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Kendrick Lamar and TDE buy out three theaters so kids can see ‘Black Panther’ for free – Metro US

Kendrick Lamar and TDE buy out three theaters so kids can see ‘Black Panther’ for free

Kendrick Lamar and Anthony "Top Tawg" Tiffith

Kendrick Lamar and his record label wanted kids to see Black Panther over the weekend,  so he rented three movie theaters so kids in Los Angles could see the blockbuster film for free.

Kendrick Lamar and his record label Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE) hosted a free screening of Marvel’s Black Panther on February 17 for kids from the Watts housing projects in L.A. Anthony “Top Dawg” Tiffith, CEO of Kendrick Lamar and SZA’s label TDE bought out five showings of Black Panther at three different theaters for kids in the area, totaling almost 1000 seats.

According to Fader magazine, kids from the Nickerson Gardens, Jordan Downs and Imperial Courts projects were able to see the film on Saturday. 

Both Tiffith and Lamar are both from Compton, Los Angeles and they felt it was important for young people from their community to see a superhero film featuring black characters.

Kendrick Lamar and TDE join the list of celebrities hosting free screenings of Black Panther for kids in local communities.  NFL wide receiver and Philadelphia native Jaelen Strong gave 60 kids from Philly a private screening of Black Panther on opening night. These celebrity efforts to offer opportunities to children to see the film come after the #BlackPantherChallenge movement emerged on social media encouraging people to raise money or buy tickets for kids to see the movie. 

Marvel’s Black Panther premiered on February 16 and brought more than $235 million domestically and $404 million worldwide at the box office. 

Celebrities buy out theaters for free Black Panther screenings

Serena Williams

Tennis champion Serena Williams surprised a group of girls from Black Girls Code to watch Black Panther on opening night. Black Girls Code is a non-profit organization that educates and encourages young African-American girls to code.

T.I.

Rapper T.I. partnered with Walmart and gave away 300 tickets to Atlanta kids so they could see Black Panther.

Octavia Spencer

In January, Octavia Spencer took to Instagram to announce her plan to buy out a theater in Jackson, Mississippi on February 17. She first made the announcement at the end of January, telling her fans to stay tuned for the exact location.

Lil Yachty and Offset

Rappers Lil Yachty and Offset surprised kids in Los Angeles when they hosted a screening for 500 foster and at-risk children. The screening was initially set up and funded by “This is Us” writer Jas Waters. Lil Yachty and Offset were invited to surprise the children before the screening, but according to TMZ the two rappers later bought out the rest of the theater for more screenings of Black Panther.