WHEREAS, Yazz the Greatest (YTG) was born Bryshere Ronald Gray on November 28, 1993 in the Overbrook section of Philadelphia; and
WHEREAS, Bryshere was raised by a single mom, who taught him that respect is earned not given and that hard work and dedication will eventually but inevitably pay off; and
WHEREAS, After Bryshere was injured and had to give up on the possibility of receiving an athletic scholarship, he turned towards rapping and acting; and
WHEREAS, Many popular performers in the rap industry use distasteful lyrics, YTG chooses to be more responsible with his words—favoring lyrics that have uplifting and elevating content and lyrics that have respect for women; and
WHEREAS, YTG's fame on social media sites multiplied while he was guided by Manager Charles Charlie Mack Alston; and
WHEREAS, YTG knows the struggles of youth growing up in an urban environment and plans to be a positive influence by launching a foundation called You're the Greatest to give back to his community; and
WHEREAS, YTG is currently starring in a new hit television series called
Empire
directed by Lee Daniels; and
WHEREAS, YTG is an excellent actor and plays a difficult role in personifying Hakeem Lyons; and
WHEREAS, YTG has admitted that it is tough to display absolute distain towards his mother on the show, Cookie Lyons—played by Taraji P. Henson when this goes against his nature and inclinations; and
WHEREAS, Yazz the Greatest's performance on
Empire,
and his ability to achieve success after moments of doubt, has inspired others in Philadelphia to follow in his footsteps and to pursue their dreams; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, THAT THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, Hereby honors Yazz the Greatest for his positive contributions to pop culture as a rapper and actor, as well as his recent successful performance in the television show
Empire
.
End