Hit hip-hop lyricist K.Y.D. Works believes in second chances.
K.Y.D ("Killing Your Demographic"), whose real name is Hassan Barrow, hails from the Bronx, NY and relocated to Westchester County when he was six years old. He started rapping when he turned 14 and battled other rappers who were older than him. He was a talented teen on his way, but things began to get bumpy for the artist when he found himself in the correctional system at age 16. He spent three years incarcerated, which took him off the grid for a while.
However, his period of incarceration afforded him ample time to regroup. An introspective person, he believes that everything happens for a reason. And unlike so many others, he followed through with his exit plan, which included others that had experienced some of the same downhill moments of life. K.Y.D. Works and his associates and childhood friends Steven Alfano and Vincent Hanemann, created "Don't Shoot." As childhood friends they have had a real meaningful relationship that has allowed it to stand the test of time.
The idea of "Don't Shoot" was born after a discussion about the rash of police shootings, massacres, school shootings and suicides, and the inappropriate use of firearms in this country.
There are more than 30,000 gun deaths each year with an estimated 57 percent of these deaths being attributed to suicide, 37 percent to homicides and the rest to accidental deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
The mission of "Don't Shoot" is to have "One Day" where there are no gun deaths in America. KYD says, "Violence is an issue we are going to fight and combat whether it be domestic violence to street violence. The unique thing about the "Don't Shoot" is that it will not operate as a not-for-profit business, but as a corporation with a board of governors similar to a non-for-profit. We have decided to move in this direction because we have placed our commitment in our company by-laws and that is to donate 25% of revenue to alternative to violence and suicide prevention programs. Our idea is that if we run it as a profitable business it will afford us the opportunity to grow our revenue base and therefore the amount of money that will be contributed to stop the shooting in America."
He adds, "We as a company will start with a promotional campaign through the use of clothing and accessories to raise attention to the issue at which point we will transition to an all-inclusive community of collaboration and idea sharing to combat a unique problem in a unique country. We are asking the community to participate and help end an epidemic that is killing our people."
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