Rap superstar Lil Wayne is giving back to the community - he's donated $200,000 to help rebuild the New Orleans, Louisiana playground he grew up in.

The Lollipop hitmaker, real name Dwayne Carter III, handed over the cash to officials in charge of Harrell Park, which was destroyed when Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005.

It was used as a trailer site for the local water board in the hurricane's aftermath, and its heavy equipment left the park's track and field severely damaged.

But the rapper's generosity, via his youth empowerment organisation One Family Foundation, means officials can now make a start on restoring the recreation area.

And Lil Wayne hopes other stars will be inspired to help their communities in the same way.

He tells Louisiana's Wwltv, "You can't really tell them (kids) what to do these days. When you tell them what to do, that's when they get angry, when you tell them (to) be like me, because it's hard to be like me. So, the best thing you can tell them is try to do right."