Welcome to the Cool Factor!
Two months ago, I got a tattoo across my chest that reads "Hip Hop Saved My Life". Many people thought it was just because I'm a Lupe Fiasco fan. First off, I'd never permanently alter the appearance of my body if it didn't mean something significant to me. Secondly, hip hop really did save my life.
I moved around a lot when I was younger. I went to at least four different elementary schools and always had a hard time making friends. When I got to middle school, I started to go through that awkward stage of trying to "find" myself. It wasn't long before I found a good group of companions and we journeyed through our post-pubescent years together.
*tears*
So we get halfway through our freshman year and my whole group of friends leaves. As in the school, the city, the county, the state, and two of them even left the country. First thoughts are, "Damn...does my breath stink?"
Anyhow, I'm beginning the second half of 9th grade pretty much alone. I know people, but I'm not really friends with them so I start trying to fit in. My high school was like any other high school; it was broken into cliques. To make a long story a tad bit shorter, it turned out the Mexicans at Andress High didn't like me because I didn't speak spanish. There wasn't a cool group of white kids that I noticed, plus I didn't feel like being the "token". I ended up hangin' out with a group of blacks and Puerto Ricans.
I hate to put it so bluntly, but most of the black and Puerto Rican kids at my school did a lot of negative things. I didn't want to do anything bad, but I still wanted to kick it with the cool kids. Matter of fact, the only reason I think I was tolerated at first was because I had a smart mouth. It felt as though I was given a temporary pass but needed to further "prove myself" and deep down I knew there wasn't anything I wouldn't do to be cool.
I swear I was about ready to do whatever it took when I found it. Rap. Hip Hop. Whatever you want to call it. Honestly, I just started tryin' to rhyme to impress girls and ended up getting acceptance from my peers as sort of a side-effect. This is a gift I don't take lightly. It's the reason I've never been locked up (for long). It's the reason I have a future right now. I know a lot of people who got trapped because of some mistakes they made in high school and I'm proud to say I'm not one of them. Much love and respect to my Killa Hills crew: Plez, Tu-Tone, Woodstock, Preston, Jimbone, Taron, Mike, Gideon, X, Louis, Andy, Crystal, Pip, Mindy, Niesha, DJ, Richard, Rob, Tanisha, and all of y'all. I know I don't speak to over 90% of y'all anymore, but to whichever of y'all may stumble upon this,
THANK YOU.
Peace & Hair Grease
-CS-
P.S. Lupe's the greatest!
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