September Dreamer

The summers basically over, school’s back in session (We began today), the NFL is back, and my birthday is in a matter of hours. Peace to September, the ninth month. Earth, Wind & Fire wrote a song about it. Donell Jones wrote a damn good song titled “September Love.” I played it like 35 times consecutive years back the day a certain lady and I mutually agreed to part ways. Really, she said goodbye and I was forced to accept it. Anyway, September, in many regards is a new beginning. Here’s to new beginnings.

As an almost genius/visionary/semi-neurotic, I’ve spent a fair share of time simply daydreaming about what it’s going to be like when I finally blow global. I can see all the interviews, I can see the financial decision making, and I can see the millions of smiles that I plan to create. Being a man moments away from being 36 years of age, I think it’s safe to say that I’ve more than paid my dues. Now, if you know me, you know I’ll be the first to accept full responsibility for all of my shortcomings, as I’m fully aware that several ill-advised (I’ll refrain from calling them flat out bad) decisions that I’ve made are the precursors. That last statement was the grown ass man in me; that was the jump on the grenade. Honestly, I’ve had a hard knock life, filled with disappointment that I had absolutely no control over. Some of these disappointments would have crushed the average man, but I’m the best of my breed, I endure. Through it all, I endure. And praise God for even being here to go through all the pain. But every so often, He reminds me that the last shall be first. That’s what keeps my heart from breaking every single time I hear about a child being abused or molested, a hardworking man having to sleep in the streets, a single mother with no help giving her all to keeping her family together, another dream deferred. But these heartbreaks are what fuel my desire to be the best and be cited and justly compensated for it. They’re what allow a big kid with a heart that’s long since been broken to still dream. Some may say that’s it’s absurd for a man my age to still dream, that that’s a kid’s thing. Fuck that, and fuck you. That’s what’s wrong with so many of my folk; they’ve been held down so long that they don’t even think that it’s cool to dream. They allow life to deprive them of something that has never cost a thing. For so many of us, age 4-64, all we have is our dreams. Some of us got tough shakes at life, but we still have our dreams. It doesn’t matter how old you are. Our brother Nelson Mandela spent 27 years incarcerated for not a damn thing. I’m quite certain that his dreams kept his head above water. The mind is so fragile. When faced with time like that, if you can’t keep a level head, it’ll eat you alive. Dreams keep the mind sharp; they forge a permanent ink onto your mental. So even if you come from nothing. Even if neither one of your parents are worth shit. Even if the whole world told you you’ll never make it. You can still dream. Then you have a blueprint in your mind for how you want to make them a reality. Never let them tell you that you’re washed up or too old. It took Fat Joe four albums to go platinum. Four albums, y’all (J.O.S.E. Jealous Ones Still Envy)…that never happens in rap music. If you don’t have a solid gold or platinum fan base, you won’t even get to your fourth project in the rap business most of the time. But Joe, as he’s always done, found a way to reinvent himself. He also found his way to Irv Gotti’s laboratory, and let Ja and Ashanti do what they do. But he made it happen. Four albums later and almost a decade in the game, Joe ultimately saw platinum success. Things like this are what fuel me. I know that my talent is more than sufficient. And I turn up when the lights turn on, something like Mr. Saturday Night. But I’m Mr. Monday. I’m just waiting on my moment with @Jeremih crooning in the left and right earphone. And exactly what do I dream of telling Charlie Rose/Oprah/Tavis/Lil Bow Wow dem when I get my time on their shows? I always knew I’d be here. It was only a matter of time, like centuries. And what do I plan to do with my success? I hope to travel the nation and world over telling all of the people my heart bleeds for that, no matter how bad it gets, if you can still dream it, you can still achieve it. Like Makaveli the Don said, just look at me.

 Send any business inquiries to [email protected]. Follow me on the Twitter @tymonday, along with my bruvas @TheMisterCeizzo and @CraftyLefty57 and our squadron, @crewunB. I know you see our classic black and white tees flooding the streets. Go on ‘head and cop one for you, your baby mama, your lil one, and your auntie. If you don’t rock with the Twitter, catch us on IG as theunbearablescrew. Don’t forget our a la carte game. We create then drop it off to you like Pearl Washington in the mid ‘80s. I see a lot of flavorful Kobe 9s out there. We pass you the design, you color it, and we pass it back to you with the custom flair. Get at us. That’s my time. Peace to man, woman, and child.