WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.320 --> 00:00:03.879 This is the Poet Speaks, a show all about or. 2 00:00:03.960 --> 00:00:09.080 Tradition, hip hop and cardboard Boxes on the Bloc, Reget 3 00:00:09.320 --> 00:00:13.560 Bandolero Soyo heavy metal punk rock and La Junior Hide pop. 4 00:00:14.480 --> 00:00:18.800 What makes poetry so amazing, so incredible is this absolute 5 00:00:18.920 --> 00:00:23.600 fascination and ability to change our lives, the old tradition, 6 00:00:23.920 --> 00:00:25.160 the reason why we speak. 7 00:00:25.839 --> 00:00:37.719 This is the Poet Speaks. Hello everyone, and welcome back 8 00:00:37.759 --> 00:00:40.960 to the Poet Speaks Podcast. Now today we're joined by 9 00:00:40.960 --> 00:00:43.920 a very special guest. He's a spoken word artist and 10 00:00:44.000 --> 00:00:48.039 social worker whose work explores grief, identity, and creative liberation. 11 00:00:48.520 --> 00:00:51.439 From his memoir A Diamond in God's Dirt to his 12 00:00:51.600 --> 00:00:55.920 forthcoming album Kiss My Art, he crafts stories that speak 13 00:00:55.960 --> 00:00:59.200 to the soul and confront life's toughest truth. Everyone, please, 14 00:00:59.240 --> 00:01:00.920 welcome to the Poet Speaks Podcast. 15 00:01:01.159 --> 00:01:02.880 Tariq Rashad Tarik. How are you? 16 00:01:03.520 --> 00:01:05.439 Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you for having 17 00:01:05.480 --> 00:01:12.680 menap did the snaps absolutely, Amanda Again, like I said, 18 00:01:12.959 --> 00:01:15.400 I love your platform, so thank you for sharing it with. 19 00:01:15.319 --> 00:01:18.319 Me absolutely, and we thank you for being a guest 20 00:01:18.400 --> 00:01:21.359 on our platform today. Now, I kind of want to 21 00:01:21.400 --> 00:01:24.519 start off. I love you, have you I think you've 22 00:01:24.560 --> 00:01:28.079 created your own unique saying. So you refer to your 23 00:01:28.120 --> 00:01:32.920 home as Atlanticville. They were the first person I've ever 24 00:01:33.000 --> 00:01:36.120 heard say that. I hope you trademarked that that term. 25 00:01:36.200 --> 00:01:38.319 I hope you trademarked it. So tell me. I know 26 00:01:38.439 --> 00:01:40.680 you described that as Will you tell us what is 27 00:01:40.840 --> 00:01:42.239 what is Atlanticville? 28 00:01:42.959 --> 00:01:44.719 So it's a combination of two cities. 29 00:01:44.760 --> 00:01:47.400 I was born in Atlantic City, born and raised in 30 00:01:47.400 --> 00:01:51.280 Atlantic City, and then around my I want to say 31 00:01:51.280 --> 00:01:55.480 eighth grade, I moved over to Pleasantville. Most people don't 32 00:01:55.480 --> 00:02:01.799 know what Pleasantville is, no, exactly, so I just combined 33 00:02:01.799 --> 00:02:04.640 it to Pleasantville is where I lived from eighth grade 34 00:02:04.680 --> 00:02:07.319 until I graduated high school, and my family still lives 35 00:02:07.359 --> 00:02:07.760 there now. 36 00:02:07.879 --> 00:02:09.520 So I just merged it too. 37 00:02:09.680 --> 00:02:13.000 Most people know Atlantic City obviously, so I don't just 38 00:02:13.039 --> 00:02:15.599 say Atlantic City because I shared a great amount of 39 00:02:15.599 --> 00:02:20.599 time in both cities and you know, helping raise and 40 00:02:20.719 --> 00:02:23.159 ruin me to the person that I am today both cities. 41 00:02:23.159 --> 00:02:26.759 So Atlanticville is Atlantic City and Pleasantville together. 42 00:02:27.039 --> 00:02:30.599 So yes, absolutely, that's amazing. So I know there's a 43 00:02:30.599 --> 00:02:33.719 lot of Pleasantville all over the different fifty states. I 44 00:02:33.759 --> 00:02:37.960 know Pleasantville, California. I also know Pleasantville, Missouri. I know Pleasantville, 45 00:02:38.000 --> 00:02:40.039 New York. Yeah, tell me what New York. 46 00:02:40.199 --> 00:02:42.479 I know New York. I didn't hear California and. 47 00:02:42.479 --> 00:02:49.240 Miss Yeah yeah never, Okay, okay, for sure, we'll tell me. 48 00:02:49.840 --> 00:02:51.599 Well, I mean, yeah, good to know. 49 00:02:51.680 --> 00:02:53.840 I mean, we'll tell us how was those those two 50 00:02:53.919 --> 00:02:56.199 places and how they kind of shaped your voice? 