I just realized this morning that it's been six months since I gave up my crib to fight on the front lines full time. I was out of the country nine out of the last twelve weeks. I met a lot of new people, have seen a lot of incredible places and learned so much about too many things to list here. I will say that I believe a lot of progress was made in the last six months.
I just recieved a letter from Rahway State Prison in New Jersey. My brother there is serving 25 years for an array of alligations. As a matter of fact this brotha actually just returned to Rahway where he was placed back into general population (the fucking jungle). My peoples just did 18 months of lock down time (in a 24 hour a day controlled housing unit) in Northern State Prison in Newark, New Jersey. Do you have any idea what 18 months in a unit like this is like? I do. In the letter he said he didn't know how much longer he could have survived. The brotha was happy to be back in main population, fucking happy to be back in the jungle, the programming is so fucking obvious to me. No different then society creating ghettos with areas so bad that individuals are actually better off in prison then they are in the free world. I don't find this to be funny at all. My personal life at times is close to being just that; a situation that even makes prison look good. Yea I still struggle with the prisonization these bastards have inflicted me with. Thank God for hip hop yo for real.
As so many times in my crazy life it's hip hop that's holding me down. It's hip hop that's keeping me focused, positive and hopeful. That brotha I am talking about in Rahway, that's my family right there. I served a three years with him back in the day. We passed our time rocking rhymes battling everywhere in the prison. We would talk about getting out and making it big in the rap game. My boy used to love getting me going when we was locked in. He would bust out beats by banging on the cell walls. The quauter inch steel plate walls at times had the sound of a Roland 808. I would just spit rhymes for hours. He still be asking me to drop lines, so I mail them to him with some pictures. He shares what I'm doing with all the young brothas locked up. I bring them hope.
My brotha serving 25 years has been in and out of lock up since he was 8 years old. I don't know when the last time was that he saw a full year on the streets. He is a good brotha, he is smart and has great talent but, he has been prisonized. He has been conditioned for the life he is now living just like a marine is conditioned for combat and how we are all conditioned to function in a manner that makes society run having police and military to maintain the proper order. We have to fight for the freedom to think for ourselves in this country.
I for the first time in my life because of hip hop let me add, have been blessed with the ability to travel. I write of all my travels to the brothas on the inside. Every time I get a big show or meet someone famous that they admire it brings their hope through the roof. I recently sent pictures to my people of Chuck D of Public Enenmy and myself in New York City. They went crazy over the picture in Rahway State Prison. See they are not talking about committing new crimes or anything like that. They are talking about getting out and making things happen for themselves. They talk about going back to school, starting their own businesses and traveling and I think that's a beatiful thing. If anything for that reason alone all the bullshit I go through is worth it for real.
Hip hop is incredible let me tell you. It kept me going when I was locked up in prison. Writing, reciting rhymes and battling with others. I had a spark of hope to get out and make a living doing hip hop and that's just what I am doing now. I now write to half a dozen prisons giving hope to a number of heads in there that have hip hop dreams. The fact that I pulled myself out of the dark world with hip hop makes for a good story with the young kids as well. I love going to schools to talk to the little shorties, the future. I think it's great that we try and reach them now before they get to the belly of the beast.
Anyway yes, in the past three months I traveled to Europe twice. First time short tour hitting London, Croatia and Italy. This last time 6 countries with the incredible Add.Verse from Lansing, Michigan. It was the best tour I have ever been apart of. Add.Verse is the reason why there is hip hop on the Vans Warped Tour in the USA do your homework.
Add.Verse and Capital-"X". Together we did conferences in schools and for the public. Work shops, print, radio and television interviews and apprerences and shows; some really dope shows. There is a lot to look forward to coming up on the Frontlines in 2008, so don't go nowhere.