When The Notorious B.I.G. dropped "Ready to Die", I really was ready to die. Homeless and just out of jail, life's outlook looked very dim to me. Listening to this album I could "see" what he went through and how he was able overcome it. I think life gives most people a bad hand to start with. Hip-hop music is like the spectator looking over your shoulder, and with sincerity explaining which card to play and win. It does this by explaining how the game of life might be played in your circumstances.

As a teen I wanted to be KRS, Rakim, and Nas all in one package. I gave emceeing a try but found expressing yourself through music to be a god-given talent, you either have it or you don't. At some point I found photography and everything just kind of fell into place. I saw this as a viable way for me to contribute to and extend hip-hop's scope.

I view my work as being a positive portrayal of the men and women of urban culture. So far we've endured hundreds of years of negative typecasting. I feel that hip-hop has given birth to an entire generation of new artists who are free to break the mold. Freedom of speech has never known a better manifestation.

Artist's Website:
209photography.com