51 00:02:56.240 --> 00:02:58.360 I guess it's your your a melting pot of both. 52 00:02:58.479 --> 00:03:00.759 Yeah, yes, ma'am. 53 00:03:01.039 --> 00:03:04.599 Atlantic City, so most people know, and again you don't know, 54 00:03:04.639 --> 00:03:06.120 a lot of people don't know what pleasant it was. 55 00:03:06.159 --> 00:03:08.919 But Atlantic City people know as just being in the casino, 56 00:03:09.280 --> 00:03:12.360 Yes city, you know, everybody knows Atlantic City and being 57 00:03:12.400 --> 00:03:14.680 casinos where you come and the boardwalk and the. 58 00:03:14.599 --> 00:03:15.360 Beaches and stuff. 59 00:03:15.400 --> 00:03:19.680 But it's the hood, to be quite frank, it's the hood, 60 00:03:20.280 --> 00:03:23.560 and you know, it's rough neighborhoods and things like that, 61 00:03:23.639 --> 00:03:27.039 and I had to kind of navigate through a lot 62 00:03:27.080 --> 00:03:29.000 of the different things around the neighborhood. 63 00:03:29.080 --> 00:03:30.319 But aside from. 64 00:03:30.120 --> 00:03:33.840 That, just my upbringing in my household and just having 65 00:03:33.879 --> 00:03:39.280 to help raise my siblings from younger while also being 66 00:03:39.520 --> 00:03:43.240 in a rough neighborhood like Atlantic City was tough in 67 00:03:43.280 --> 00:03:46.319 its own but Atlantic City has given me everything, like 68 00:03:46.960 --> 00:03:52.919 just having friends, growing up with friends and playing football, 69 00:03:53.000 --> 00:03:57.479 literal League football, Atlantic City Dolphins, and running all throughout 70 00:03:57.520 --> 00:04:02.680 the city, riding my bike, walking around from uptown all 71 00:04:02.719 --> 00:04:06.960 the way to downtown and this the west Side and 72 00:04:07.199 --> 00:04:11.360 all the different places around Atlantic City. But mainly just 73 00:04:11.400 --> 00:04:16.439 being grounded in my household in Atlantic City is what 74 00:04:16.639 --> 00:04:19.639 kind of shaped me to be the person that I am. 75 00:04:20.040 --> 00:04:22.920 And then moving over to Pleasantville, it kind of there's 76 00:04:23.000 --> 00:04:26.000 the same things and whatnot, but they all, I say, 77 00:04:26.040 --> 00:04:31.079 Atlantic City raised me and then Pleasantville groomed me. They 78 00:04:31.079 --> 00:04:33.959 both groomed me, but they did two different things. And 79 00:04:34.079 --> 00:04:37.160 also Atlantic City and Pleasantville growing up and still to 80 00:04:37.160 --> 00:04:38.879 this day, but not as much as it was when 81 00:04:38.920 --> 00:04:39.480 I was growing up. 82 00:04:39.480 --> 00:04:43.480 They were rival cities. You have rival cities and stuff 83 00:04:43.519 --> 00:04:43.800 like that. 84 00:04:43.839 --> 00:04:47.879 Where in town will play Atlantic City would play Pleasantville football, 85 00:04:48.000 --> 00:04:53.199 whatever sports, and they're just clashing and people having fake beef, 86 00:04:53.279 --> 00:04:57.079 so whatever you want to call it, Yes, it was 87 00:04:57.120 --> 00:04:59.959 always rival city. So I remember when I was younger, 88 00:05:00.199 --> 00:05:03.079 when we were about to move to Pleasantville. 89 00:05:03.959 --> 00:05:07.279 I remember crying like, I don't want to move to Pleasantville. 90 00:05:07.279 --> 00:05:10.639 I don't want to move. I hated all of this stuff. 91 00:05:10.680 --> 00:05:13.480 It was funny, but as I got older as I'm 92 00:05:13.480 --> 00:05:15.040 doing now, I look back and laugh. 93 00:05:14.879 --> 00:05:17.600 Like, what are you doing? Why were you going? Yeah? 94 00:05:17.680 --> 00:05:19.480 Yeah, but I was. 95 00:05:19.480 --> 00:05:21.439 So attached to Atlantic City, That's my town. 96 00:05:21.600 --> 00:05:24.560 But again, as I've gotten older and growing on mature 97 00:05:24.600 --> 00:05:28.040 and stuff, Atlantic City and Pleville have shaped to reek 98 00:05:28.759 --> 00:05:31.560 to be the person that I am today, just based 99 00:05:31.639 --> 00:05:37.879 upon our language, how we speak. Some of our and 100 00:05:37.920 --> 00:05:41.199 a lot of us will use some terms like from 101 00:05:41.399 --> 00:05:43.839 Philly because Philly is right there, so you might hear 102 00:05:44.480 --> 00:05:49.399 a ball some slang and stuff like that or whatnot. 