The Sista Hood
On the Mic
Chapter 1: My Weapon Is the Mic
I wanted more than anything in the world to be an emcee. Oh, and to be with Ezekiel Matthews. So, as I rode the San Francisco Muni bus from my wealthy public school neighborhood of St. Francis Wood to my working-class barrio -- the Mission -- I dreamed. I thought of better times that have passed and of dreams to come. A time when I'll have my own stage, a record deal and my honey on my arm. For now, I'll settle for making it through the next four years of high school.
I opened my sketchbook that Papi gave me for my twelfth birthday. It's worn, like a comfy pair of shoes. It has been loved and plastered over with album covers from my favorite hip-hop artists like Tupac, Missy Elliott, Goapele, Flakiss and Mystic.
I haven't seen Papi in three months. Writing is my way of shouting him out, drenching myself in his light. I just wrote on the bus. Tuned out the noise. Didn't care about the teenage boys that smelled of sweat or the girls that wore clothes so tight their pants would probab ... read full excerpt from: The Sista Hood: On the MIC ebook
