Kanye West, MTV crew pay Oklahoma City veteran a visit
Tirann Laws of Oklahoma City was surprised with a visit from Grammy Award-winning rapper Kanye West recently, and the encounter was caught on camera for the MTV News special “Choose or Lose & Kanye West Present: Homecoming.”
The special will premiere at 9 p.m. Monday on MTV, with a rebroadcast scheduled for 1 a.m. Wednesday.
Laws is one of three young Iraq war veterans featured in the special, that documents West and host Sway Calloway (”Stomp the Yard”) dropping in unexpectedly at the veterans’ homes.
“There are hundreds of veterans out there who are falling through the cracks,” West said in an MTV news release. “They make the ultimate sacrifices for us by laying down their lives, but it seems like a lot of them just get forgotten about.
“I know my music inspires and helps a lot of people, but you can always do more. I teamed up with MTV and took the opportunity to share the spotlight with these veterans and hear their stories.”
Laws served in the U.S. Army 101st Airborne Division and did two year-long tours in Iraq. He was recently diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and has started counseling and medication.
He joined the military right out of high school, but now he longs to attend college. While his military service entitles him to partial tuition assistance, it is not enough to cover daily expenses and support his family.
After sharing their stories with West, Calloway and the MTV crew, the veterans received one more surprise. On behalf of MTV and the Dr. Donda West Foundation — named in honor of the rapper’s late mother — Sway and West gave each veteran a life-changing gift by paying off their debts or taking care of their rent or tuition.
“We surprised them at their homes, listened to their stories and then tried to help,” Calloway said. “Because everyone deserves a homecoming.”
–Penny TV
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