codes of conduct

Rule #1. Stay in yo lane and don't swerve in mine.

Rule #2. Only participate in things that are worth yo time.

Rule #3. Focus on yourself then worry bout the money.

Rule #4. Drop the friends that get around others and start to act funny.

Rule #5. Believe in something even if it's not God.

Rule #6. Never second guess yoself even if it feels odd.

Who

When you have no one to talk too, who do you call?

When you need a friend, who's there for you?

When your all alone who comforts you?

When your feeling down who picks you up?

When you need advice who talks to you ?

When your upset who calms you down?

You.

love hate

To love me is too hate me.

So how much do you love me?

Do you hate me so much that you can't stand to love me?

Or, do you love me so much that you can't stand to hate me?

I wonder,

daily decisions

Another shady mission everytime I hit the streets
I love my city but it get hella mainey up in the east

They kill and they steal and they show no defeat
but thats what you gotta do when yo mama gotta eat

Gotta pay the bills gotta bring food to the table
and by any means make sure yo family is stable

But at what cost think about the things that you lose
easy money or slow money which one you gone choose?

See the easy money too yea thats a nice route
might mess around and end buying a pretty nice house

But think about what you had to do just to get it
All the wrong decisions coming back, now you regret it
When you get the easy money you be ballin on a limit
You be thinking was it worth it doin wrong and sinnin
You can be what you want you ain't gotta tote the strap
But I understand in these streets you gotta watch yo back, but

The slow money is the best money
Set yoself to live lavish and invest money
turn a little bit into a lotta bit yea thats that blessed money
Never gotta worry bout buying a bullet proof vest money
Never stress money no contest money
Stay in yo lane ride yo wave get a check money
New boyfriend every week given you the neck money
everywhere you go you get all the respect money.

Is'nt that what its all about right?
Living good in the world without a doubt right.
Don't worry bout nothin yea thats about right
Do it for the money never for the clout right?

But then again what do it really it mean?
A thug or a lawyer or something in between,
A hoe or a house wife which one you gone turn into to
They only fake labels that the haters tend to give you
Aint nobody perfect cus I know I'm not
But I know I gotta do the right thing cus I only got one shot

On go

How you speaking on something that you don't know?

Talkin' down on my name that's a No No!

Where I'm from you will get shot like a photo.

All my hittas on go, yea they on go!

Tell me what you see

Look into my eyes, and tell me what you see
An awkward tomboy or crazy nerd chasing her college degree?

Can't I be both? Yes, no, maybe.
Or am I Merely just the image of what you think about lately?

 See I can be what I want, I can't be put in a box
And to those who think otherwise they can kick rocks

Yes, I'm a bit arrogant and at times I get angry
But the thing is, it doesn't take that long to tame me

There's struggle behind success, but some don't get the picture
Just like there's greed behind money, it's another hidden figure

But I work for mine....I earn every penny
Before I'm laid to rest I hope I've made plenty

There's a difference between existing and living
Living means you don't have a problem with giving
And existing means you have a problem with living

Honesty it's all about how you see yourself
I'm self paid and self made

I enjoy the wealth.

Dear dad

See Im blessed cuz my dad stuck around he's a one women man ain't no need to look around,

Him and moms didn't work out but it is what it is 

he handle his business and take care of his kids,

I'm the middle child but I'm still your baby 

you'll go to war with anybody if they ever do me shady, 

I'm lucky cus I got a king as a father,

and you lucky too you got a princess as a daughter,"

Not saying he perfect but he comes pretty close, 

and when they ask about my dad all I ever boast

You made yourself a boss without a college degree, I'm probably prouder of you more than you prouder of me

Anytime I needed something you were always there, 

even if I don't say it you know I always care

I look just like you that's why they call me little Sam, 

My Dad is the real definition of a man,

WE MATTER

               WE MATTER
                 
                     By Jada M.

             
               Nowadays it's really hard to be black
               all we do cross the street and then it's shots in our back 

               So this the land of the free and the home of the brave?
               But in this day we still treated like slaves,

               Like what's it gone take I don't where to begin,
               If they not shootin then they sendin us to the pin,
               How can you believe in god but committin this sin,
               They'll gun a black man before he ever get to win, 

               And please don't get me started on the black women
               we wear our hair natural and they tell that we sinnin 

               I'm just a young black queen and I'm low key
               just cus my skin dark don't mean you gotta smoke me 

               They say every cop ain't bad, but every ain't good
               I only know about 3 that really be up in the hood. 

