Dog In The Yard

In Part II of Tony Yayo’s Dog In The Yard episode, the focus shifts from incarceration to life after coming home. Yayo reflects on returning to freedom, reconnecting with his crew, and navigating personal growth while carrying the weight of past experiences. He speaks openly about loyalty, maturity, and how time behind the wall changed his outlook on life, music, and responsibility. This episode e...

Before becoming a household name in hip-hop, Tony Yayo faced a defining chapter shaped by the justice system. Between 2002 and 2004, Yayo was incarcerated on charges related to felony weapon possession, bail jumping, and the use of a forged passport, stemming from a 2002 arrest involving a firearm and false identification. Despite having bail posted, the seriousness of the charges kept him behind...

King Ace D’General’s journey is rooted in movement, survival, and reinvention. Born in Rhode Island and raised between R.I. and Brooklyn, King Ace’s life shifted early. By his teenage years, he was living in Dorchester, Boston — specifically Devon Street, known as D-Block — where he entered the system through foster homes, group homes, youth detention, and eventually adult incarceration. In Decemb...

At just 17 years old, D Rock was sentenced to 15 to life. Growing up between Castle Hill and Forest Houses in the Bronx, survival became his job long before he became a man. But prison brought a different kind of fight - CO beatings, near-death moments, being targeted on the inside, and the mental battle of facing a life sentence while still a kid. In the middle of that darkness, D Rock found one...

He grew up in Alphabet City without stability, structure, or safety raised by grandparents after being abandoned, surviving the streets before he even understood what danger was. By 15, the streets pulled him all the way in. By 16, he was sitting in a county jail cell. And by adulthood, Coach Jay was staring down a 24-year prison sentence that would change everything. While serving time, he suffer...

He grew up in Grimey Grant with pain on his shoulders, loyalty in his chest, and the streets calling his name before he even had a chance to figure out life. Yayo’s story is the reality so many young men face a childhood disrupted, a future derailed, and a loyalty that cut both ways. Raised in Harlem’s Grant Projects, Yayo came up in a single-parent home, with a mother doing everything she could,...

Jadakiss is a Top 5 Dead or Alive MC - a hip-hop icon whose voice and lyricism shaped New York culture. But behind the legend is a man who’s lived real life, real pressure, and real growth. In this Dog in the Yard episode, Kiss opens up about his journey from Yonkers to global respect. He talks early LOX days, Bad Boy, Ruff Ryders, and the personal lessons that shaped his evolution as an artist, f...

Shanduke McPhatter is living proof that transformation is possible when purpose meets discipline. Born and raised in South Brooklyn, Shanduke’s early life was marked by instability, foster care, and the absence of his biological father. By 16, he was incarcerated at Rikers Island for robbery and it was there that he joined the Nine Trey Gangster Bloods, becoming one of the first five adolescents t...

Joseph “Yusuf” Cobb is a community activist, leader, and mind cultivator based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania known for his tireless dedication to driving positive change and helping others heal from cycles of violence and loss.  A survivor of the streets who turned his life toward service, Yusuf now channels his experience into empowerment. As Vice President of S.A.V.E. Pennsylvania, he advocates...

From the streets of East New York’s Pink Houses to nearly 25 years in prison, Joe Robinson known as Donkor inside, meaning “humble person” has lived both sides of transformation. At 22, he was sentenced to 25 years to life for murder in the second degree and spent the next 24 1/2 years incarcerated, where he turned time into purpose. Behind those walls, Joe became known for teaching entrepreneursh...

Before the fame, before the plaques Dave East was a young hustler from Harlem trying to find his lane. Growing up between the projects and the courts, he got caught in the streets early, facing several run-ins with the law, including arrests for marijuana possession and disorderly conduct. But those moments didn’t stop him they shaped him. Dave East used his pain, his hunger, and his Harlem roots...

Straight out of Harlem’s 140th Street, Claysaun Jones lived the streets that shaped countless young men before him. Convicted of attempted murder and robbery, he spent 24 years incarcerated paying the price of a life defined by survival and split-second decisions. But the time inside didn’t break him. Instead, it became the foundation for transformation. Today, Claysaun works as a Housing Coordina...

Born and raised in Jersey City, Big Brizzle grew up the youngest of six — with a nine-year gap that shaped how he looked at the world. Athletic, book smart, and influenced by his older brothers, Brizzle’s path shifted early. By 13, he was already in and out of jail. What started as strong-arming quickly turned into stick-ups, hustling, and eventually becoming known as a “work horse” in the streets...

