DURHAM, N.C. (WTVD) — Nearly seven months after losing his 5-year-old son to brain cancer, Durham rapper Raheem Williams, known professionally as Jooselord, is turning his grief into a mission to help other families facing similar battles.
Williams announced the inaugural All Onyx World Music Festival, a free event scheduled for Oct. 30 across seven venues in Durham.
The festival will honor the memory of his son, Onyx, while raising awareness for Onyx Is Hope, a nonprofit that Williams created to support families caring for seriously ill children.
“It’s been worse the past month,” Williams said of the grief following his son’s death. “It’s just been my constant realization that he’s not here.”
I just can’t move some days; it’s so heavy.
The community first rallied around Onyx and his family last year after the young boy was diagnosed with brain cancer. Williams said the support his family received inspired him to create a nonprofit focused on providing hope and assistance to others facing difficult medical journeys.
“A lot of the stuff that happened to me happened because people stepped up and people came to help me,” Williams said. “All I want to do is deliver what was delivered to me, a way to get through.”
The festival will feature 33 North Carolina artists performing at venues including Pinhook, Rubies, Durham Central Park, Boom Club, The Fruit, Motorco and NorthStar Church of the Arts.
A few of the artists include Pierce Freelon, Rueben Vincent, Cyanca, G Yamazama, among others. Williams is also performing.
“There’s no place like when I’m up there. When I’m in that place and everybody’s singing and screaming with me, I feel like lighter than like anything,” said Williams. “I don’t feel heavy. I don’t even feel alive. I just feel like I’m above the world, looking down on everything. I just feel like I’m in the moment and that moment belongs to me. It belongs to us.”
Williams said venue owners quickly embraced the idea.
“Everybody’s been like, ‘How can I help? Let’s do it,'” he said. “It’s like the city is doing this for Onyx.”
The event also serves as a way for Williams to preserve his son’s legacy.
“All I have left is this,” he said. “Everything that I do with music will have his name on it, because that’s my legacy.”
Community leaders say they’re eager to support the effort.
“We love Joose. We love his energy. We love his style,” said Arrow Diaz of The Fruit. “I’m looking forward to seeing how this begins and how it grows over the years.”
Williams said his vision extends beyond a single event. He hopes All Onyx World becomes an annual festival that continues to grow while helping families confronting childhood illness. For now, he hopes the festival serves as both a tribute and a source of hope.
“We’re going to give you hope in this time,” Williams said.
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