Alright, so you know a little bit about me by now. You at least know that I like to have fun. Music has always been my release (as with most other artists) but it's also been one thing in life that keeps me happy. But art imitates life, and in order to truly write quality music, you have to live a quality life. One thing that has always brought quality and substance to my life is working with kids. Yes, the care-free mindset of youth is something that motivates me to stay level headed, but I don't just work with kids in any capacity. As a political science and sociology major, I learned about our broken system of public education. I choose to foster and grow a healthy next generation by working to change the way Americans think about school and the way kids study.

My journey and dedication to children’s schooling began in 2008 on the North side of Minneapolis: Broadway and Emerson to be exact. I was working with a group of youth through a Children's Defense Fund program called Freedom School. In the weeks before the program we trained in Tennessee on Alex Haley's farm, legendary author of Roots. When we returned we set up shop in an old, unused community center. This is where I met, taught and worked with Broderick Williams, producer of my first single "Everything," which received much positive feedback. By some stroke of luck, I had the opportunity to work with the kids at the community center and in the Freedom School program to make a song for Larry Lucio's Zero Element: The Reclamation Project, on which would also be featured artists like Heiruspecs, Kanser and Big Quarters.

Freedom School

After having completed Freedom School, I began to learn about and study education in America. I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to work in New York City with the United Federation of Teachers' Charter Schools Department during the summer of 2009. There, I saw firsthand the difficulties youth face when trying to rationalize a childhood made irrational by public education. I saw people who had claimed to be crusaders for the next generation's livelihood put their own interests over those of their students. This experience so inspired me to pursue a career in education that I returned to college for my last semester that fall and applied to the New York City Teaching Fellows.

NYC

The weight of the world...

...we leave footprints in the concrete.

So, fall semester of 2009, my last semester as an undergraduate. I applied to the Fellowship program, all that was left to do was wait. The process to hear back, however, is a long one and the NYC Teaching Fellows like to take their time. So, I graduated, gave the commencement speech at graduation (see video section for footage of my speech) and decided to pursue music while I waited to hear from the Teaching Fellows. This time that I took to pursue music proved to be pivotal because it opened my eyes to what I really should be doing with my life... MAKING MUSIC! As I got deeper and deeper into the creative process, with the release of my first mixtape and singles and shows... I realized that if I got the job in New York it would be hard for me to say yes to it. I hadn't completely left behind my involvement and engagement with kids, I was still doing spoken word workshops in high schools and elementary schools every week, but I began feeling like making music has a more positive effect on youth and my peers than I ever had as a teacher and student of the youth.

So, what happened? I got the job, with benefits... $45,000 per year, in New York, plus money for grad school, plus healthcare... in an economy like this what more could you ask for? Well, you can ask to be young and bold. You can ask to do what truly makes you happy.

So, I followed my heart instead of playing it safe... I turned down the job. You might think I'm crazy, but in the words of a close friend "If you had come to New York, you wouldn't be doing what you're doing. You wouldn't have accomplished all that you have accomplished." I know I am blessed and privileged to have had the opportunity and truly look forward to working closely with the American education system to better the lives of today's youth, but I have always done me and that's how I remain level headed. "Let's nod to Minnesota but please don't take it wrong when I say I'm trying to be more than a local artist. You hold my past, I chose you as my Cape Canaveral, over the Big Apple the Africa of this hip-hop and my love for you lasts cause I'm always coming back to you. I couldn't live without the smell of polen from your lilocs..." I’m just getting started. Be ready.