Dr. Dennis “Prince” Mapp is living proof that redemption and resilience can transform not just one life, but entire communities. After serving nearly two decades incarcerated, Dr. Mapp turned his pain into purpose—becoming a nationally recognized community safety strategist, entrepreneur, and author. Today, he serves as Head of Community & Culture at Citizen, where his leadership has reuni...

William Steele, known in the Bronx as G. Child, grew up in the Throggs Neck Projects where the streets shaped his reality. By 13, he was already caught in the school-to-prison pipeline — arrested for gang assault. At 14, it was a drug charge. At 15, police caught him with a Mac-10 submachine gun. And at 16, he faced a murder charge that he eventually beat at trial. But freedom never lasted long. A...

Dejohn Huffman’s story begins in Brownsville’s Van Dyke Houses, where survival often meant the streets chose your path. While his siblings went into the military and law enforcement, Dejohn’s road led to his first prison sentence at just 16. By 20, he was facing two devastating moments the tragic loss of his son’s mother and a robbery-homicide he did not commit.  Instead of letting those blows des...

Charlie B’s story is raw, unfiltered, and straight from the heart of the struggle. Growing up in an environment where survival meant adapting to the streets, he faced arrests, gang life, and prison sentences before he even understood how the justice system worked. Locked up on Rikers Island, Charlie taught himself criminal law from the law library fighting his own case and negotiating his sentence...

Dr. Joseph “Joe” Williams, DSW, LCSW, is living proof that resilience and redemption can rewrite any story. Growing up in Brooklyn’s Brownsville & East New York, Dr. Joe spent over 15 years in prisons, jails, and institutions. But instead of letting his past define him, he transformed it into purpose. After earning his Bachelor’s through the Bard Prison Initiative in 2013, he went on to gr...

From selling drugs at 11 to leading a gang by 13, Meshach Hewitt’s early life was consumed by the streets of Mount Vernon, NY. At just 20 years old, he was incarcerated for charges related to felony murder, gang leadership, and drug distribution—serving over 17 years behind bars. But prison became the turning point. Meshach took full accountability for his past and committed to a complete transfor...

Andre “Dre” Patterson was sentenced to 50 years to life at just 17 years old. Charged with multiple counts including murder, robbery, and assault, he spent decades behind bars—until his release in 2020. But Dre’s story didn’t end there. Since coming home, Dre has transformed his life, dedicating himself to youth mentorship and community uplift. He works with Guns Down Life Up as a mentor and viole...

So Rich’s story is a reflection of raw transformation, street survival, and unshakable resilience. Raised in the streets and system-impacted since the age of 15, Rich spent more than 13 years in and out of incarceration—including a decade behind bars on an 11-year manslaughter charge. But what started as a life fueled by violence and desperation would become a testimony of growth, faith, and redem...

Dr. Trell “Donk” Webb was sentenced to life plus 90 years at Angola — one of the deadliest prisons in America. Paralyzed by gun violence. Targeted in a shooting that almost took his voice. And yet, Donk came out of that darkness with a mission bigger than himself. Known now as The Voice for the Voiceless, Dr. Donk travels the country sharing his truth, his faith, and his message of transformation....

Chico Brown is living proof that transformation is possible — even when the odds are stacked against you. Raised in the heart of Compton, Chico once found himself caught in the middle of gang life, systemic neglect, and survival mode. But in 2005, he made a life-changing decision to turn his pain into purpose. Since then, he’s become a powerhouse community activist, youth mentor, developer, and ad...

Darnell Tomlin’s story is one of loss, lessons, and leadership. Born and raised in Bushwick, Brooklyn, Darnell found himself pulled into the streets early. At just 21, he was falsely accused and convicted of a crime he didn’t commit a decision that stole 19½ years of his life. Gang affiliation and association put a target on his back, but it was the system that ultimately took him away. Now, after...

Qwell grew up in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn — where street smarts met survival. At 22, he began his career in law enforcement, working at MDC Brooklyn and Rikers Island, eventually earning a spot in the high-stakes Emergency Services Unit (ESU). That experience gave him a firsthand look at the violence, corruption, and trauma inside the walls. Now a police officer in a major metropolitan city, Qwell’s imp...