MOBILE, Ala. (WKRG) – DJ Dirty Dan has been on the music scene along the Gulf Coast for many years. He is joining us this morning to talk about how he is using hip hop music to reach young people and educate them on music business, financial literacy and other areas.

Read the full interview below or watch it in the video above.

Shamonee: Well. All right. Deejay Dirty Dan has been on the music scene along the Gulf Coast for many years. He is joining us this morning to talk about how he is using hip hop music to reach young people and educate them on music business, financial literacy and other areas. So tell us more about your nonprofit and what what you all do.

Kalenski “DJ Dirty Dan” Adams: Yeah, well, no profit is opportunity for entertainers. And right now we have a program called Opportunity Day School to a happening where we got a local high schools and middle schools to talk about mental health, talk about performing arts. Also talk about prevention and awareness, because there’s so much going on in the community in schools right now. Yeah.

Bill: Sherita Anderson is with us also from the Mobile Health Department. You’ve partnered with this program to get it out. Get it out there.

Sherita Anderson, Mobile Health Department: Yes. Dirty Dan and I have worked before in the summertime and Alabama hip hop week. And we thought it’d be a great message and a great way to get out to the schools by partnering with him and bringing forth Mobile County programs.
So that we can get the word out, talk about mental health and just provide those resources to the community.

Bill: Yeah. How tough is it getting getting into the minds of kids these days?

DJ Dirty Dan: It’s really easy. You know, through social media. A lot of times they’ve got so much at their hands, but to be able to talk to them about real life situations, because one thing that we do we are we have this fun thing to get to, the serious thing.
That’s why we partnered with the Mobile Health Department, because there’s so many different things going on. But our ultimate goal is to just have a conversation with them, talk to them and not talk at them.

Shamonee: That’s right. I mean, I know kids my age, they love hip hop music. And so you have that relation with them and you can correlate with them in that aspect.

DJ Dirty Dan: So, yeah, I think I think the culture is the connection because kids love music so much. They love entertainment, and that’s the way to bridge the gap. So that’s what they mean. I’m a part of what I see an opportunity for. Entertainers are really working towards, you know, playing a little music at the same time, giving them the resources and education that they need.

Bill: How do people get in touch? Can they can they get in touch with you through the Mobile Health Department?

Sherita Anderson: Yes, you can reach out to us. And we actually have our outreach educators, as always, out in the community every week. And we’ll be doing this to other community advocates about the event and we bring them in to provide resources.
And Kalinsky is going to each school and meeting with the principals and talking with the students and teachers and hosting auditions as well. All right. We’re going to work hand in hand.

Bill: Karlinsky Adams, D.J. Dirty Dan, Sherita Anderson from the Mobile County Health Department. We appreciate you both being here on the Red Couch with us. Thank you for coming.
Thanks for getting up early. We appreciate.