Being alive for the past 20 years has taught me so much. Not only am I in college now, but soon I have something to look forward to when I graduate -- and that's having my dream job. Looking back, I never thought my life would turn out like this, especially from the place I came from. The person I am now and the reason why I have something to look forward to is because of my past and how it has given me a proper base to go out there and handle the world.
I wasn't born into a rich family or in the nicest neighborhood. I wasn't born with the nicest cars or even a nice house. I was actually born into a poor family and what used to be a dangerous neighborhood. My parents had a clunker car and not even a house, but a nasty apartment, which became worse as time passed. But in all honesty, that's not what shaped me to be the person who I am today. What shaped me to be the current me was music.
Now let's back up for a second. I know I said music, but I wasn't very specific. The types of music that shaped me were hip-hop and R&B of the late 90s and early 2000s. Why this type of music you may ask? Well that's simple to answer. Many artists spoke the truth both in their music and when they performed live.
When I was younger, I had no idea what these artists said nor did I understand, but as I grew older, I began to truly listen to all my favorite songs and analyze what they meant when they said certain words such as: war, hope, growth, money, work, love, and so on. Each one of those words meant something so much more than just the basic meaning. It ties in to the world and in many of our lives, more than we could ever imagine.
Yes, a majority of this type of music has profanity, but it doesn't contain profanity for no reason. It's an expression of the artists' feelings and their views of not just their lives, but as well as their own world.
People have asked me, "Why do you listen to that ugly music now?" To answer that is also very simple. That "ugly" music there helped me see the world in a different way and it has helped me express myself in many creative ways, one of them being dancing.
I'm never or will I ever be ashamed from where I came from and what I came from because even though people may see me as a "ghetto" or "ratchet" person, they shouldn't, because they know nothing about me. Even when the day comes that I'm successful, I will never forget that I came from a poor family, in a dangerous neighborhood, with "ugly" music, because without any of that I wouldn't be the person I am today or will be tomorrow.
Now I ask you this. Where did you come from, and what did you come from?
