We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Doc Hzarrill. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Doc below.

Hi Doc, thanks for joining us today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

After helping over 14,000 Cleveland youth write, record and perform their own songs that deal with the health disparities black and brown youth face, I have TONS of projects that have changed me along my journey. The most recent centers around a News Channel Five story about how homicides have risen in Cleveland. Our youth know it experientially and so do our teachers. Our team lost six students to gun violence last year. But somehow, despite the dire statistics, teens at our after-school program found a way to create a message of hope. Their song is called, “Cleveland: Is it safe?” You can listen on soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/refreshcollective/cleveland-is-it-safe-prod-grimmy or watch the news clip here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TaT2MMKLh0g

Over and over again, we see students who have experienced multiple traumas, use hip-hop as a tool to rewrite the future given to them by society. But what started as a backyard hip-hop program has grown in Cleveland and Cincinnati to a non-profit with studios in schools and a large Cleveland hospital. Our teaching team of 13 artist educators help students name their pain and claim their tomorrow by telling their own stories. K-drama, an Ohio hip-hop artist, helped Destiny tell her story by writing, “No Struggle, No Strength.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVFcS82sFtI In this song, she shows the world how she is remixing the impossible into the power to create the possible. I think we can all learn from this message as we each face our own challenges. Let’s give an ear to the genius and resilience of our inner-city youth!

Doc, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My artist name is Dee Jay Doc. After being a hip-hop MC, turntablist and producer in my twenties and early thirties, I wanted to invite students on my street in the Glenville neighborhood of Cleveland, Ohio to create hip-hop songs that would cast a vision for our community. This marked the beginning of the creation of my album, “Trust Belt City,” which would take 14 years to complete. This album dropping April 1st, 2024 tells the 14 year story of my journey to build trust with my neighbors because I found experientially that trust is the basis of neighborhood vitality.

On East 115th street we learned to bond together to create the community we wanted, even despite the social determinants of health raising havok. We had lead poisoning, gun violence, lack of jobs, lack of healthy food, and even, gentrification causing staggering negative statistics, some that rival a 3rd world country. But, through trust, agape love and relationship we changed each other’s hearts and held on to hope like a string. In fact, one of my first students, who joined my hip-hop program at age 8, wrote a song with me now that he has became an adult. It’s called, “Hope is Hanging By a String.” For me, hip-hop can be a becon that shines hope for all to see, even as we deal with very difficult topics from our lives.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

My story of being an artist turned Executive Director of a non-profit was fueled by pure calling, passion and seeing the needs of the youth on my street. Without a degree in non-profit management or fundraising, each year I needed to figure out how to grow to the next level in order to keep providing quality programming to our amazing students. After our first hip-hop summer camp, the students were begging me to start an after-school program. We started in a spare bedroom in my house. From there, I launched my first crowdfunding campaign to raise $3000. This allows us to purchase one Imac and some studio speakers for students to use. At that time, I had never heard of a “grant.” I know that sounds hilarious, but I didn’t know what a “fouindation” was and certainly didn’t know how to build a Board of Directors or start a 501(c)3 non-profit organization.

My learning curve had to be quick because my students deserved it. We now have 20 employees and serve 500+ students per year. Our print and embroidery shop in Cincinnati allows students and women in recovery to gain vital workforce skills. Our studio classroom in two Cincinnati Public Schools are a credited class. I didin’t realize how we were going to be able to provide quality jobs that are perfect for artists. Many hip-hop producers and artists spend years crafting out their carreers and needing to work 9-5 jobs that are outside their passion and unique expertise. Our Teaching Artist positions allow artists to have solid work in their field, that is SO rewarding and also gives them the flexibility to keep pursuing their artistic goals.

Somedays, I pinch myself because I can’t believe how far we’ve come, but my amazing team is literally a fresh force for good in our world.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

As a creative, I have had to step out in faith many times without the foggiest idea of how things would actually work out. But somehow I knew deep down inside that the path would unfold only in real-time. Whether writing a brand new song or creating a new hip-hop program for youth, the specifics reveal themselves only as you put in the work. An artist must have the strong mental fortitude that knows a beautiful creation is on the other side or else they wouldn’t be able to start. I encourage you today to take the first step. That is the message of “One Action” a song I wrote with Lee Harrill and Quill the Messenger.

I scribble down one line in my journal:
“one action,” and before it a small circle.
When I specify this is a “must do” like Nike I “just do.”
See a challenge, I bust through.
It sounds hard, so I can not be soft.
Feels good to check it off. Like planes, I’m taking off.
It’s a small step toward fulfilling my purpose.
Each week I can tweak so direction is more perfect.

Contact Info:

• Website: deejaydoc.com
• Instagram: deejaydoc
• Facebook: deejaydocfromcleveland
• Linkedin: deejaydoc
• Youtube: deejaydoc
• Other: Refresh Collective refreshcollective.org IG @refreshthecity @refreshprintshop

Image Credits
The dark photos – Abby O. The light photos and closeups of me are – Tony Hughes