Tellin Ghetto Tales

I’m not so different from them…

Though I’ve always thought I was.

I used to see them on the street corners sitting on crates looking shabby. I would turn my nose up at them thinking, “Why would they choose that life for themselves? Don’t they know there’s more?”

I couldn’t understand how we could come from the same environment yet have totally different ideals about life. Now I see that even though we are of a different fabric, the thread of our lives remain the same.

Thugs.

Hustlers.

Killas.

Dope dealers.

Whatever you want to call’em, they have souls too.

These past few weeks working with these hopeful artists has opened my eyes quite a bit. I used to be afraid of them. Their dreads, gold teeth and weapons, rough talk, criminal records and tricked out Chevy’s made me want to run in the opposite direction. It also turned me on a little bit, but that’s neither here nor there because I saw them as the forbidden fruit.

As I listen to their life stories I’m amazed. Utterly amazed. I knew these things were going on in my neighborhood, hell I saw some of it on TV and in the papers but I never got close enough to a guy whose life actually involved jail time, FED investigations and such immense heartache.

When I met them I was suprised that they were so polite to me. They were even friendly and sweet. Their goals have the same underlying fuel as mine; we can’t live like this anymore. We want to be better for our families. We want to make ourselves proud. We want to rise above the wicked circumstances of our births and make something good out of ourselves. We want to show others they way, the legitimate way to success.

They see their way up and out through the rap game. I see my way out through my ability to communicate. We all use our ability to express ourselves, to tell our stories, to cry for help.

We’re all tellin ghetto tales.

And hoping for a break to make the reality of today become far away

They are as much a part of me as my own family

I’l never shun them again because it took some time to see

That we are all hungry for relief from ourselves and our pasts.

We strive to create legacies that are built to last

Improve upon our parents, leave our pasts behind

Elevate our spirits and educate minds.

We’re all tellin ghetto tales

And hoping for a break to make the reality of today become far away

I’m sorry.