Melvin
It was 1996 and I was in Daytona, FL. I was 21 days from turning 10 yrs. old and I was riding around with my 17 yr. old uncle. It was about a hour and a half trip from Titusville (where my grandparents stay). He was assigned to take care of me that day since my grandparents had to work. That whole day was just like “How to be a Player” no lie. Why do I remember this day so well? It was the day that I was introduced to an album that changed my life. It Was Written was the first I had ever heard of Nas. We went to the mall there, and ended up walking into some record store and Unc copped the album. When we finally got done visiting all his girlfriends in the mall, we just rode around the streets of Daytona. From the intro of slaves rebelling against there master to the soulful voice of Lauryn Hill over that old Whodini joint, I was locked in. Can you imagine listening to that album in that Daytona scenery? It was awesome! You have to understand, I was raised by a preacher in a house where “worldy music” wasn’t allowed. So all of this was new to me. I always say that It Was Written was my official introduction to New York hip-hop. Since then, I’ve had a healthy fascination with New York and plan to live there one day. It is my belief that the older you get, the less you remember from your childhood. I don’t think that I will ever forget that day because I can honestly say that it changed my life. Shouts to Nasir
