AOG Series: From the Block to the Boardroom..

I love B.I.G., but we’re taking his rhymes a bit too seriously.. The man could definitely wax prophetic from line to line, verse to verse, song to song, but let’s move away from making his words the Ten Commandments of what we can become.. I know I have y’all wondering what I’m talking about, and I’ll get to it in a second..

I keep hearing the “voice” of our people (at least to mass media, which I disagree with) in magazines, interviews and every other outlet they can reach quoting BK’s finest..

“either you slang crack rock, or you gotta wicked jumpshot”..

Stop it!

I’m saying that with my Grandma’s (RIP) face on.. That no nonsense look she would give us spoke volumes.. No other words needed..

Stop it!

My jumper is sick (I know cuz I tried it out over the weekend after not taking a shot in a year), but my brother’s is sicker.. He dabbled on that other court too.. I didn’t.. He’s locked up again.. I’m out free with a legal team.. The fact is that we both grew up together.. The fact is that I didn’t choose those 2 avenues that leaves my brother facing yet another bid.. I did something different.. I went left.. I didn’t think it was crime or sports.. I saw crime and sports.. I played in 1 more than the other, cuz the other was just stupid.. But I knew I could get out.. Again, I went left.. All those others went right.. Going in circles and never got out.. That dude that was sick with his right hand, but couldn’t go left.. That dude never made it to college, cuz coaches knew he couldn’t go left.. Stuck..

Where’s the line, verse or song that talks about him having other options? Oh my bad, we can’t find it.. At least nothing that becomes a quotable for the potential talents we have in communities and neighborhoods across the country.. I’ma be real.. My jumper didn’t get me no further ahead in life.. High School? Man, yea, it felt good to have people shout your name.. College? Yea, it felt good to put it on dudes with scholarships.. Where does it leave us now?? The drug game? Well maybe Biggie didn’t lie about that! Pfizer has been killing the game to the tune of billions.. But that ain’t what we’re talking about..

We came from the block.. We built the block.. We built up the block.. We became the block.. Then we got stuck on our block.. A block most of us don’t want to live on.. That ain’t the part I’m mad about.. It’s about leaving the block and heading to the boardroom.. That can be corporate america, philanthropic work, church, wherever.. Just a place that you’re building up so that it’s not all about making it rain (bball reference or Pacman) or pushing weight..

Speaking of pushing weight, isn’t it ironic that the likelihood of those actions will leave you pushing weights in a facility that houses more Black men than most project buildings in the U.S.? I’m just sayin’..

Don’t get me wrong.. I’ve had visions of playing in the league.. That stopped when I realized that I was blessed with the short gene from my Mom.. Shoot, I’ve even sat and thought about how easy I felt the grassroots (peep the subliminal) game is.. Just seemed like with a little more common sense, we would see more Marlo moments than corner moments.. But I was smart enough to realize you can never be smart enough when you have to employ niggas.. I mean that not in a color sense, cuz I’ll use that term for any “ignant” mickey-fickey that I come across.. The whole drug game has a serious STD.. Those crabs are no joke.. All the more reason to stay protected, and in that game abstinence is the only way to avoid catching a case..

So, I’m calling on us to use another line.. Gangstas to use another verse.. Shoot, make your own song.. Just make it a different tune..

From the Block to the Boardroom..

A line to emulate..