In this 2025 interview, Kevin “mr. soul” Harp discusses his early life in Lee-Harvard, his early education, and his early interest in comic books and graffiti as a form of artistic expression. He describes the rise of hip hop in Cleveland, his involvement in the graffiti art scene, and other artists and collaborators that he worked alongside. Harp discusses his life after leaving Cleveland: attending art school in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, spending time in Chicago, and eventually moving to Atlanta, Georgia in 1996, where, through his artwork, he became associated with Organized Noize, the Dungeon Family, and Patchwerk Studios. Finally, he describes his return to Cleveland in 2016 and his work as a mural artist.
Kevin “Chill” Heard
In this 2025 interview, Kevin Heard (also known as MC Chill), discusses growing up in the Lee-Harvard neighborhood, his involvement in Cleveland’s hip-hop scene in the 1980s and 1990s, and his career path as a journalist. He talks about playing little league baseball in the neighborhood with now prominent Cleveland politicians and figures, taking martial arts classes, and attending Cleveland public schools. He then describes becoming Cleveland’s first national rap recording artist, signing a record deal, and how his involvement in hip-hop led to his career in journalism. At the end of the interview, he discusses how growing up in Lee-Harvard and in Cleveland impacted him throughout his life.
In this 2025 interview, Mikel Jordan, an employee at NuPoint Community Development Corporation, discusses growing up on E. 147th Street and Glendale Avenue. She describes the history of her family in Cleveland, early memories in the Lee-Harvard area, and her involvement in the early Cleveland hip-hop scene in the 1980s. Jordan also details her early explorations throughout Cleveland and the southeast side by bus, different neighborhood identities, and the effects of crack cocaine on communities. At the end of the interview, she emphasizes the importance of building community networks at the neighborhood level.
In this 2025 interview, Bernita Polk Thomas talks about her family’s move from Central to Mt. Pleasant and her life growing up in the neighborhood. She mentions racial changes, her experiences in the public schools, and extracurricular activities she participated in. Thomas Polk ends her interview by emphasizing the importance of understanding the past through history.
Yolanda Steward talks about growing up on E. 142nd Street between Bartlett Avenue and Glendale Avenue in the 1950s. She describes visiting stores on Kinsman Road and E. 131st Street such as a chicken market, a shoe store, and a movie theater. Steward describes her experiences at Moses Cleveland Elementary School, Alexander Hamilton Middle School, and John Adams High School. She discusses some experiences of segregation and discrimination: both within public spaces and within the public school system. She then describes changes in her family, working at the steel mill, and changes in the Union-Miles neighborhood. At the end of the interview, she emphasizes how much she loved growing up on E. 142nd Street and gives advice to young people.
Southeast Side Stories 