"...A lot of people I know get so caught up with the small town mentality that they never leave the city, why? Cause they're so comfortable right where they at and they are so afraid to leave. The fear of the unknown..." -J.Cole

Being raised in a city doesn't prevent you from having a small town mentality. The bright lights that glimmer down on your insecurities shine brighter than any sun. Many of us are caught in the heartbeat of a city that never sleeps. We, too, know what it's like staring at a skyscraper and knowing we have to go home to a small apartment, where roaches might be the only ones greeting us at the door. Sometimes, our dreams are overshadowed by the glamour and glitz of our own Gilded Age.

I'm here to tell you that your dreams are attainable. Not all of us will be rich and famous, and that's OK. But let me tell you, if you would have told me that at 18 years old, I would be hopping inside of a train during the middle of a work week to travel 745 miles to watch J.Cole perform his closing act in his hometown of Fayetteville, N.C., I wouldn't have believed you.

I suffered from a small town mentality in my own way. I've been afraid to take chances. There are times when I should have bet on myself and I didn't. The thought of myself being just another kid coming out of Little Havana and never being able to achieve greatness has plagued my mind from when I started growing up. For all of you reading that can relate, I'm sure you have had those thoughts, too. The concept that neighborhoods are dirty, broken and filled with forgotten dreams and that in some dark, twisted way these neighborhoods are a reflection of our characters is wrong. We're worth more than the poverty line could ever suggest.

We're tired of listening to stories of people being killed all the time in our neighborhoods. We're tired of people being struck down by bullets. We're tired of the crime. We're tired of all this pain, and because we live in these conditions doesn't mean we encourage or believe in these heinous acts.

For some of you, the sounds of gunshots break through comfort of peace. Some of you have lost family and friends due to drugs, violence and to the beast that swallows dreams and hope. I'm reporting live from the other side, telling you that you can overcome this. I won't paint myself a martyr. To be honest, I've been pretty lucky to have a family that has always believed in me. I had parents that sheltered me from many of the evils we find in our neighborhoods. A lot of my friends had it rough, though—fathers and mothers missing from their lives. Some of them were homeless and only wished to have a wall where they could tape up a poster of their favorite artist. Others would stand at the end of the shopping lane, staring at their mother's star spangled banner card and hoping their food stamps go through because if not, the only nutrition they would see would come off a Styrofoam plate.

They say these things handicap us in our lives, but I don't buy it. These difficulties make us stronger. It makes the finish line just a tad bit closer and that beautiful light at the end of the tunnel just a little brighter.

So I'm reporting to you live from St. Tropez, where I continue to fight and break free from the negativity that we supposedly inherited. Where I accepted that I probably won't ever be a millionaire and that's OK because money doesn't define my culture. It doesn't define my work ethic, and it definitely doesn't define me. The world is endless and if you don't make it wherever you are right now, it doesn't mean you won't make it at the next place.

So, signing off from St. Tropez, my name is Randy Jimenez and in the words of Mr. Jermaine Cole: