EXCLUSIVE: The D.O.C. Once Promised Erykah Badu He’d Build Her A School–So He Did

The D.O.C. is so much more than a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, who helped usher in the West Coast G-Funk era with his work on N.W.A, Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg’s catalogs. He’s more than one of the co-founders of Death Row Records, and he’s more than the pen behind songs like “Nuthin’ But A G Thang” and “Lil Ghetto Boy.” And he’s certainly more than his platinum-selling solo debut, No One Can Do It Better.

The D.O.C.—born Tracy Lynn Curry—is a survivor. He’s a fighter. He’s a philanthropist. He’s a father. He’s a perfect portrait of what perseverance looks like. In 1989, The D.O.C. was flying down a Los Angeles freeway after leaving a party when he fell asleep at the wheel, crashed his car into a tree and nearly died.

His life was spared, but the emergency responders who inserted a tube down his throat crushed his larynx. More than two weeks and 21 hours of plastic surgery later, he was faced with his new reality—not only could he not speak, his rap career was effectively over. But, as The D.O.C. tells AllHipHop, that accident ultimately led him to finding his purpose.

On Thursday (April 3), The D.O.C. welcomed hundreds of guests to The Kessler Theater in his hometown of Dallas, where he and partner Chris Gannett unveiled their plans for the Dream Experience Academy (DEA). The program aims to give 7th to 12th grade students in underserved communities opportunities in media, entertainment and technology fields while tackling chronic absenteeism alongside For Oak Cliff.

(Photo: Kyle Eustice)

Together with partners like Gamesquare, Bosque Ranch Productions and the T.D. Jakes Foundation (who presented the DEA a check for $250,000 during the event), the Dream Experience Academy will equip them with hands-on training in gaming, music and software development. It’s an ambitious undertaking, but they have the resources, dedication and ingenuity to pull it off.

“I want to talk to you a little bit about purpose,” The D.O.C. told the crowd. “My purpose for being here tonight, what put me on stage here tonight in front of all you beautiful people…Chris likes to say I lost my voice in order to find my purpose. There is a truth to that. But we are all made in his image. And we all have a purpose. The reason you are here tonight, you was born for this purpose. That’s why you’re here. That’s why you can hear me talk right now. And I’m grateful that you are here.

“We are Dallas in here. We are the Marines in here. There are teachers and preachers in here. There are civic leaders and Civil Rights icons in here. There are mothers and fathers in here. There are children of the City of Dallas in here. If we share anything, it is a love for our city. We know how special we are and what we can be.

“The path I took to get here started about five years ago. I made a movie, where I was blessed to be able to serve and help others do well and I’m proud of that role. I’m glad to have served that, even in the depths of the pain I was suffering through, my mind was still focused on helping those that I love win.”

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Luckily, or perhaps divinely, The D.O.C. has a small army of people in his corner, including the mother of his daughter Puma Curry, Erykah Badu, who co-hosted the event. Although Badu wasn’t able to attend in-person, she sent in a video statement, reconfirming her commitment to the DEA.

“I’m sixth generation Dallas and had the privilege of growing up in this amazing city, where I was afforded the opportunity to hone my gifts, my creative gifts,” Badu said. “Through Dallas Parks and Recreation, they offered a program called the Dallas Summer Music Course. I was able to travel all over the planet just by being a part of that group. It helped develop my understanding for authenticity. It helped develop my understanding of integrity. It helped develop my understanding of discipline. Those are the three things that we really need.

“I really wanted to be there with you. I promised, and I’m dedicated. I feel the children of this city deserve a safe environment where there is no food desert, where they are educated, they have proper nutrition for the body and for the mind, the spirit and for the heart. We hope to develop billion dollar thinkers who create opportunities for those who come after them. We hope to develop and create a world that we may not be here to enjoy. It’s that important.”

Badu also talked about her admiration for The D.O.C., which comes across in the film he mentioned, The DOC documentary expected next year. As co-parents and former partners, it’s clear the love and respect they share for each other never dissipated.

“Along with The D.O.C., we share the same passion for greatness, we share the passion for discipline, we share the same passion for art,” she said, before speaking directly to The D.O.C. “DOC said he was going to build me a school one day, and I am 100 percent ready to help develop and see your vision through.

“I believe in you. Puma believes in you. There are a host of creative artists, friends, in my network that are ready to lend finances, money, skills, instruments, books and love. Will you be a part of it is the question. Congratulations DOC. You did it again. You’re the greatest. Dallas, Texas. Are you ready? Dream Experience Academy, ’cause you deserve it.”

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Following the event, AllHipHop sat down with The D.O.C. and Chris Gannett to further discuss the Dream Experience Academy. During the conversation, The D.O.C. said he once promised Badu he’d build her a school one day and when it was pointed out she said the same thing in the video, he replied, “She did!?” to which Gannett laughed, “I wish you could have seen the whole thing!”

