Here is the story of how I became interested in rapping and writing rap lyrics. Back in high school, starting out in freshman year at lunch, I really didn't have too many friends. So, I would go over and watch the rap battles that took place outside the cafeteria. We were allowed to go outside on the grass field and hang out. Most kids played ultimate frisbee, others kicked a soccer ball around and then there were some who decided to start rap battles.

For those of you who aren't familiar with rap battles, people gather in groups small and large, they make up rhymes and stuff on the spot and battle back and forth between other people. Rap battles can be between two people or a large group of people. But, most rap battles are one on one, with a group of people who are there to make everyone hyped up and excited. I would just listen and take in all the fun and excitement that came along with these raps battles. Everyone was there to just take it all in and enjoy themselves.

Now to fast forward a few years, around the beginning of my senior year of high school, I started to listen to a lot of rap music, from Eminem, to Fifty Cent and even some Kanye West every now and then. One day in one of my classes, I was bored because we didn't have much to do since it was a slow day, I started to do some freestyle raps for my class. Everyone was just so amazed, some people told me I should keep going at it and start writing raps in a book.

So, there was where the idea for my "Book of Raps" came to mind. All it is really is just a notebook with my raps from my very first rap to my most recent rap (and all the others in between).

Before I knew it, I was starting to become very well known around my high school, everyone from students and teachers alike would call me, "Rap Boy." I became an instant success, writing more raps and performing for everyone in my classes and every now and then joining in on rap battles. I even wrote raps for teachers and students who inspired me to keep rapping!

By the time the holidays came around, Senior Follies was beginning to form (Senior Follies is basically like a comedy act performed by the senior class). I was thinking, " What should I do in Follies"? Then the idea finally came to me: get a group of people and we will start a rap battle.

But little did I know there was another well known and famed rapper, "Jester J Dogg," I had a rough competition, but I knew I was going to stay determined and never give up. So, Jester had his own team and I had my own team. Our skit was called, "Whitman Wild N' Out."

So, to fast forward to the night of the show, I was pumped up and I knew my entire team had my back. Getting out on stage and hearing everyone chant my name, made me feel better already. Sooner than later, just like that, it was my turn. My team was doing awesome already! I went on stage and here was what my rap was to Jester, I remember it exactly line for line," Yo, Julz, you think you rule, but just go to school, follow the golden rule, don't mess with me I'm not a fool, if you mess just confess, don't mess with rap king. "Yo, you think you can rap but you really make everyone snap.YO, It's just not the thing, I'm a true rapper, you try to violate, your lines are so dry, looking like a butterfly!!"

And that rap got such an amazing standing ovation that I can still hear it in my head to this very day. I still can't believe this was almost two years ago, it feels like it was just last night. The crowd was then asked to decide who should win based on the amount of noise they made for each team. My team won, but to wrap it up, sporadically, just out of nowhere, the administrative team comes out and has their own rap battle, luckily for me, the principal was on my team and her rap secured us our win!! And right after all that standing ovation, I came back on stage and did a rap for one of my favorite teachers, that is what the photo above is.

To this day, I look back to that night and it was like one of the best nights of my life!! That was the night that made me famous as my school's best rapper! I'm very blessed and amazed that I had the opportunity to show off my rapping skills to a sold out crowd, there had to be at least 400 people there in the auditorium that night! Such a great night!

So that, my friends, is the story that changed my life forever!