will.i.am Provides Full Scholarships To Four Teens

Less than two years ago, the Hip Hop community was critical of Pop culture icon Oprah for her opinions of the culture, claiming that actors such as Ludacris and Ice Cube were denied press on the top-rated afternoon talk show. That was not the case this week, as Black Eyed Peas' will.i.am [click to read] intended to give an under-priviledged student from a single-parent home a full scholarship through the Chicago-based Oprah show.

will.i.am witnessed the compelling stories of four candidates, and the platinum producer and entertainer decided to provide resources to all four young men. "The only thing you have to worry about is succeeding and showing the world that the youth is the future of America and the world," said the "Yes, We Can" maker. "The only thing I ask for you guys is to prove that single parents are the strongest people on the planet."

On air, the emcee and producer continued, "You can get your money and you put it in the bank, or you can put it in the youth. You can put it in our future. I've traveled the world because someone believed in me, and it makes me feel like you can have dreams, especially in this crisis, right? That doesn't mean we stop dreaming."

The four Chicago teens are from three single-parent families - two are twin brothers. Barien, Darien, Elijah and Jaiquann are all track stars, now headed to the universities of their dreams, including Virginia Tech.

The episode airs today.