoke about his past and representing the Chiefs and Vikings, a.k.a. the two schools' mascots. "You know, to come give back to the community right here, that means a lot," the rapper told CBS Miami. "It's not a gift," Cherif, 33, told ABC10. "They earned it." Rick Ross Insists He's Not a Hoarder in Viral Cluttered Mansion Videos: 'These Things Are of Value' Additionally, per Billboard, Ross performed during the ceremony and gave cash from his own pocket to several students, including one with a 4.6 GPA. "[Ross] being alumni and then coming back and giving back is something that I feel like everyone should do once they go off and do something successful," one student told ABC10. Miami Gardens Mayor Rodney Harris told CBS Miami, "For him to be here actually, to pass out these wonderful gifts, it's a great experience for our children. But it's more of a great experience for this entire community, because it shows that this community cares about its very own." Close