i stayed here in 2004 

mujeres 

it's been a long time....

what it do mi gente-

my profuse apologies to anyone if they still check me out. i've been on the grind the past month, running around, teaching, rhyming, performing, inspiring, and being inspired. right now i'm in my school's computer lab, watching my freshmen do research on james baldwin and the civil right era. it is a beautiful thing indeed.

so what it been like? sheeet, i went to Puerto Rico, fams. That was amazing incredible fascinating beyond remarkable all wrapped up in one. flew into Aguadilla, drove to Mayaguez, did a roundtable with Mariposa, Sandra Garcia Rivera, Tony Medina, Maria Arroyo, and Flaco Navaja. What an all star lineup. That show in Mayaguez felt like the peak of the prime, got the chance to open up with Where are My Boricuas? The last time I read that in PR was for the tertulia reading with tears in my eyes. This was tear the house down and resurrect it on some habitat for humanity. Shoutouts to mi gente en Mayaguez, when yall in the NYC hood, holla.
Next proceeded through the mountains of la isla, seeing the lush landscape. It was beautiful, island green all around me. we ended up being late for another roundtable in Rio Piedras, but we ran right into Mayra Santos, who showed nothing but love. We stayed en Centro de Estudios Avanzados but it was like a museum with a capillo adentro. the spirits were with us because we were blessed for our performance. Shoutouts to Gallego, Alexadra Pagan, Angel Matos and every other Puerto Rican poet that showed us such love. The next night we hiked en El Yunque and reached the torre. Felt like we were on top of the world, then two seconds later, the skies poured like I've never seen. For a minute to all the city rats, we were scared but after about another hour, we started hiking down. Si quiere lluvia, te vas pa' el Yunque. Unfortunately, the same day was Sept 23rd, 2005, the day of the assasination of Filiberto Ojeda Rios (descanse en paz) The isla was tense, and it really showed and exposed how colonial we are. All in all an amazing trip i hope to post some pictures here soon. Gotta jet and monitor these kids.

i'll be back (trust me)

cheers! the summer is gone...here comes 25. god bless me.....

the clock is ticking....24 is outta here! See Ya!!

What it is mi gente. Writing this with that last bit of 24 still left in me. This ride has been amazing. Who woulda thunk it? Your boy has been all over the place trying to learn what needs to be unlearned and recreated.

25 seems big. I cant even front. It’s like that time that I thought would never come but then sneaks up right behind you and smacks you in the face. Let’s see what I have done.

Been to like almost every spot in NYC. No lies. Well some hotter than others and times I shouldn’t have been there I was. Learned a lot from being around paranoid people. Makes me more focused on what I gotta do. This first statement is no way a priority. It just makes me bug when I think of some of the missions adventures cycles rituals that have happen and keep happening. Jah Bless Me everyday. Karma is wild out. Reflection and building sessions, lessons learnt, laughs, good things in the air, heart pacing fast moments, blackouts that never should happen again. Seen almost like every major event in my young adult growing mature life has coincided with the moments of temporary clarity that might cloud conviction but gives dimensions to your character.

Went to the motherland la tierra Puerto Rico twice and I’m going again in two weeks. I’m excited. I remember the first time I read Where are My Boricuas? There I teared up. Because I always wanted to go since that first time I read Down These Mean Streets and that Boricua Anthology. Remember the first time I touched the white sands of Ocean Park. Beautiful more banging than Orchard Beach Best. I was in heaven hearing the waves crash the shore bringing me back to where I need to return and recycle the spirits within. I need to learn Spanish. Need to get the colonizer off my tongue send him back to suburbia on the 5 train express at rush hour non stop for Andover. Shake that Colonialism out my bones and salsa to sundown and boogaloo to the breakadawn. I wish I could I wish I could.

Graduated from school. What the fuck. I went to school straight from 3 to 23 and learned a lot of useful knowledge and been miseducated on what it is I should become. What I lacked was the real world wisdom and vision to try to make something of all those lessons. Latino Studies and English. The legacy of Nuyorican literature from Piri to Mikey to Tato to Willie to Pun. The lyrical lineage of Slick Rick Rakim KRS One to Nas and Biggie. The short eyes paper. The hector lavoe paper. The Beloved Paper. Comparing Albizu to Munoz Marin. I’m sayin that shit ain’t even the half of where it’s at. Seeing how many of my own friends did not get that same shot opportunity of education and how it has affected their possibilities and it many ways limited them. It has never made them less of human beings. And that was the whole science at many of these places I’ve been lower miseducated at. The saltines wanted me to believe that I was a savage being saved from the wilderness on some Tarzan shit. But I can’t front. I got crazy chances to overachieve and succeed and I’m gracious and thankful for that. It wasn’t easy though. For real though.