               On Monday they talk about peace and the unity, 

               But on Tuesday and Wednesday they be killin they community

               Thursday and Friday they pray and repent,
               and hope the lord can take back all the things that did,
   
               Saturday and Sunday them be the worst days,
               cus parents end up burying kids on they birthday

               The cycle of oppression seems everlastin',
               and ain't nothin gone change unless we make it happen

               If all lives matter why we treated unfair?
               Imma keep hope alive until they start to care. 

                                                            

                                                                       Why I Write.


I write because I always have something to say. I write because it takes my mind off the negative

things that go on in life. Writing is an escape I resort to in order to be heard even if know ones

listening. I write because it's fun, I enjoy it, I enjoy writing because I can write about anything I want,

there's no format, you just let it flow. I started writing when I was about 14. I had a knack for putting

words together and decided to go with it. I was inspired by Queen Latifah and Lauryn Hill because

before music, hey were independent women with a strong opinion, and after the music they still are.

If I were forbidden to write I'd have to go ahead and take the death penalty because I won't hold my

tongue for anyone and my perspective is absolutely worth being documented.



                                                                                                                         - Jada M

  

                                                  
                                                      From the desk of 22 year old Jada

                     
I reminisce on the days I cant get back, They always speakin down on me, I'm tired of the chit chat,

All I wanna do is be great is that a crime, people turn sour for the green like a lime, It's like a hula

hoop how I'm goin in circles, I'm clumsy but I'm kind hearted you can call mertle urkel, I'm only 22

but I got an old soul, If you look deep inside you can probably find gold, Lost in the world but I'm

ready to be found, young girl from the ghetto but her vibe is so profound.


                                                                                                                      - Jada M.

  



                                                              
                                                                  THE BIG BATTLE

                    
                  Last year, a girl patience stood up to the biggest bully on the planet. See, patience was a

tiny nerd with giant glasses that pretty much covered her face and she dressed like she was a tomboy

from the 90's. I got sick to my stomach every time I heard her wheels from her heelys roll down the

hallway. The sound of is reminded me of a teacher scratching the chalk board with their nails, it

irritated me. For that I already had my reservations about patience. She was an outkast. If you went to
    
our school you would realize she looked like a banana in a batch of strawberries. She was just plain

weird, well to me at least. Her presence always gave me a rash like a child with chicken pox. I just

wanted to scratch her so would go away. Me on the other hand, I thought I was pretty cool. Imagine a

5'1 brownskinned girl, with a ponytail, naturally had a thing for air jordans and loved the sound they

made when she walked, it was kind of a low clap, a semi tomboy with girly girl behavior. That was

me. But that's besides the point. Although I despised her, I felt sorry for her the way she got bullied

and treated like a rag doll. Patience became more fed up then the women R. Kelly was talking   

about in his song  'When a Women's fed up". It was last Friday that I thought I was witnessing

Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Frazier, the way patience decided to stand up to her bully. Patience balled her

fist up so tight it looked like a crumpled piece of paper. Her eyes were bloodshot, and she looked as if

someone had killed her best friend. Next thing I knew her and the bully were exchanging blows kinda

like they were playing tether ball because each hit was going back and forth.. Finally Mr. Johnson the

p.e teacher came running down the hallway, sweat dripping down his face, and damn near running

over students trying to stop this epic pay per view match up. Watching this madness all I could

hear in my head was The instrumental from my favorite Souls of mischief song playing over and

over , the beat was to '93' til', a hip-hop classic. I'm not sure why that's what I heard but it seemed to

go with the scene perfectly. While Mr. Johnson separated the two girls you could hear the bully tell

patience it wasn't over. Patience said back to her wit the taste of blood in her mouth, and oddly with a

smile, your damn right it's not over, I want the bullying to stop once for all, so how about we end this

without violence. I challenge to a rap battle. The bully was frozen like a popsicle just staring at

patience searching for words like a wordless dictionary. She snapped  out of it and replied back to

patience while laughing but somewhat looking afraid like a child about to get beat, oh hell yea it's on

next Friday, afterschool, 3 o clock in the quad, be there bitch. Patience replied I will be hoe, and so

the date was set. Fast forwarding to the day of the battle. Patience was studying the lines she wrote    

like she was preparing for a test, the bully thought she could freestyle a couple of bars on the spot and

would once again prevail at embarrassing patience. 3'o clock couldn't come fast enough that day, they

