Off The Record: Because of this I did that..

"... She was forced to kick me out, no doubt

Then I figured out Nick's went for $20 down souf.. " - B.I.G

I was the oldest.. and growing up my pops always told me to look after my family. He instilled that in house. "Watch over your mother, brother, and sister.. especially the women in the family" he would always say that. It was "family" "family" "family" to him.. Until one day, I came home and my mother had a black eye. I lost it... This whole time this nigga pumping this family shit and he the one hurting the family... My moms was crying, I couldn't take it. I broke out and went to my man crib. My man Power. Power used to walk around with the tech in his coat in the winter. I get over there I'm flipping. He like "nigga what you wanna do?".. I take the joint from him, he teach me how to stuff it in my coat under the arm pit and we go outside. We go to the corner store and get a couple 40s of St.Ive's. That was our shit back then. We was on 115 and 7th downing them shits. I'm still heated so I went and got another one.. downed that shit. Then me and Power walked back up the block to my house. I knew my Pops was home because it was getting late... We walked in the house and that nigga was sitting in the back on the couch in front of the TV. We walked pass my mother room she was just sitting there on the bed, quiet. I didn't say nothing just walked right passed her.

I get to the back.. and I pull out the joint... I'm barking on this nigga. I'm talking this family this, family that shit.. I'm crying, yelling, spazzing... but I didn't aim at him. I knew if I did I would've shot'em. I told that nigga get his shit and don't come back in here.. I ain't see him for years after that..

After that shit happen with my moms and my pops. My moms packed us all up and we moved to PA to go live with our cousins and shit.. That's when they went to school out there.. I was out there one day nigga, I left. Came back here. And now I gotta pay rent. Gotta pay bills. Nigga I ain't know nofin bout that shit. I was 18! literally I was 18.. I ain't turn 19 till that October. I was here by myself. Then the fuckin lights got cut off.

Then that winter.. that winter came.. it was turning into to Ninnnty6.. 96' and umm.. my man Smoke. Smoke Diddy, that nigga gave me some work cause he was getting back down with somebody.. he gave me some work. Fiends complained about it, but he did somthin a lot of niggas ain't neva do for me... He gave me something where I could get some money.. know what I'm saying? From there, me and that nigga got down together and... that's how I wound up going down souf. And that shit was a whole different world down there nigga! Where you was at? Souf Carolina. Like when when, that nigga BIG said nigga "Nickels was going for 20 dollas down souf" that shit was real.. that shit was real shit man. Nickels from New York was goin for 20 dollas down souf nigga.

We was hustlin out the yard. In a sense it was a trap house. What niggas would call that shit today. But it was that nigga granfava house.. his family really lived there. But we wasn't hustlin in the house, niggas was hustlin in the yard. Fiends would walk in the yard and get served.. Shit was different down there man.. Police couldn't just walk up on your property down there. They need calls, warrants, shit like that to come on people property. Word up. And nig I found that out.. nigga I had a cookie in my pocket. I think a cookie down there was like.. mighta been a ounce. I think a cookie mighta been a ounce. But them niggas down there was giving out somthin crazy like 10 years for every rock. The time they was givin nigga was something crazy.. especially out of state niggas. They was clipping niggas man..

But anyway.. somethin happen. I'm washing the nigga grandfava car.. like right at the border of the yard. It was parked right in front the house. I'm washing the car but I happen to be on the inside, to where like if I just step back.. I'm in the yard. But anyway.. I washing the nigga grandfava car and police come flying in, nigga hit the breaks dumb hard right in front of us. I'm lookin like oh shit!.. nigga! I got a cookie in my pocket, lol. I'm like what the fuck happen? Cop hops out like "BOY!!! You ran like a bat outta hell!" And the nigga looking at me!.. he got out the car. He pointing like "Boy you ran like a bat outta hell". I'm like ran? You talking to me? He like "Yea, you just ran from the corner!" But the nigga grandfava was sittin on the porch. He right behind me... He like "Leave that boy alone! he ain't run from no corner he been in this yard all day!" I drops the cookie and kicks it under the car, right.. The grandfava like "back up, boy back up!" That's what the nigga called me "Boy back up!"...I backs up.. he like "That boy been in this yard all day.... leave'em alone!" Cop was like "Awlright but Ima see him again" the cop got in the car and left nigga!.. After that, I stayed for like a month and got up outta there. They wanted to lock anybody up.. for anything.. didn't matter. They just wanted another nigger.

Written by a Troubled Youth

We all have a story, whether good or bad.. there's a story to tell. Off The Record is that . It's an ongoing article where I've gone to my neighborhood and interviewed all of the retired street guys, that left the game alone.. They were filled with stories. Stories that they never told or felt like they could ever tell.. These are true stories. These are the stories of the men and women from neighborhoods like mine, across the country. Enjoy.