TAMPA, Fla. — There’s a new movie on television this month starring a Tampa artist who has never forgotten where he came from. The entire film was shot here in Florida.

ABC Action News first introduced you to Deejay Young in 2023 when he returned to his hometown of Tampa as a cast member in the hit musical “Hamilton,” performed at The Straz.

Young stopped by Blake High School to speak to the students of his alma mater. He already felt on top of the world, but the best was yet to come.

“It’s been a journey, but an amazing journey. I left the Hamilton tour to do ‘The Voice’ and it was great to represent my hometown on the show,” Young said. “After I left ‘The Voice’ I fulfilled my Broadway dream and made my Broadway debut in Hamilton, so I returned in one of my favorite roles as Aaron Burr.”

Despite all his success in New York and Hollywood, Deejay never forgot his hometown. When it came time to shoot his first film, he knew Tampa Bay and Central Florida would be the perfect locations.

“I was born and raised in Tampa. I love my hometown. I believe that your roots are the core of who you are, and that’s why I really wanted to talk about my upbringing, about my family, about being from Tampa,” Young said.

The film “HiSstory: Primitive” tells Young’s life story through a series of R&B music videos, all written and performed by the Blake High School graduate.

“My journey as a young man that became who I am today and what it took to get there,” Young said. “We actually shot part of the film here at 7th + Grove. It’s a black-owned business, and I wanted to do those things: make sure people know what’s out there in the community. The entire piece is just about love, and I feel like love is the cure for everything dark in the world.”

This month, the film made its debut on the free streaming service Tubi.

He said it was hard not to think back to his high school days.

“I always think back to the times that shaped me, the years at Blake and the years here in Tampa as a kid. They made me who I am,” Young said.

Young is proud to be a voice in the community regarding the arts and hopes his film will inspire today’s students to pursue their dreams.

“Who would have thought that one day I would be making my own film,” Young said. “I definitely like to think of myself as a leader and a voice for the arts. I mean, funding for the arts is constantly being cut. So I need any platform I have to give back or inspire those who are thinking about making this a career choice. So if I can continue to be a voice for that, I will do that.”