103 00:05:49.480 --> 00:05:52.399 So it's all shaped me to be who I am today, so. 104 00:05:52.759 --> 00:05:58.360 Absolutely and so kind of dialing into that poetry, I mean, 105 00:05:58.560 --> 00:06:01.600 so you're writing, I mean it kind of sits at 106 00:06:01.600 --> 00:06:05.319 that intersection I believe of artistry as well as healing. 107 00:06:05.959 --> 00:06:07.800 I mean, and you know, as you kind of you know, 108 00:06:07.879 --> 00:06:10.519 you have these two careers. I guess people may not 109 00:06:10.600 --> 00:06:13.639 see them as similar social work as well as poet, 110 00:06:14.000 --> 00:06:17.319 but they do kind of converge into one, right, you know, 111 00:06:18.199 --> 00:06:20.720 tell me, how do you see poetry functioning almost as 112 00:06:20.720 --> 00:06:22.000 a form of social work. 113 00:06:23.240 --> 00:06:27.759 Social work is healing work, to be honest, and you know, 114 00:06:27.800 --> 00:06:31.040 you got to have empathy to be able to be 115 00:06:31.160 --> 00:06:36.639 in the field of social work, right. So poetry is 116 00:06:36.680 --> 00:06:40.040 a form of expression, and I've always expressed myself since 117 00:06:40.079 --> 00:06:43.519 I was younger, and I've always helped since i was younger. 118 00:06:43.600 --> 00:06:47.639 As I previously mentioned, just being grounded in my household 119 00:06:47.680 --> 00:06:51.040 with all of these siblings, and I'm being the second oldest, 120 00:06:51.240 --> 00:06:53.560 more like the oldest, because my oldest brother has several 121 00:06:53.600 --> 00:06:56.519 balls and autism. I was just kind of grounded and 122 00:06:56.680 --> 00:07:00.920 just helping raise him along with my the siblings. And 123 00:07:01.759 --> 00:07:05.480 that's kind of where the foundation of me being in 124 00:07:05.560 --> 00:07:09.399 social work started, just empathizing with my brother, not knowing 125 00:07:09.439 --> 00:07:12.160 what cerebral pause and autism was when I was a kid, 126 00:07:12.360 --> 00:07:17.040 just being tasked the responsibility of just helping raise. 127 00:07:16.839 --> 00:07:18.439 Him, you know what I mean, and. 128 00:07:19.839 --> 00:07:25.199 Also while doing that, having my own challenges and emotions 129 00:07:25.240 --> 00:07:28.759 and things like that, just finding a way to express myself. 130 00:07:28.800 --> 00:07:33.439 And I leaned on a notebook in a pins or pen, 131 00:07:34.000 --> 00:07:36.160 and I would just use I used to just write 132 00:07:36.199 --> 00:07:38.600 my emotions and my feelings out, and that kind of 133 00:07:38.600 --> 00:07:41.680 blossomed over the years into all of the works that 134 00:07:41.720 --> 00:07:47.959 I've wound up creating. So social work ultimately is my 135 00:07:48.160 --> 00:07:52.360 foundation from just when I was growing up and Obviously 136 00:07:52.399 --> 00:07:55.279 social work is empathizing and doing work that are that 137 00:07:55.439 --> 00:07:59.600 is healing. But I also look at it as for 138 00:07:59.839 --> 00:08:02.199 as a form of just expression, you know what I mean, 139 00:08:02.399 --> 00:08:03.240 just being able. 140 00:08:03.000 --> 00:08:04.079 To express yourself. 141 00:08:05.399 --> 00:08:09.279 The art, the art in poetry, it's just a form 142 00:08:09.360 --> 00:08:14.680 of just expressing yourself and so many other healing things 143 00:08:14.720 --> 00:08:19.319 and whatnot. But yeah, yeah, it emerged beautifully and seamlessly, 144 00:08:19.439 --> 00:08:19.720 to be. 145 00:08:19.720 --> 00:08:23.079 Honest, absolutely, So tell me when did you kind of 146 00:08:23.120 --> 00:08:26.120 discover this? When did you discover poetry was in you 147 00:08:26.680 --> 00:08:29.279 or in your kind of in your blood almost When 148 00:08:29.399 --> 00:08:32.360 was that discovery for you? Was it in in that 149 00:08:32.519 --> 00:08:35.639 childhood or was it more so as you grew grew 150 00:08:35.639 --> 00:08:37.759 as an adult. Where would you say that moment where 151 00:08:37.799 --> 00:08:40.720 you knew writing was something you wanted to pursue. 