Rapper Fat Joe stepped in to help after a devastating fire impacted his hometown of the Bronx.  

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At least 17 people were killed, including eight children, and 63 were injured when the apartment building caught fire and smoke quickly moved through the building.  

“No matter where I go in the world or what I achieve, I could never forget my community,” the rapper told PIX 11. “I had to react, but I couldn’t do it on my own.”  

After the fire, Fat Joe worked with the city’s Mayor’s Fund to launch a fundraiser for the victims. According to Complex, the fundraiser received contributions from Jay-Z and DJ Khaled and others in Fat Joe’s network.  

RELATED: Philadelphia, Bronx Fires Highlight Urban Housing Disparities  

The contributions from the fundraiser “will enable the distribution of emergency relief supplies and provide support for the victims and their families.”  

On Wednesday, the fundraiser hit the $1 million mark. “It’s the Bronx. I had to go hard. I donated a large amount,” he said. “We’re just trying to help the people. People are homeless… they don’t know how to pay their bills, it’s cold in New York.”  

Despite the success of the fund, Fat Joe said the work is not done. “We have so much more to raise,” he said. “These people [will] have real lifelong issues with emotional and mental distress.”  

All of the victims who died in the fire were Muslim immigrants from West Africa, according to CBS New York. A funeral prayer service was held for 15 of the victims on Sunday.  

This is a developing story.  

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