You can check out The D.O.C.’s statement on the launch below:

The D.O.C.: I come from Southern Dallas. Where the music’s loud, the struggles echo and the voices often go unheard.

When I was just a kid, I wasn’t sure what I’d be, but I knew I had something to say. I found my way to the mic, and once I got there, I made sure no one could ignore me.

Hip-hop gave me that, the power to speak.

I found my rhythm in Dallas, then took my dreams to the West Coast. Linked up with Dre, Cube, Eazy [-E] and the rest. We formed something that would reshape music, take over radio waves and smash through barriers. N.W.A was more than music — it was the truth. And I was a part of that, not just on the mic, but behind it, writing rhymes that gave others their voice. I repped Dallas and helped elevate the West Coast, reaching the top of the mountain. But it wasn’t long before fate snatched me from off that peak and almost took my voice forever.

That night in 1989, I was flying through the streets of L.A., like I had been flying through life — fast, no brakes. The car crash? It changed everything. One minute, I was invincible; the next, I couldn’t speak. My vocal chords torn. Silenced. Imagine — an MC on the rise, his whole career and all his dreams right in front of him — almost gone in an instant.

For a while, I held onto anger. I was bitter about what I lost. But eventually, I had to realize — my story wasn’t over. I couldn’t rap anymore, but I could still write, still create, still be a force in this game. I got behind the scenes, ghostwriting for [Dr.] Dre, Snoop [Dogg] and others. I taught Snoop how to turn his freestyles into hits, how to capture that magic and turn it into gold. I was the silent voice behind some of the biggest records you’ve ever heard.

Most people know me for No One Can Do It Better. But real ones know I’m the one who helped make The Chronic what it was, the one who pushed Dre to go solo. When Snoop dropped “Nuthin’ but a ‘G’ Thang,” that was our work. And while they were out there shining, I had to make peace with being in the shadows.

But here’s the thing: losing my voice? It didn’t kill my spirit. Maybe I didn’t need to be the loudest voice in the room anymore. Maybe my purpose was to help others find their voice.

That’s part of the reason I came back home to Dallas. Came home. Full circle. It was time to give back to the place that gave me my start. The city raised me, but I knew it was raising a whole generation of kids who might not catch the same breaks I did. I couldn’t sit back and watch these talented young people get swallowed by a system that might not see them, might not hear them.

So I started The Dreams Experience Academy. This isn’t just another nonprofit; it’s my way of giving kids the mic, letting them tell their stories. In the streets where I grew up, in Southern Dallas, there are voices that deserve to be heard — voices that could change everything.

These kids? They’ve got cultural capital. They know what’s hot, what’s next, what will move the needle. But they need help turning that into something more.

I partnered with Chris Gannett, another Dallas native, who followed his dreams. Who used to be the CMO of American Idol. Who ran $100 million banking divisions. You wouldn’t expect us to team up — on the surface, we look like hip-hop and corporate America — but that’s the beauty of it. We’re a little bit of an odd couple, but we’re here to show that when you mix different perspectives, you can create something powerful.

At The Dreams Experience Academy, we’re helping these young people build real skills — not just for entertainment, but for media, tech, gaming, storytelling, entrepreneurship. The stuff that drives culture and moves markets. These are industries where careers are made and power is shaped — but where too often, people who look like us don’t get a seat at the table. We’re out to change that. And it’s not just about dreams — it’s about equity, access and showing the world what Southern Dallas talent can really do.

We’re definitely not doing it alone. A special thank you to our partners who are helping us lay the foundation — from the Dallas Regional Chamber and The Dallas Foundation, to longtime educators like Big Thought and community leaders like T.D. Jakes Foundation. And shoutout to For Oak Cliff, which has been on the front lines of tackling chronic absenteeism, and are helping Southern Dallas keep kids in school and on track.

Dreams Experience Academy isn’t just about teaching; it’s about transformation. And this isn’t just for Dallas — our vision is national in scope. First stop, our hometown. But we’ve got plans for more sites across the country. In a way, this is me giving back the voice I lost all those years ago. Only now, I’m giving it to these kids, so they can shout louder than I ever could.

I’m thankful for my people — my family, my friends, everyone who’s stood with me. We’re just getting started, but I can feel it: this time, it’s bigger than me. To my city, to the streets that helped make me — this one’s for you. Dallas raised me, and now it’s time for me to raise up the next generation. These kids? They’ll be the ones to carry the torch, to write the next chapter in our story.

So listen closely. The mic’s theirs now.