152 00:08:41.960 --> 00:08:45.759 So I would write, as I mentioned, I would write 153 00:08:45.799 --> 00:08:49.159 when I would like some small things like I was younger, 154 00:08:49.240 --> 00:08:52.679 like I would write about girls or whatever like that, 155 00:08:52.919 --> 00:08:56.840 and sometimes, like my feelings would be heard about something, 156 00:08:56.919 --> 00:09:00.360 I would just write it out. But I never really 157 00:09:01.320 --> 00:09:03.600 thought of any I never thought anything of it. I 158 00:09:03.639 --> 00:09:05.919 was just writing, you know what I mean, but expressing 159 00:09:05.960 --> 00:09:09.879 myself along the way because I didn't necessarily go to 160 00:09:09.960 --> 00:09:13.000 anyone to kind of express myself. I went to my 161 00:09:13.159 --> 00:09:19.039 journal and my notebook. But I discovered that I would 162 00:09:19.120 --> 00:09:22.320 write when I got to college, when I went to 163 00:09:22.360 --> 00:09:27.759 Seat Hall here in New Jersey, in undergrad and all 164 00:09:27.759 --> 00:09:31.240 of the challenges and hardships and things that I've been 165 00:09:31.279 --> 00:09:35.879 through throughout my lifetime at that point, I always was. 166 00:09:35.960 --> 00:09:37.720 I was saying at that point, like, I'm gonna write 167 00:09:37.759 --> 00:09:39.720 my story one day. I'm gonna write my story one day, 168 00:09:39.799 --> 00:09:41.600 like I have something to say. I think it'd be 169 00:09:41.639 --> 00:09:46.159 inspiring and motivating and encouraging for people, you know what 170 00:09:46.200 --> 00:09:51.120 I mean. And I was just like, okay. And I 171 00:09:51.200 --> 00:09:53.960 wound up having to do an extra semester because I 172 00:09:54.039 --> 00:09:57.080 was boll crapping in college and not knowing what I 173 00:09:57.120 --> 00:10:00.799 wanted to do and all of these other things. And 174 00:10:01.000 --> 00:10:04.440 I had to do an extra semester so that I could, 175 00:10:05.159 --> 00:10:08.919 you know, finish up. But I finished up, and then 176 00:10:10.679 --> 00:10:14.879 commencement wasn't. I had a whole nother semester before commencement, 177 00:10:14.960 --> 00:10:18.919 so I had time in between the actual graduation ceremony 178 00:10:19.440 --> 00:10:24.320 and between that time. During that time, I didn't have 179 00:10:24.360 --> 00:10:26.279 no job. I had nothing, and I was just trying 180 00:10:26.320 --> 00:10:28.759 to figure out what I wanted to do next. So 181 00:10:29.000 --> 00:10:35.679 my boy now brother, he had family in Saint Croix 182 00:10:35.720 --> 00:10:39.120 in a Virgin Islands, and he said he actually did 183 00:10:39.159 --> 00:10:41.120 the extra semester with me. So he said he was 184 00:10:41.159 --> 00:10:42.679 going to go over the Saint Croi in the Virgin 185 00:10:42.720 --> 00:10:45.200 islist so he can figure out what his next move 186 00:10:45.320 --> 00:10:47.399 is going to be. So at that time, when he 187 00:10:47.440 --> 00:10:50.600 first presented it to me, I was just like, more 188 00:10:50.679 --> 00:10:54.559 power to you, kudos, shout out to you, do your thing. 189 00:10:54.759 --> 00:10:57.519 I love you, I pray for you, et cetera. And 190 00:10:57.559 --> 00:10:59.799 then fast forward, make a long story short. I wound up, 191 00:11:00.080 --> 00:11:01.720 you know, having a change of heart and I went 192 00:11:02.360 --> 00:11:07.480 And that was the most life changing decision I made 193 00:11:07.519 --> 00:11:08.039 in my life. 194 00:11:08.679 --> 00:11:11.600 While I was there, I was reading it was like 195 00:11:12.320 --> 00:11:14.519 Malcolm Xi's trip to Mecca. 