Jumping Off (Introduction) Da Porch

 

I was born in the city of New Orleans Louisiana in the year "1976" back then things looked like this

Unfortunately physically not being able to remember those times Let's fast forward to 10 years later to "1986" things look like this....and this is where it all begins 

I was raised in tha 7th Ward 

Tha 7th Ward was home to a predominantly Afro-Creole Community in tha 19th century leading up into tha late 80th's all tha way up until Katina Hit

I stayed in that area for tha majority of my younger years. That area located in Da Box which is (St Bernard, Calibone, Elyaisn Fleids, and St Claude) came to be known as (H.H.U)

 I stood on Touro St a block between Pauger and Frenchmen. It was the only Bloca that differed from other Bloca's in tha box. Not too much when down on Touro but its surroundings were a fool. Touro was like tha center of tha storm; if you stepped out of tha center you might get hit with winds going 75 miles an hour... 

I grew up in that middle house below the Greenish one.

 

From the inside, I had everything I needed but when it came to tha things I wanted from outside exposure that seemed to be out of my reach (only on special occasions) which then was still limited both of my parents were working everyday people mother cook for a hotel father work for tha state of Louisana basic maintaining the grass level on the levees which allowed them to raised three sons though the era of tha (60ths-90ths). Being tha last son my era was tha late 80ths throughout tha 90ths aka the "Golden Crack Era"

 

                                                                               

At 1st staying away from it was easy to do due to tha sudden change this era brought to tha environment I was growing up in. I mean people went from struggling to pay their Bills. To have so much stuff to tha point tha attention you have attracted back then would have let others know that you were selling drugs.  

Believe it or not, at the beginning of this Era there wasn't too much bloody violence there was a lot of disagreement and Intimidation violence which led to fights, gun showing, and pistol-whipping individuals. Not sure what was going on but I noticed tha change... Being tha youngest of three"FreeMan Boyz you would think that my two oldest brothers would have been affected by this epidemic era as well ... That is something I can't say but I say this if they were it wasn't enough to influence me.. "meaning they didn't pass no touch to me" 

   

 As a matter of fact, I go even further to say that if any type of passing came from my middle brother from playing basketball that orange ball allowed that boy to go anywhere they played basketball he was that good...And to be honest, things were more claimer in their times even their peers weren't as strong on that killing side don't get me wrong they had killing but we had murders after murders shit fast forward 10 years ahead minus 2 years "I know I got you Nicus doing math but bare with me"  you got (1994) New Orleans Murder Capital same year I graduated from high school and to top it off tha Bill Clinton 1994 Crime Law

                                                   

      Surviving that shit while still living amongst tha rubbage of destruction wasn't a walk in tha park. My Adolescence transitional period was tha (Crack Era). Tha adrenaline rush took my peers by storm and a lot of them lost their lives spiritually and physically you see I know the movies glorified that era as a turn of time where tha underdog started to get money the new era broke out for entrepreneurs, Hip Hop Culture and all this stuff we live amongst now but just like everything there are levels to this s*** and what they show you are those levels right above you on TV tha New jack City, King of NewYork, American Gangsta they don't show you a view from those who live in the rubbage of  it  the real boy in the hood level  the people amongst the menace of the society level and in those levels plays a part of creating the environment levels I lived amongst surviving day by day trying to find a way out of what I knew as Home 

               

                                                                                                                       

       We all knew when we 1st jumped off "Da Porch" mine between the ages of 14 and 16. My 1st time you can say I just strayed away and ended up coming back to re-group letting days which led to months of hoping they forgot about my 1st attempt and what I have learned now from my re-group. I could fit in much better;  which ended up being correct which led me up to sixteen on October 16th (1993). My 16th Birthday out and about with tha peers of tha streets. Ended up running into some school cats who I knew from walking tha halls, etc, and just joined into what they were in which happened to be stealing a car and going joyriding which was something we did for fun and bagged about it in class tha following day Even though we didn't find a car that day, my present verified me as an official jumper. This allowed me into spots where there were possible jumps that may be needed which were our corners on different Bloca's that were inside the area of tha box and a few outside as well. To paint an image with no disrespect it's the equivalent of  A Home Depot for illegal immigrants when they come into the United States secretly as a way to earn money. My People had corners instead and eventually tha area of those corners grew into traps and tha spots became trap houses. 

                                                                                                              

          Now these corners immediately environment was like watching TV but flipping tha channels all day long. "finger just stuck on tha up or down button" it depends Back to tha year 1993 very 1st encountered a "street moment" Now as I go through my journey I encounter all types of jumpers prospects, etc. even New jumpers who were only a year are two off Da Porch just so happened this guy who I had my 1st encounter with I so happen to see him around spots I will be at never came across as a threat due to I figure he wasn't in my class he was more in tha class of a young adult. I was a young pup wet behind tha ears teenager etc.. So one day during school time just another day in Da Box. Me and Wiggie (a person I ended up jumping off with) when came to my early day of running tha streets went to this game room that opened up in a very close area from our Bloca, as usual, saw our peers play some games then somehow we "tha crew" end up taking it to tha Frenchmen near North Villere kicking in front (at tha time I didn't know) my 1st encounter house and to be honest due to tha impact of that encounter I don't recall why we started passing words but we did and I guess I lyrically beat him to tha point he struck in a way I had no idea what happened I do remember having a scuffle then heading home an got a weapon some said it was a gun other said it was a knife... I remember my dad running behind me patting me down requesting tha weapon and (me crying saying god knows what I'm going to do to him) etc.. I do also remember clearly My dad saying Micheal to get through this you must know how and that game you're about to go and play no one wins. So I gave him whatever I had. As I walked back inside that Greenish House crying in my dad's arms.. 

                                              Enjoy & Thank you