Done my thing with the poetry. It has its ups downs highs lows and in betweens. I’ve rocked at the Nuyorican had people screaming for my words. Feels good going to many other places and representing Story Avenue always first. Def Poetry was flavor. Got the chance to meet people who inspired me in so many ways. Writing the book. Amazing process. Finished it this time last year. I remember I was feverishly trying to put the finishing touches on it bring it all together. A year later seems like its in the same place. I’m still grinding. Trying to do it. Balance life on one hand and dreams on the other.

Teaching is something I thought I’d be doing in the long term life sense like when I was a kid, but after 218, I thought it was a wrap. Thank God for the school that’s a church, El Puente Academy for Peace and Justice. I’ve found a sanctuary a quilombo where fellow revolutionaries are trying to change and help the world, one teenager at a time. It’s an amazing place and if I’ve been down on the poetry tip, everyday is a performance homey. To say your words is one thing, to get a child to understand be critical engage analyze and rethink is a powerful thing that no slam can ever ever capture. It’s taken me a while to negotiate that, but I’m comfortable with where I’m at. I’m trying to grow learn inspire love appreciate and be humble all at once.

It feels like just yesterday I was up in East Campus, crying my eyes out like holy shit, I;m about to turn 20. I went through like every single life moment in my mind, trying to just just on to them for a second more because I never thought I’d see that. So happy that the sun shined yet another on my face. Try to rub some sunshine your face everyday.

Ha! Here I am 5 years later and I have watched that young man, scared skinny simple yet trying to understand why he is who he is. His family. Knowing his parents as regular people, recognizing my ancestors sacrifice for me to be here, loving the life that has been given to be free with the chance to shape a new world better for our children and theirs them after and just keep it going. I need to remember everything that my family has forgotten because otherwise, What am I doing on this planet? What is the purpose of my existence? To be plugged into the matrix doing backflips for Satan hatin my complexion shape of my body and way of addressing humanity? I had to snap out back front jump climb crawl hustle jive flow freestyle fuck feel hope believe write reflect pray for each one of these precious few momentary breaths that the God blesses me with.

What is the meaning of this change this rebirth this renewal this opportunity? For me it is just that. I call em like I see it. I have to keep this thing moving and pass it on to other who can use it to make something else from this, because where we at right now is nowhere in comparison to where we need to be. Got to get up everyday. Each word has to have meaning. Each breath has a purpose kept inside. Real talk.

august is done...darn

what it is mi gente mi pana mi familia...

been on the low lately/the feds hate me...word up. tryin to live life before the summer is gone. then dear summer will be out of style. the yanks are trying to win trying to get back to the playoffs. hoping that we can do it.

september 11th is right around the corner. seems like just yesterday i was asleep and jamar wakes me up screaming the world is over. we have come so far and it has been 4 years of wars, terrorists, no wmd, mad conspiracies, and no end in sight. ..what you think the government is telling you the truth? when the gasoline to the monkey machine is the blood of our youth? i saw that national geographic crazy long documentary on 9/11(http://www.nationalgeographic.com/channel/inside911/).
when you start to do the research, our government had something to do with the deaths of thousands of Americans. the illuminati is extra real deal. check out some of the names of this thugged out crew (http://www.newamericancentury.org/)

check out these righteous sites:
http://www.graffiti.org/911/
www.september11news.com
www.prisonplanet.com
www.buzzflash.com
www.commondreams.org
www.michaelmoore.com
www.counterpunch.org
http://www.cooperativeresearch.org/
www.sohh.com
www.allhiphop.com
www.espn.com
www.insidehoops.com
www.undercoverent.com
www.zmag.org
www.nuyorico.com

holla at me folks...be coming at you soon with the puerto rico tour update...vaya en paz

what up i can make titles? cool....

luther vandross rip
if this world were mine house is not a home are classics......

props to my mama just went food shopping with her. fruit is incredible. i'm hooked on pina, manzana, melon, and clementines. fruit, pan con mantequilla and cafe con leche para desayuno.

shoutout to the baker/john family, up here for the weekend. trini food is great. roti, stew chicken, pahloori, and mofongo. sounds delightful.

about to take a siesta. will try to get the links up soon.

peace in the middle east