196 00:11:15.000 --> 00:11:17.799 Like it was like a reawakening or an awakening for me, 197 00:11:18.000 --> 00:11:21.639 Like I started to find out who to reak was, 198 00:11:21.960 --> 00:11:24.639 you know what I mean? At that point, and I 199 00:11:24.759 --> 00:11:30.639 was reading and writing and creating and applying to schools 200 00:11:30.679 --> 00:11:33.440 and doing all of these different things. And that's when 201 00:11:33.480 --> 00:11:37.440 I really really started diving deep into my poetry. At 202 00:11:37.440 --> 00:11:40.200 that point, I was just writing and creating and doing 203 00:11:40.240 --> 00:11:44.519 this and writing a script and writing about writing my 204 00:11:44.600 --> 00:11:47.399 poetry and where I was in my life and all 205 00:11:47.440 --> 00:11:50.080 of these different things, and it really started coming out 206 00:11:50.159 --> 00:11:50.879 during that time. 207 00:11:51.000 --> 00:11:52.559 So yeah, that's. 208 00:11:52.360 --> 00:11:55.600 When I really started, and I think not I think 209 00:11:55.679 --> 00:11:57.600 I know for a fact, it was because I started 210 00:11:57.639 --> 00:12:01.120 to really understand my purpose and where I was headed. 211 00:12:01.480 --> 00:12:03.679 I didn't quite get it at that point, but I 212 00:12:04.360 --> 00:12:06.919 was just starting to scratch the surface, like, Okay, I 213 00:12:06.960 --> 00:12:08.360 know what God is telling me, you know. 214 00:12:08.919 --> 00:12:11.759 Yeah, I mean, how important do you think those types 215 00:12:11.799 --> 00:12:14.720 of like you said, I mean, it's like a pilgrimage 216 00:12:14.759 --> 00:12:17.600 almost like your Malcolm X took a pilgrimage to Mecca 217 00:12:17.759 --> 00:12:20.600 and came back very a bit of a different person. 218 00:12:21.039 --> 00:12:24.720 How important for you personally is it to take maybe 219 00:12:24.799 --> 00:12:29.159 those I guess maybe almost those bodily breaks. Do you 220 00:12:29.200 --> 00:12:31.919 still find yourself taking those same exact breaks to maybe 221 00:12:32.000 --> 00:12:33.799 find that same inspiration again. 222 00:12:34.039 --> 00:12:36.240 Well, first off, it's super important. 223 00:12:36.639 --> 00:12:41.919 But with how everybody's life is set up. Yeah, people 224 00:12:41.960 --> 00:12:44.799 got kids, jobs, different things like that. I didn't have 225 00:12:45.039 --> 00:12:47.039 anything at that but I just had a girlfriend at 226 00:12:47.039 --> 00:12:50.360 the time, no disrespect, but I had a garling at 227 00:12:50.360 --> 00:12:52.600 the time, so I had a little more and she 228 00:12:52.679 --> 00:12:55.200 encouraged me to go too, so that was also helpful. 229 00:12:55.240 --> 00:12:59.200 But the way people's lives are set up, it's difficult 230 00:12:59.279 --> 00:13:03.080 to do it. But with how my life has shaped 231 00:13:03.080 --> 00:13:06.559 out to be, like, it's super necessary, it really is, 232 00:13:06.679 --> 00:13:10.399 like and people might not have that, Like I was 233 00:13:10.440 --> 00:13:12.879 away for about two and a half months, just I 234 00:13:13.039 --> 00:13:15.799 just left, you know what I mean. Everybody doesn't have 235 00:13:15.919 --> 00:13:20.120 the opportunity to do that, you know, but it is necessary. 236 00:13:20.360 --> 00:13:22.799 It is very necessary because we got to take care 237 00:13:22.840 --> 00:13:26.399 of ourselves. And before I went, I was lost, like 238 00:13:26.440 --> 00:13:29.240 I had Like I don't want to say I had nothing, 239 00:13:29.279 --> 00:13:31.559 but practically nothing. I didn't know what I wanted to 240 00:13:31.600 --> 00:13:34.919 do with myself. I just finished with all of my 241 00:13:35.039 --> 00:13:37.759 credits and everything for undergrad and I hadn't I didn't 242 00:13:37.799 --> 00:13:39.600 know what I was lost. 243 00:13:39.759 --> 00:13:43.200 You know what I mean. So just back to your question, though, 244 00:13:43.240 --> 00:13:47.200 it's super super important, super necessary, and at this point 245 00:13:47.200 --> 00:13:49.519 in my life, I still take those times to uh 246 00:13:49.759 --> 00:13:50.639 and I have three. 