“I remember almost everything from my childhood. And growing up in D.C was different. Growing up in D.C was honestly like the chess game of life. Before I lived in D.C I lived in Maryland, slow and country type Maryland when I was super young from the age of like 1-5. My mother left my father when I was almost 6 and we moved to D.C. So everything that I was used to from age 1-5 in that environment where I came from out Maryland. I was literally put right in the middle of Uptown, Northwest D.C in 1980. So it’s the crack era, literally as soon as the crack era hit. All my peers were 5, 6, 7, 8 yr olds that grew up in the city already they already had that in them. I was oblivious to that. My mother was oblivious to that. I just went to daycare here before and because it was only daycare I never had to deal with the other parts of D.C outside of that facility. When I got to the 1st grade at Barnard it was like.. When ppl talk about culture shock, that’s what I was, I was culture shocked. I can say that now because I can understand it but yeah, I didn’t know what a bamma was. I didn’t know what to have what was cool or what wasn’t cool. I was 6, but these people already were already hip on a whole other level I wasn’t even quipped for it was fast as shit so I was basically learning on the fly and figuring it out staying to myself staying in my lane. Everything wasn’t smooth though I done got into some shit because I didn’t know no better, nothing super major, regular kid shit but at the same time just learning and observing and knowing what’s for me and what’s not for me. Because I saw a lot. I saw the 80s and the 90s and as young child. Like I said I grew up in the crack era when it first hit. Back then even the news had news. There was the regular Fox 5 talking about all the violence and shit that’s goin on in the town and then at 10:30 you got another show called City Under Siege. National guard on every corner this and that, cause it was that bad. And you gotta understand I’m a child in this shit. But yeah growing up in D.C was pretty complex, fun though, it was a chess game for sure, you can’t be a fool here. The way the city was at a time shit I didn’t think I was going to make it to high school for real and I wasn’t even outside, like I was outside but I wasn’t outside treacherous like that. It was a lot of evil going on. It was some good in there but a whole lot of young kids playing grown man games and they was men. I wasn’t for it, I wasn’t ready for none of that shit and I stayed in my lane. I was never a follower and that was another thing, I would always be me. I spoke, I was cool, I was funny whatever but I observed a lot. I saw a lot, I didn’t say a lot, said enough but never too much. Its like, growing up in D.C, you gotta keep your head on the swivel you gotta be aware, you cannot be green. This town will eat you up and it’ll be hard to live. Real talk. To be from here, like to be from the real D.C you gotta be cut from a totally different cloth. Our skin is tougher than concrete, our confidence higher than any stratosphere imaginable. And that shit is real. It’s a lot of BS going on out there right now but when you come up on it, the real D.C, its gonna shine bright and be undeniable you know what I’m saying? I love it I wouldn’t wanna change it for the world I wouldn’t wanna grow up no where else and I done been to some nice places but I don’t think I’d wanna grow up nowhere else. And I mean anywhere else but right here, Uptown, not to knock anybody else but it’s different worlds. D.C really got 4 different worlds in 1 city and I love it. It’s so many differences and such a big melting pot and such a jewel. It’s even built like a diamond. I love this town. No matter the bad, the negativity, the ignorance. It’s more to this town than that. That town made me, and it’s still making me into the good man that I am today and I respect my city. And it means a lot to be from here its like badge of honor. Im proud to be from D.C for sure. (Uptown especially!) I know and love my side the best and I wouldn’t change a thing except the death that’s come with it. Thats the only thing, if I could have all of my friends back alive and without all that BS that would be the only thing I would change about it." 

 "Its real cool people in D.C., you have people thats here thats willing to pass of that game especially to people that are younger than them that you see that are interested and trying to do something other than some fuck shit you know what I’m saying. A true old head, it does our heart good just to know that y’all out here and y’all really trying to do something. That gives us hope because whatever we did in that age range, we did good or bad positive, growing or however it go, now we’re here and y’all are the next generations that came behind us as we get older. And its a lot of them that’s reckless on they GTA but its a lot of them that really want to live out this joint. I get it, y’all want to live and thats commendable that’s respectable that honorable you know what I’m saying. Thats the great shit God will protect until he say it’s time to come home. He protects us all for sure. It’s a couple of jewels out there. But my top 5, Like you got to keep your head on the swivel, mind business, thats another. Be yourself. Tell the truth. The truth is better than a lie, always. You’ll get further with a person with the truth than with a lie. The 5th has to be respect your elders. Thats gotta be in there because they came before us they set the forefront. You parents, their parents, other people’s too. Show them the proper respect you would show your own. No matter the circumstance, nobody deserves to be disrespected. If they put themselves in that situation, don’t let pride and ego get in the way. Just be a human and you know what I’m saying just do what’s right. You can walk away. Everything don’t gotta be a scene or an embarrassing situation”