College Park native Yung Joc caught some flak over the weekend when he was spotted driving for a ride-share service.
But according to the “Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta” star, he had a reason for doing so — and it wasn’t because he fell on hard times.
A viral video made the rounds on social media when users of Pull Up N Go recorded their pick-up from Yung Joc, whose real name is Jasiel Amon Tucker Robinson.
“You sound like somebody I know,” one of the passengers said after the rapper explained he’d been driving for the service for a month or so.
When the passengers questioned Yung Joc about why he was driving he said, “I just felt like it was an easy way to get some easy money right here downtown. I meet people.”
Similar concerns abounded on Twitter.
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Yung Joc explained his reasoning further to TMZ. Sharing that he's been a part of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Atlanta for years, the rapper said he's leading by example.
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“You have to show them what humility is and you’re not too big to do the right thing by making an honest living,” he said. “I think that’s why a lot of kids — and even adults — go astray. Because they’re too ashamed, they’re too prideful to do something.”
Yung Joc said he challenged himself to do something new and that it’s “a dope idea.”
“The most phenomenal part of this experience from this going viral is the amount of support,” he added, noting Snoop Dogg was among his backers.
“I just realize that maybe people are beginning to be a little more mature,” he said.
Many online have also raced to defend Yung Joc against detractors.
Pull Up N Go launched in October 2019 and primarily services cities in Florida and Tennessee. It sets itself apart from larger ride-share companies like Uber and Lyft through a driver subscription-based service for $39.99 a week. Drivers keep 100% of fares, tips included.