247 00:13:50.559 --> 00:13:54.840 Kids and a wife now, so I can't just say, 248 00:13:55.000 --> 00:13:57.960 all right, I'm out, I'm gonna go. 249 00:13:57.919 --> 00:14:00.000 To Virgin Islands for a few months. 250 00:14:00.240 --> 00:14:03.000 No, I can't do that, but there are spent Like 251 00:14:03.039 --> 00:14:06.759 you have meditation, you know you have therapy. You know, 252 00:14:07.000 --> 00:14:09.519 for me, I create, but I take my time and 253 00:14:09.799 --> 00:14:11.559 I take my time in space to be able to 254 00:14:11.600 --> 00:14:14.600 do those things so that I could create all of 255 00:14:14.600 --> 00:14:15.600 these things that I do. 256 00:14:15.720 --> 00:14:20.000 So it's super necessary, you know, making sure that you 257 00:14:20.080 --> 00:14:21.360 make yourself a priority. 258 00:14:21.639 --> 00:14:24.000 And that's ultimately what I did when I went away 259 00:14:24.039 --> 00:14:27.399 to Saint Croi's. I made myself the priority so that 260 00:14:27.480 --> 00:14:29.799 I can take care of myself, and so many beautiful 261 00:14:29.840 --> 00:14:30.639 things came from it. 262 00:14:30.960 --> 00:14:32.039 And that's the same thing. 263 00:14:31.919 --> 00:14:34.519 That I've done now that I'm doing now and how 264 00:14:34.559 --> 00:14:36.720 I've can how I've come to create the things that 265 00:14:36.759 --> 00:14:37.759 I've created. 266 00:14:37.399 --> 00:14:41.600 So absolutely and speaking of I mean beautiful things being 267 00:14:41.639 --> 00:14:47.480 created by beautiful, amazing people. Nikki Giovanni praised your ability 268 00:14:47.519 --> 00:14:51.600 to capture both the universal and the deeply personal. Well, 269 00:14:51.639 --> 00:14:54.320 first and foremost, tell me how did that come about? 270 00:14:54.399 --> 00:14:55.159 Did you to me? 271 00:14:55.559 --> 00:14:55.720 How? 272 00:14:55.799 --> 00:14:58.840 Tell us how the story behind her giving you that? 273 00:14:58.919 --> 00:15:00.480 I mean that amazing raise. 274 00:15:00.320 --> 00:15:00.879 On your work. 275 00:15:01.440 --> 00:15:06.279 Yeah, first and foremost resting piece, Niggi, the great Missus 276 00:15:06.360 --> 00:15:10.960 Nigga Giovanni, rest in peace. So I never got the 277 00:15:11.000 --> 00:15:14.000 honor of meeting her in person or whatnot, but we 278 00:15:14.000 --> 00:15:17.039 were able to exchange through exchange emails and. 279 00:15:17.000 --> 00:15:18.279 Contact and stuff like that. 280 00:15:19.559 --> 00:15:22.240 But with my poetry book, I was just everything I 281 00:15:22.279 --> 00:15:25.759 do is independent, So I google this trying to figure 282 00:15:25.799 --> 00:15:29.080 that out. I wish we had chat, GPT and time 283 00:15:30.559 --> 00:15:33.639 to reach her sooner, but I've went through all of 284 00:15:33.639 --> 00:15:36.440 these loopholes just trying to figure out how to reach 285 00:15:36.480 --> 00:15:38.519 her and so many other people. And I was just 286 00:15:38.559 --> 00:15:41.559 trying to get blurbed for my poetry book at the time, 287 00:15:42.120 --> 00:15:45.159 and she wound up reaching back out to me and 288 00:15:45.320 --> 00:15:48.320 you know, looked at my work and everything, and she. 289 00:15:48.759 --> 00:15:50.519 Gave me that beautiful blurb that. 290 00:15:50.799 --> 00:15:54.279 Well, somebody gave me a beautiful idea to put the quote, 291 00:15:54.320 --> 00:15:56.240 not the entire quote, but some of the quote on 292 00:15:56.480 --> 00:15:59.480 the hoodie on a hoodie for the merch that I'm 293 00:15:59.480 --> 00:16:04.279 selling with a new project. So big, big love and 294 00:16:04.399 --> 00:16:08.320 respect to miss Nikki Jiovanni. She she means and she 295 00:16:08.480 --> 00:16:12.240 meant to me so much, to not just authors and 296 00:16:12.279 --> 00:16:14.919 poets and things like that, but just people in general. 