Big Sean and Detroit public schools team up for enrollment push

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Photo via artist's Instagram, @bigsean

With Detroit Public Schools Community District enrollment numbers in dire straits, the district is tapping into some major star power.

Big Sean, a graduate of Cass Technical High School, will provide the voiceover for a marketing video to promote student enrollment, spokeswoman Chrystal Wilson said Tuesday. Although the specifics of this collaboration have not been released, the project is currently in the works. The video is slated to debut this summer.

The announcement comes at a time for DPSCD to go-big-or-go-home as the district has seen its student population drop by 71 percent in the last 15 years, the Free Press reports. They hope the "Bounce Back" rapper’s co-sign will pay dividends as the city’s school officials, teachers and principals will lead an aggressive outreach campaign in the coming months. It’s all part of a serious reform effort to revitalize the district, with the Board of Education approving a $732 million budget for the 2018-19 academic year this past April.

In the meantime, Big Sean will continue to give shine to the city’s unsung heroes during his "Detroit's On Now" event taking place at the end of the month, billed as a celebration of community leaders, teachers, churches and local business owners. In February, he surprised 900 Detroit students at a screening of the film Black Panther in Royal Oak and has recently announced his partnership with Emagine Entertainment to build a movie theatre and performance space in downtown.