AllHipHop (Kyle Eustice): We’ve talked about purpose before. Do you firmly believe you wouldn’t be here, in this moment, without that accident? 

The D.O.C.: I think if I hadn’t had that accident, I wouldn’t be here, period. I was going so fast, doing so much and that is so out of my character, that I would have been out of there. I know that. That was part of my journey, was to go through that turmoil, so I could learn how to be me again.

Big Daddy Kane said right before the accident, the last time he’d seen you, you guys were racing down Highway 101, which is how you ended up crashing. 

When I had those shows after the accident and they talked me into doing those lip syncing shows, Big Daddy Kane was on those shows and he would come in and talk to me and try to make me feel better. That’s my guy.

So you and Chris, you meet. What about each other made you want to work together? You must share the same philosophies on life. 

We do. We use the same kind of sun tan lotion [laughs]. We got a lot in common in a lot of ways. We’re just good men, who want to do good things. This guy, he’s been in business as long as I have, so he knows the trials and the tribulations and he’s walked this path with me to a much better place than I was at Tribeca [Film Festival] even. It wouldn’t be as good without him.

Chris, you gotta follow that up! 

Chris Gannett: It’s a privilege for me to do this. I’ve worked with talent, I’ve worked with content and managed large brands, but it wasn’t until we came together that my purpose and values found alignment. We were introduced by a mutual relationship at the Dallas Regional Chamber, who I was serving on a different board with and I had been vocal about my goal of helping Dallas in this arguable golden moment where within five years we’re going to have more financial services employees than New York City. So the growth of this region is meteoric, but my grave concern is that if all boats don’t rise with the tides that we don’t reach our potential here. This is my hometown, as well. We’re Dallas natives.

We had to leave Dallas at roughly the same age to do what we wanted and my path led me into music, television and talent. Being able to bring it all back around and bring a vision with heart to life, we’re both looking at this through the eyes of entrepreneurs that are not accepting of the way things have been built but the way they should be built with our user in mind just like any other startup—and that’s our kids, grades 7th through 12th in Dallas.

I had a teacher in 10th grade who really believed in me and encouraged me to get into journalism. I would not be sitting here talking to you without him. Here you are doing the same thing for countless kids. Why did you decide to get into this kind of work? Why is it all about the kids?

For me, we describe it as a school, but for me, it’s a time machine. I get to go back to that little kid that was me. I get to heal myself. Chris said the tide rises all ships. It doesn’t matter if you’re Black, white, brown or purple in this climate, today, we all need healing. We’ve had enough gangster, now we need to heal. So let me take my pain and share it in a way that not only can heal me, but can heal us.

You’ve been so honest about your story. To hear you rap again on the Codefendants single “Fast Ones” was incredible. What’s new on the music front? 

The D.O.C. We have a call on Monday (April 7). I’m not at liberty to say who with, but the A.I. boom has caught up with me and it’s beginning to speak a language I understand, so I wouldn’t be surprised if I had a record out next year.

Chris: The secret that’s out in case nobody is paying attention is D.O.C. is singular in that he is a living catalog. Imagine if Frank Sinatra was alive to train his A.I. voice. Imagine if 2Pac was alive to train his A.I. voice. What he understands is something what most artists living don’t—he’s been training the model for 30 years, coaching Snoop Dogg, supporting Dre, being a creative collaborator with so many of these amazing artists and bringing out the best in them. He’s uniquely positioned to basically set the precedent for what A.I. can mean in Hip-Hop and music in general, down to the breath.

The barriers to entry to somebody starting a program that looks like this on paper are pretty low. The barriers to being great though is resonating in a genuine, truthful way with your constituents. Because of the way he’s lived his life, because of what he’s gone through, because of where he’s from, because he’s back, there isn’t anyone in North Texas that these kids will listen to. He embodies what not to do and their dreams simultaneously. How is that possible? The guy’s a conundrum.

Do NOT speed on Highway 101. And then please pursue your love of music. 

Chris: Also, trees don’t move.

The D.O.C.: I couldn’t have said it any better.

What is your main goal for the kids who participate in the program? 

The D.O.C.: One of the things that’s really important to me is community. In those communities, we have to learn to quit waiting on the outside force to be the savior. We have to rebrand, refocus and redevelop our own community, our own ways of thinking. Everybody gotta start thinking in terms of community. We need to take the robbing, stealing and killing out of these communities and replace that with love, laughter and healing. That’s what we’re doing now.

There’s no better person to have your back than Erykah Badu ’cause that’s what she’s all about. She has a song called “The Healer.” 

I told Erykah when Puma was born that I was going to build her a school, so I’m just living up to my promise.

She said that in the video! 

The DOC film, which originally premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2022, is expected to see a wide release in 2026.