297 00:16:15.039 --> 00:16:16.279 You know, she meant so much. 298 00:16:16.840 --> 00:16:18.799 Yeah, I mean, tell me more. 299 00:16:18.799 --> 00:16:21.279 I mean, what does it mean when someone I mean, 300 00:16:21.360 --> 00:16:26.720 such a great literary giant, someone of such gravity gravity? 301 00:16:27.120 --> 00:16:29.159 What does it mean when you hear someone like her 302 00:16:29.279 --> 00:16:31.879 praise your work like that to you personally on a 303 00:16:31.879 --> 00:16:32.639 personal level. 304 00:16:33.200 --> 00:16:35.759 On a personal level, it just tells me that I'm 305 00:16:35.759 --> 00:16:38.200 doing the right things. You know, I'm headed in the 306 00:16:38.279 --> 00:16:42.399 right direction. My voice matters. 307 00:16:42.559 --> 00:16:42.759 You know. 308 00:16:42.840 --> 00:16:46.200 Sometimes we do these things and podcasts and things like 309 00:16:46.240 --> 00:16:50.919 that and we think, you know, sometimes we question ourselves 310 00:16:50.960 --> 00:16:52.720 like am I you know, am I doing this right? 311 00:16:52.840 --> 00:16:55.480 Or about this the right way and stuff like that. 312 00:16:55.559 --> 00:16:58.840 But when you get you know, nas like that, it's like, okay, 313 00:16:59.759 --> 00:17:01.000 I'm I'm doing something. 314 00:17:01.519 --> 00:17:03.000 Yeah, yeah, I'm. 315 00:17:02.799 --> 00:17:04.440 Doing something right, you know what I mean. 316 00:17:04.559 --> 00:17:07.119 And just that that nod from her lets me know, 317 00:17:07.279 --> 00:17:10.880 like all right, and that reassurance of I guess of 318 00:17:10.960 --> 00:17:13.559 it being on the hoodie. I think that will also 319 00:17:13.720 --> 00:17:16.440 like be like okay, you know, that's a reminder like 320 00:17:16.440 --> 00:17:18.880 all right, you know, you don't have all the things 321 00:17:18.920 --> 00:17:20.640 that you want, you're not doing all that, You're not 322 00:17:20.680 --> 00:17:22.519 in the space that you want to be right now. 323 00:17:22.599 --> 00:17:25.960 But miss Nikki Giovanni gave you the nod, so keep going. 324 00:17:26.000 --> 00:17:26.960 You're doing the right thing. 325 00:17:27.119 --> 00:17:31.319 So absolutely absolutely now moving along a bit so your 326 00:17:31.359 --> 00:17:34.720 memoir it's called a diamond in God's dirt. It's a 327 00:17:34.799 --> 00:17:40.400 powerful I feel almost spiritual title what I mean, tell 328 00:17:40.480 --> 00:17:42.640 us where did that come from? And I guess when I. 329 00:17:42.559 --> 00:17:44.720 Hear a diamond in God's dirt. 330 00:17:45.119 --> 00:17:47.920 I'm thinking, what dirt did you have to kind of 331 00:17:47.920 --> 00:17:49.839 dig through to find your own diamond? 332 00:17:49.880 --> 00:17:50.720 Tell me a bit about that. 333 00:17:54.319 --> 00:17:57.200 You know what I mean. It's dirt, but it's God's dirt, 334 00:17:57.240 --> 00:17:59.440 so you gotta dust the dirt off. And you know 335 00:17:59.599 --> 00:18:01.599 I'm the god dust it all. 336 00:18:01.759 --> 00:18:06.559 But I'm a huge Kendrick Lamar fan. So one of 337 00:18:06.559 --> 00:18:11.920 his songs, his lyrics like He's a diamond in guy's dirt. 338 00:18:13.200 --> 00:18:15.519 I just kind of took it to be honest, and 339 00:18:15.599 --> 00:18:20.160 I use it as mine and created, you know, my autobiography, 340 00:18:22.400 --> 00:18:24.720 And I mean the meaning behind it is kind of 341 00:18:24.720 --> 00:18:27.839 self explanatory. Is just like, you know, the dirt is 342 00:18:27.880 --> 00:18:31.079 me going through me being dirty from all of the 343 00:18:31.119 --> 00:18:34.599 hardships and challenges and everything that I've dealt with throughout 344 00:18:34.640 --> 00:18:38.039 my lifetime. But even though I have dirt and all 345 00:18:38.039 --> 00:18:40.799 of these things on me, I'm still a diamond and 346 00:18:40.960 --> 00:18:44.440 God is working on me shining the diamond off, shining 347 00:18:44.480 --> 00:18:46.400 the dirt off of the diamond so that I can 348 00:18:47.119 --> 00:18:49.480 be the best version of myself. And I can shine 349 00:18:49.599 --> 00:18:52.680 or help shine God's light on other people. So it's 350 00:18:52.759 --> 00:18:53.519 very spiritual. 