Detroit rapper and influencer revitalizes childhood home with "Buy the Block" campaign
(CBS DETROIT) - A Detroit rapper and TikTok star hopes to revitalize the neighborhood he grew up in with his "Buy the Block" campaign. After months of work, he's made his first purchases.
"Everything about me that people see on the internet, this was the foundation right here," said Tray Little, a rapper, influencer, and entrepreneur born and raised in Detroit.
"My grandad would give me $5 to go to a studio up the street, and I would go record full songs. And after that around 16, I went on tour and started doing music all around the country. And it all started in this neighborhood."
After leaving home, Little said he found it hard to go back, and it was hard to relive his childhood memories. But in 2020, he was pulled back to his childhood home on Detroit's west side when he saw online that it was for sale for just $1,000.
"We went back, and I've seen a lot of abandonment. And I remember it being filled with people, filled with houses, kids running up the block, green grass, and everything," Little said. "And coming back it was hard to see that a lot of stuff was torn down and abandoned and trash everywhere."
Someone else bought that house, but Little got a bigger idea: to buy the block.
He started learning about real estate, getting guidance and dreamed of revitalizing his old neighborhood. His old home, and the properties around it.
He shared his "Buy the Block" campaign with his followers online. Seven months and millions of views later, Little bought a house and four lots on the block.
"I'm thinking about gardens, and I want to renovate this house,' he said. "My goal is not to tear it down but to actually renovate it.
His following on social media supported him and gave him guidance as he figured out the process step by step.
"I was being held accountable and encouraged by a lot of people, including people from the neighborhood."
And he is not done. Little said he knows the people that live in the neighborhood, some have been there for generations, and he wants them to have as much ownership as possible.
"When their great-great grandmas passed these houses down, or grandparents, they knew not to give this up. So that's the vision, showing people that them holding on and staying strong was worth it."
Little said he plans to continue to learn, to get his real estate license, and to buy up and renovate the block.
"I had a really rough life, so for me to be a part of something that's bigger than myself is giving me a purpose every day."
Those interested in learning more about the project can email BuyTheBlockDetroit@Gmail.com.