watched the clocks in each of their classes like a hamster chasing a wheel. At last it was time for the

battle. Someone was gong to leave victorious like the nickelodeon show, and someone was going to

be the weakest link like the old school game show. Everyone was swarmed around the two girls like

bees around honey. They stared each other down before proceeding to speak. The bully took a

step forward and spit her intellectual lacking version of a rap. It went something like, "stupid bitch I

will slap you into next week, nobody likes you yo breath stink, your ugly and you have no friends, its

a good thing you don't have a boyfriend because then i'd take your man, your a geek and you look

like a elf, going against me is bad for your health, I'm done battling you your just straight trash, I

might as well just go back to beating your ass". Directly after her last line the crowd of adolescents

cheered as if she had just won the state championship. I guess they forgot patience didn't go

like a parent forgetting their child at the store. Regardless they calmed down, and let her say her

piece. Patience cleared her throat as if it was scratchy, and said her verse, she announced, "Me against

you that shit's not fair, you can't even make a ponytail with her short ass hair, your a punk your a

bully and you straight up suck, how you gone call me ugly when you look like a duck, you said you

can take my man, but little did you know I already had your boyfriend, does that make you mad?

don't you wanna go and cry, I'm killing you with these words and I don't even have to try, your way

beneath me like a coaster to a drink, next time you agree to battle me you better stop and think,

patience is a virtue, and I don't have to beat yo ass for me to hurt you, I'm hotter than a oven on 400

degrees, you colder than a sick child with a contagious sneeze, you thought you gonna win but that

could never be, I clearly just proved that your not and never will be better than me." THE WHOLE

CAFETERIA GOES CRAZY. CHAIRS FLIP, KIDS DANCED, THEY SHOUTED, PATIENCE,

PATIENCE, PATIENCE, over and over until the bully gets close enough to patience to see the    

pimples on her face, smiles at her, shakes her hand and walks away. Patience was definitely a virtue.

She prevailed like a true underdog should have. She didn't let a dumb ass bully tear her down like the

twin towers. She gained confidence, like a body builder gains muscle. And I learned lessons like a

lecture that day as well. It was after that rap battle I learned to never bully anyone again.


                                                                                                                               - Jada M

     
                                   
                                              
                                                                     HOPEFUL

                                        Imagine endless possibilities without worry
                         Possibilities that seem so far out of reach but in reality are so close
                    
                                           I'm hopeful that you can be yourself, your true self
                        hopeful that your character will never be tainted by another's opinion
               
                                 I'm hopeful that the future will be brighter than it is now
                               hopeful enough that your  generation can peacefully coexist
                   
                               Hopeful that racism is so rare people don't recognize it
                                      I'm hopeful that you can live life to its full extent
                    
                            I'm hopeful that you wont have to be as hopeful as me, hopefully

                                                  
                                                                                            - Jada M.

                                                                 

                                                                   THE TOWN

                                                                Wide awake daily
                                               
                                                         Thinking of a master plan
                                                   
                                                           To leave this mad city
                     
                                    Kids dying mothers crying I need to leave this mad city
             
                                Racial slurs make stomachs turn I need to leave this mad city

       Bad habits get preservation and there's hardly any education I need to leave this mad city

                  Original styles are often stolen it's the home of the hyphy if you not knowin'

                     Trouble normally occurs but with faith my people are never disturbed
                       
                                         Although I want to leave it I love my mad city

                                                                                                    - Jada M

                                                   



                                                          The Word is : Hip-Hop


                         Hip-Hop is a consciousness. A collective way of thinking, expressing, and

communicating. I fell in love with the essence of Hip-Hop. Being around it all my life has made me

a product of the movement,history, and culture of it. The culture is very interesting, from the public

figures to the clothes and the art to the style. You have to master and study Hip-Hop before you can

claim to be a part of such a dope community of people. Anytime I think of Hip-Hop I instantly get

excited and find myself rambling about it for hours. Krs-One ( a well-known og pioneer of hip-hop)

says, "Hip is the knowledge, and Hop is the movement". He wants people to understand Hip-Hop is

more than just a word and simply a way of living life. Hip-Hop isn't just about music and clothes, to

me, it's a vibe that manifests through individuals willing to express themselves without worrying

about backlash. It's a carefree community, and for that I am Hip-

Hop and Hip-Hop is me.
                                                 - Jada M.

{Just a photo of me and my cousin oozing Hip-Hop}