Detroit rapper Sean Anderson, aka Big Sean, 37, and music icon Usher, 47, have partnered to invest $1 million in Detroit’s young talent. Their contribution will establish a cutting-edge entertainment production facility, the Detroit Youth Innovation Hub, for the city’s youth.
The Detroit Entertainment Innovation Incubator, set to be located within the new Boys & Girls Club of Southeastern Michigan at Michigan Central, will feature various creative spaces. These include a virtual production studio, a special effects laboratory, and a creators’ lounge, as announced in a recent press release by the Boys & Girls Club.
“Detroit has always been the blueprint for innovation, from the assembly line to Motown. This collaboration—especially with two heavy hitter alumni—extends that legacy by proving the creative economy can be a pathway to ownership and equity,” Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeastern Michigan president and CEO Shawn H. Wilson said in a statement. “Together, with our amazing partners, we’re transforming talent into capital and creativity into generational wealth.”
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The new Boys & Girls Club, scheduled to open in February inside Michigan Central, is a collaborative effort. Key partners in this project include the Sean Anderson Foundation, founded by Big Sean, Usher’s New Look, Ilitch Sports + Entertainment, and Emory University’s Goizueta Business School.
Big Sean said in a statement, “Detroit is where my creativity was born. From freestyling in my mom’s basement to performing on the biggest stages in the world. My mission has always been to make sure the next generation of dreamers and innovators from my city have the access, tools and mentorship to do the same. The Innovation Incubator is about showing young people that they don’t have to leave Detroit to chase opportunity, they can build it right here.”
Sean Anderson, known as Big Sean, continues his partnership with the local Boys & Girls Clubs through the new Innovation Incubator. This latest contribution follows his previous efforts, which have included donating four production studios to local facilities since 2018.
In a statement, Usher said the new facility will help prepare users for greatness. “It takes just one person to believe in your success,” he said, “and I’m honored to be one of many in this partnership to help make that happen.”
The singer also wrote on Instagram, “A single thought can spark a movement. A vision can build a generation. Action can transform a city. That’s the heart behind the Entertainment & Tech Incubator @bigsean and I are launching at the Michigan Central Boys & Girls Club. A place where youth can create content, produce music, innovate in tech, learn new skills, and shape the future they deserve. Thank you to the many partners including: Illitch Sports + Entertainment and Emory University Goizueta Business school.”
According to the press release, Usher’s New Look® (UNL) was established in 1999 by Usher Raymond IV and his mother, Jonetta Patton. They were inspired to act after seeing the challenging situations faced by teenagers in an Atlanta courtroom.
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As a nonprofit, UNL is dedicated to changing the lives of disadvantaged youth through a comprehensive program that develops passionate, globally-minded leaders. The organization was founded to tackle the systemic barriers that prevent teens from successfully completing high school and college.
Through specialized mentorship and leadership programs, UNL helps teens overcome obstacles, identify their passions, realize their potential, and discover their life’s purpose.
Since its founding, the organization has been a driving force, ensuring youth graduate and achieve their full potential, thereby building a worldwide network of future leaders. To date, UNL has positively impacted over 50,000 young lives.
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