Rapper Aitch has skydived to raise money and awareness for Down’s syndrome, inspired by his sister Gracie, who has the condition. Gracie, 13, regularly features in the Manchester-born rapper’s music and recently joined her brother in the video for his latest single, Round 2.
Although the skydive had been scheduled to take place in March to coincide with Down’s syndrome Awareness week, windy conditions postponed the jump.
On Saturday Aitch, AKA Harrison James Armstrong, and his dad, Mike, finally completed their skydive at Old Sarum airfield in Salisbury, Wiltshire, with the musician’s manager, Via Culpan, also taking part. Gracie and the rest of the rapper’s family were there to cheer them on.
After the jump, the Brit award-winner told the BBC that despite his initial nerves, it was “a million times worth it”, adding that he now wants to shoot a video “in the air”. Gracie said what her brother had done was “crazy” but “amazing”.
Aitch, 23, an ambassador for the Down’s Syndrome Association, said he wants to use his platform to raise awareness. “I think it’s important, just because even when my sister was born, I didn’t even know what Down’s syndrome was, if I’m honest with you,” he said.
He said he wanted to raise awareness “that it’s not out of this world to have a family member or child with Down’s syndrome … It doesn’t mean that anything’s any worse or anything like that.”
“If anything, it’s a little bit better,” he said, adding that the conversations he has with Gracie are the “most genuine … over anyone else”.
Aitch’s song My G was written for Gracie and features Ed Sheeran – Gracie’s favourite musician. Part of the video budget for the song was donated to the DSA.
When Aitch released his debut album, Close to Home, last summer, he tweeted: “My G is a song on the album that probably means the most to me, written for my sister Gracie.”
