Growing up in Braddock, Lee Davis knew all too well the shortcomings of his neighborhood.

A dearth of jobs, a lack of small businesses, blight, abandonment and crime had turned the community into a shadow of what it had been during its heyday.

Despite its flaws, Mr. Davis always has believed in what he considers the town's greatest resource -- its residents.

So, as co-owner of Promotional Push, Mr. Davis invited Big Heff's Industry Tour to come to Braddock on Friday not only to highlight talent in the region but also to provide an opportunity for residents to discuss how to combine their talents for the good of the community.

"This brings a platform to discuss a lot of issues going on down there, so I'm going to talk about issues in Braddock while I've got a lot of people's attention," Mr. Davis said.

Mr. Davis and business partner Deavon Hammonds of Penn Hills worked with Quincy "Big Heff" Taylor of E1 Music to bring the tour here after Mr. Hammonds saw the first leg of the tour in November in Ohio.

Mr. Taylor said he agreed to come to the area "to develop the relationship between the music industry [and] Pittsburgh and to create opportunity and awareness within its community."

Featuring representatives from Def Jam, Interscope, Sony, Good Music, Fontana/Universal and EMI Records, the tour gives artists who pay a $100 entrance fee a chance to network with and perform for executives.

The tour also will take artists to local music studios and allow them to perform during a closing showcase at Club Elegance, 804 Braddock Ave. The showcase winner will receive several prizes, including the chance to perform in another city on the tour's next stop.

Appreciating that the tour educates young musicians on the best routes toward success in the industry, Mr. Hammond said many also will need tools for success in life to begin preparing for careers. Artists participating in the tour will be asked to visit Westinghouse High School from 1 to 2 p.m. to talk to students.

"For the community aspect of the tour, we wanted to make sure [artists] speak at a school district and the tour was in a community where people could come out and feel like they're part of the event, not at the Benedum Center or Mellon Arena," he said.

For Mr. Davis, who also works for the outreach organization Community Empowerment Association, reaching out to children through the tour was second nature. But his ultimate hope is to reach out to all of his hometown residents who have given up hope.

Scoffing at the story of Braddock's uncharted frontiers told through a national Levi's campaign, Mr. Davis said he wants to highlight the work that has already been done in the area and encourage those who haven't joined the cause to do so.

"We want to try to reverse that [image]. You can come here, can live here, we're rebuilding. It's a wonderful community," he said.

Big Heff's Industry Tour will be in this area on Friday and will register up to 200 people. Registration and information: ulee27@gmail.com.