What a difference a year makes... When I first started this blog, my focal point was to do one blog a month and focus on one person a month specifically. The first person I chose to write about was my best friend Jaquan who tried to kill himself. What initially was supposed to be one … Continue reading 2020
In Gage We Trust
Its our Rule #2... About a year or so ago, I met a man. He was tall and burly. He laughed a lot, had a huge red beard, and tried to sell me video games. He was different than I was in almost every way, vegan, didn't like to swear, he bad mouthed Grubhub. In … Continue reading In Gage We Trust
The Last of the G’s
"A lion remains a lion until it's dead..." If you follow me on Facebook, I always talk about growing up around gangsters. How I watched them move, watched them hustle, watched them fight, and watch them try to survive. Over the years, the life of a gangster, once gloried by rappers like 2pac and The … Continue reading The Last of the G’s
Finding Faith
When you are lost, truly lost, he'll find you... Liquor, drugs, guns, violence. These are the things I grew up around. These are the things the Bronx provided. I know the Bronx. I know the game, the players, and sadly, I know the results. Dead or in jail is way more common than famous rapper … Continue reading Finding Faith
Franklin’s Star
Maybe we never will... Anthony Toulson was the best basketball player I had ever watched in person. We grew up together on Franklin Ave in the Bronx. At the age 12, he was already being picked to play with the older guys on their teams for basketball, while the rest of us, including myself, had … Continue reading Franklin’s Star
Maribeth
Like any other day... Yesterday.. a woman was walking into where I work (she worked there too), had a heart attack, fell in the parking lot, and died. She was 54. Now at first it didn’t effect me any (if at all) because although I’ve seen her around, we had never met, never spoke, never … Continue reading Maribeth
Forgotten Freshness
"Whats Up My Man?!..." I moved to the Capital Region from New York City in 2012. When I first got here, there wasn’t much to do. I’d go to the basketball courts, I practiced how to drive in empty lots at night, I’d write as much as I could. But besides restaurants, malls, and movies, … Continue reading Forgotten Freshness
Proudly Pourcher
Part 1: The Best Of Us Before HP, the only other person on this earth who knew everything about me was my little sister. All the things that can make me laugh and all the things that can enrage me, Pourcher knows. Growing up she knew exactly what to do to push my buttons and … Continue reading Proudly Pourcher
The Path of a Hustler 2/2
Part 2: Artistry I know Chris. His family and closest friends, they too all know Chris. Chris is smart, he's funny, he's witty, and laid back. He's giving if you need it, and cares about things you wouldn't expect. But then theres another side of Chris. Kris Byrd is the persona and stage name of … Continue reading The Path of a Hustler 2/2
The Path of a Hustler 1/2
Part 1: Chosen Theres always that one person in your circle of friends with the biggest dreams. No matter how crazy or ridiculous the dream may seem to us, they will never give up the chase. They will do whatever they have to do to reach their goal and make their dream a reality, or … Continue reading The Path of a Hustler 1/2