AKON AND BUSTA RHYMES JOIN FUNERAL CAMPAIGN

Akon and Busta Rhymes have helped raise more than $20,000 for poverty-stricken families in Detroit, Michigan, who can't afford to bury their loved ones.

The stars joined a campaign launched by Universal/Motown Records music executive Shanti Das, which aims to help cover funeral expenses for low income households in a bid to curb the number of unclaimed bodies in the city's mortuaries.

The May We Rest in Peace drive has covered 20 burials in Detroit so far, and was launched when Das heard about the growing economic problems in the city, which have led to a rise in the number of families unable to afford funeral costs .

He tells Allhiphop.com, "What if it was my mother, father, or loved one lying there in the morgue and I couldn't afford to properly lay them to rest? There were just a lot of things that hit home for me, and I just wanted to immediately take action."

Akon and Rhymes have both lent their support to the cause, as have officials at Kid Rock's charity, the Kid Rock Foundation, according to Allhiphop.com.