CLEVELAND — In a recording booth inside Cuyahoga County's Juvenile Detention Center, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony's Krayzie Bone told News 5 that he and his team are using their influence to teach JDC residents about careers within the music and entertainment industry.
"A lot of these kids are talented like a lot of these kids have aspirations and dreams. They just don't know how to get to them because of their living conditions and the things they're going through at home," said Krayzie Bone, Founder of Spread the Love.
But Krayzie Bone said he hopes his presence on Wednesday can show JDC residents he cares.
"When they're learning something like this, when they go home, they have something they can think back, where 'I learned this in there, I can put this to use,'" said Krayzie Bone.
It's a move Ian Cunningham said is essential for residents to know they aren't forgotten.
"This program is, when I say priceless, it means so much and for the community to invest in these kids and someone like Krayzie Bone from Bone Thugs-N-Harmony to want to give back to his community and pour out his love," said Cunningham, who is the Cuyahoga County Juvenile Detention Center activities coordinator.
Spread the Love Foundation's visit to the Juvenile Detention Center is made possible thanks to Mayor Justin Bibb's Neighborhood Safety Fund investments.
"I know how programs like this can change someone's life; that's why the Neighborhood Safety Fund is so important to me by investing in grassroots organizations," said Bibb.
The Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer of Spread the Love Foundation, D. Lorand Jackson, said the organization launched about four years ago.
Now, they're doing a pilot test of their "Interest 2 Income" program for JDC residents.
"This program specifically has really helped the students tap into some of their emotions and got it out on pen and writing songs and going into the studio and recording and learning all of those kinds of behind-the-scenes functions to bring all of that together," said Spread the Love Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, D. Lorand Jackson.
Jackson said they had just finished their first 100-level course and held a graduation ceremony Friday evening.
However, the organization plans to return to the JDC to offer this opportunity to more students and even expand outside of these walls to give rookies a try.
Jackson said Spread the Love Foundation will soon begin a summer program for students outside JDC.
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