Truthlive

Me and the homie Max — 02.09.

Inner Circle, White Rabbit.

Quit the cult.

“All or nothing at all.”

Photos:

NYE. SF. The Rabbit Hole. 🐇🕳️

IYKYK. If you don’t know, let me help you find out. Friends, friends of friends, good spirits and beautiful souls, let’s do this.

Fun facts —
1. The last commercially released Hip Hop song I rapped on was a Canibus record produced by DJ Premier (“Golden Terra of Rap” iM Remix). We’re pictured here at HeadQCourterz, formerly known as D&D Studios in NYC.
2. The last live performance I did while still on that artistic path was as direct support for Kendrick Lamar at a show where I may have sold almost as many tickets as he did— shortly after he dropped Good Kid, M.A.A.D City.

I hard-stopped when things were going pretty damn well. Nobody really understood why I made that choice. The momentum was strong. I fully withdrew and moved home to Santa Rosa from LA.

I had the honor of being in spaces with true legends like the two in this photo and so many others (no more name-dropping for this story time). I had opportunities I dreamt of and visualized as a teenager selling burned CDs out of my backpack and trunk, recording songs in tiny bedrooms with limited equipment.

I’ve lived multiple full lives in my musical journey. I’ve had incredible experiences and learning opportunities to grow from.

But the long-term thing I learned most from that era was to find joy in music, be authentic to myself, and not worry about the predetermined box other people think I belong in.

I pivoted out of that time by going back to DJing. I kinda sucked when I picked it back up (it’s how I started—self-taught at 13—but by 17 I was only rapping and producing). DJing helped me rediscover my love for music. I had lost it, even while I was rapidly climbing the very mountain I set out to summit.

I became really depressed living in West Hollywood around this time. One night, I almost jumped out of my 14th-floor apartment window. Instead, I threw a bunch of clothes and equipment out the window and kept myself.

It’s been a long, slow, deep recalibration since then. But where I am now is where I want to be.

I always loved Depeche Mode, Daft Punk, and The Prodigy as much as I loved Wu-Tang, OutKast, or Dilla.

I’m still very much the same person I was in this photo. The difference now is the music I make reflects the full range of my creative spirit. No rules. ❤️‍🔥