'Inner City Dreams' Fundraising Album Aims To Combat Chicago Gun Violence

Stan Sheppard is using his celebrity for a good cause by raising money through music to help combat gun violence in Chicago.

According to HipHopDX, Sheppard curated an album titled Inner City Dreams. The proceeds for the project are set to be donated to Chicago-based organization Purpose Over Pain, a charity that aims to find solutions to the damage caused to communities and families due to gun violence.

"Imagine somebody getting shot in your family and you don't have the funds to bury them or the proper clothes to put them in the casket with?" Sheppard said.

Sheppard says his main objective is to help those in need.

"For this album, I said, How can I help through music?'" Sheppard asked himself. "Maybe if I can get artists together from the Chicago area and across the country and get them together to do an album to raise funds to pay for the burial and the funeral services and give dignity to these people and to help the families that are grieving."

Sheppard went on to describe the content on the album, which will feature national artists Glasses Malone and DJ Battlecat, as well as independent and local Midwest acts.

"Each song on this album has no cursing, no reference to any positive aspects of gang life, any positive aspects to pimping," Sheppard says. "We had Glasses Malone do a single from the album. He has never done anything like this before. I reached out to him about this project and he didn't hesitate. He was such a gentlemen. It's a heartfelt song. People listen to it and say, 'Whoa.' Glasses Malone and these people aren't doing no watered-down s**t."

Stay tuned for more updates on the album and when to expect its release.