351 00:18:54.000 --> 00:18:56.880 And when you see the cover, the cover is actually 352 00:18:56.880 --> 00:18:59.480 my mom's hand and my dad's hand. My uncle actually 353 00:18:59.480 --> 00:19:04.759 created the artwork and that's my mom's actual hand, and 354 00:19:04.799 --> 00:19:07.599 my dad took a picture and then he like drew it. It 355 00:19:07.680 --> 00:19:08.680 was beautiful. 356 00:19:10.720 --> 00:19:12.559 And then it's like milk and honey, which is in 357 00:19:12.599 --> 00:19:15.519 the Bible, spilled into the diamond, which created the diamond, 358 00:19:15.559 --> 00:19:16.079 which is me. 359 00:19:16.200 --> 00:19:19.519 So it means that artwork means a lot to me. 360 00:19:19.640 --> 00:19:21.200 It means everything to me because that's. 361 00:19:21.079 --> 00:19:23.839 My parents molding me to be the person I am, 362 00:19:23.920 --> 00:19:27.680 but also again against God creating them to create me, 363 00:19:27.880 --> 00:19:30.839 and then all of those other spiritud things and connections. 364 00:19:30.839 --> 00:19:32.920 So yes, well, I mean, what was the biggest thing 365 00:19:32.960 --> 00:19:35.079 you learned about yourself and writing that memoir? 366 00:19:35.920 --> 00:19:38.920 Oh me the wine. 367 00:19:40.279 --> 00:19:44.279 At that time, man, I was able to overcome a 368 00:19:44.319 --> 00:19:46.440 whole lot that I didn't think I'd be able to 369 00:19:47.000 --> 00:19:50.839 persevere through. And going back to the title of diamond 370 00:19:50.839 --> 00:19:54.880 and God's dirt, it wasn't me that got to that point. 371 00:19:54.920 --> 00:19:56.240 It was God that willed me. 372 00:19:57.279 --> 00:20:00.880 To putting that project together, will me through life to 373 00:20:00.920 --> 00:20:03.839 be able to create a project like that, but just 374 00:20:03.920 --> 00:20:07.720 me having allowing God to work through me to be 375 00:20:07.759 --> 00:20:13.119 able to create such an important body and work, and 376 00:20:14.519 --> 00:20:17.039 I was able to do so many different things with 377 00:20:17.240 --> 00:20:20.240 that body, Like I went to buzz boys and poets. 378 00:20:22.000 --> 00:20:25.559 And just some poetry and met so many people. 379 00:20:25.359 --> 00:20:29.759 And that what to answer your question, I started coming 380 00:20:29.759 --> 00:20:32.200 into my own I realized like, Okay, this is this 381 00:20:32.240 --> 00:20:33.799 is what it is, this is what I'm going to do. 382 00:20:34.079 --> 00:20:37.519 And it wasn't just about me just because I love 383 00:20:37.599 --> 00:20:41.799 the process of creating and putting something beautiful together, but 384 00:20:41.839 --> 00:20:45.039 once it starts connecting, it's like, Okay, I'm doing this 385 00:20:45.119 --> 00:20:47.319 is this is the real work right here, and I'm 386 00:20:47.319 --> 00:20:50.160 starting to connect with people with the messaging and things 387 00:20:50.160 --> 00:20:54.559 that I the things that I'm writing about. So just 388 00:20:54.599 --> 00:20:59.680 realizing that what I'm creating is actually connecting and I'm 389 00:20:59.720 --> 00:21:02.440 doing the work that God wants me to do. 390 00:21:03.200 --> 00:21:03.880 Absolutely. 391 00:21:04.599 --> 00:21:07.240 Now tell me, kind of speaking more of your work, 392 00:21:07.279 --> 00:21:09.680 what's so unique about it is? You know, you fuse 393 00:21:09.720 --> 00:21:12.839 a lot of jazz, hip hop and spoken word together. 394 00:21:13.400 --> 00:21:16.559 I mean, what do you think specifically. 395 00:21:15.920 --> 00:21:19.440 Those genres again, jazz, hip hop, spoken word, what do 396 00:21:19.480 --> 00:21:21.920 you think they allow you to say or feel maybe 397 00:21:21.960 --> 00:21:25.119 that traditional poetry just cannot. 398 00:21:25.400 --> 00:21:29.200 Allows me to express myself, and however I want to 399 00:21:29.240 --> 00:21:34.240 express myself, you know what I mean. You know, I'm 400 00:21:34.279 --> 00:21:36.000 able to talk a little bit on it and be 401 00:21:36.400 --> 00:21:39.519