graduation day...20 Years Later

20 years ago today...I did it. December 14, 1996

I accomplished one of the biggest goals that I've ever had.

I graduated from college.

I totally enjoyed every minute that I spent at South Carolina State University. I went there as a young boy and left as a man. When I graduated from high school, I really didn't appreciate it because it was just a stepping stone in my eyes. But this was different. This was where I wanted to be.

As a football player, I spent many hours in Oliver C Dawson Stadium. But there were none more important than the 3 hours of our commencement ceremony. I was happy to have my family, friends, and crew there to see me graduate. Many of them watched me play on Saturdays in that stadium. But the cheers that I got when I crossed the stage were the most important cheers that I'd ever receive.

I remember it like it was yesterday. It was in the low 50s so I tried to stay warm during the ceremony. Ken Chenault, the first African American CEO of American Express, spoke at the ceremony. I don't remember much of what he said but I do remember one thing.

He said...

"Never be too busy blazing your trail to stop and look back at where you have come from."

Those words never left me.

I'm thankful for the 5 1/2 years at South Carolina State (the business department was no joke...lol), the good and the bad experiences...they were life lessons. I'm thankful for the people who were in my life before I got to college and those who came into my life during college. The experiences helped me into the man that I am today. Those people helped me become the man that I am today. There's no way that I would be where I am in life without them. Many of you who will read this...are very responsible for this. The growth and maturity that I gained while at SC State was immeasurable. I took so much from the university. There's no amount of money that I can give back to repay the school for what it did for me and the lessons that I learned while being there. I am a loyal son of Her. A member of the Centennial Class (1996).

Bulldog for life.

I bleed GARNET & BLUE.

youcanfindmeinthaA

July 24, 1997

I remember that day like it was yesterday.

It was the day that I loaded up all of my stuff on a moving truck and moved to Atlanta. 

I had just graduated from South Carolina State in December of 1996. I was still living in Orangeburg, SC. I had a few job offers in South Carolina but nothing that I really wanted. I was working as an assistant manager at a video store. It was cool but I knew that I couldn't put my marketing degree to use at that spot. I was contemplating my next move. I knew that I wasn't going to move back to my hometown, Florence, SC. I loved my hometown but I knew that the day that I left for college that I would never live there any more. It was time for the young bird to leave the nest and fly. And I did. I had my sights set on Atlanta. 

In the spring of 1997, I wasn't sure how I was going to get to Atlanta. I had put off going to grad school. One day I called up one of my partners in crime, JFresh. Me and JFresh have been friends since we were 6. We went to high school together but different colleges. He too had just graduated and moved back to Florence. I mentioned to him that I wanted to move to Atlanta. He said he wanted to live there too. He suggested that we move there together and get an apartment together. I thought about it for a second. Fresh is my boy but he is by far the weirdest cat that I know...but that's my boy. So, I told him that we should do it. As July moved closer and closer, I thought that JFresh would back out at the last minute. He didn't. 

I had no long term plans about being in Atlanta. I had fallen in love with the city when I was in college. It was a place that represented upward mobility for young black people like me. The hip hop scene was bubbling at the time. While acts like Outkast and Goodie MoB were on the scene...others like Ludacris (a radio personality on Hot 97) and T.I (I saw him perform at an underground club but didn't catch his name but he ripped it)...had yet to blow. I came to FreakNik in 1994 and I told my friends that I would move here after college. Growing up, the only place that I had envisioned myself living was New York City (Manhattan). I love New York. I couldn't imagine wanting to live anywhere. But Atlanta just felt comfortable. It didn't take long for me to feel at home. In a city with 5 million people in the metropolitan area, the only person that I knew was JFresh. We didn't know our way around but we both had a great sense of direction so we knew we wouldn't get lost. We rented a townhouse in a north Atlanta suburb. It was the typical bachelor pad...TVs and electronics...but very little furniture. LOL. We figured that the best way to get familiar with the city...was to party! And we partied! Sometimes we would hit parties on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, AND Sunday nights! And we soaked up all Atlanta had to offer.  We lived together for a year before I moved to the east side of the city but we still hung out almost every weekend.

Years passed. I would eventually would settle down. I got married and started a family. Fresh moved to LA. But this place had become home. I felt as comfortable in Atlanta as I did Florence. I adopted the Atlanta Falcons and the Atlanta Hawks as my teams that I would support (not the Braves, though). I had my oldest son in 1999, got married in 2000, and then bought my house in 2001. Little did I know, I had planted roots here. The foundation was set. The thought of raising kids in city like this is challenging. Growing up in Florence, I could go around the corner and nothing would happen. That's not the same when you live in a place like Atlanta. Anything can happen. That's a scary thought as a parent. But this is where I wanted to be. Over the years, I have thought about leaving. But there's always something that convinces me to stay. Sometimes, I think about how life would be in Manhattan. But the cost of living in NYC is unreal! Unless, somebody wants to pay me a LOT more money...I'm not going anywhere. You can find me in tha A!  

liner notes

Long before people had their music downloaded digitally, they had the music compressed onto a thing called a compact disc.

The compact disc was usually packaged with some information about the music that you had purchased.

I was always interested in reading the liner notes inside the packaging.

The liner notes gave you the general information about the music. You could also find out who wrote and produced the music. I was mostly interested in reading the liner notes where the artist gave their "thank you's" or "shoutouts". It let you know who they were down with and it also gave the people that they named some props. Sometimes if you read the liner notes and somebody's name DIDN'T appear in the notes...you could only assume that they were no longer down with that person. (long before the innanet)

The thought of liner notes gave me the idea to come up with my own...*imagine you've just opened up a cd from me...LOL*

Sorry for anybody who I forgot but my PR people gave me a short period of time to come up with this list.

THANK YOU...my family, wife, and kids...All of my love! I do what I do for you. My parents - you are simply the best and I hope to be half as good as a parent as you both were for me. My brother & sister - Love you both. Continue to shoot for greatness. Blaze your own trail. My cousins - we are brothers and sisters...not cousins. I love you all. Let's keep the family tight and raise all of our kids together just like we were. My aunts and uncles - Your love and guidance has made me grow into the man that I am. Florence, SC - thank you for allowing me to grow. You will always be home! Wilson High - Is there a better high school? Of course not. Thank you for the support and love. Shoutout to the Class of ' 91. I got nothing but love for you. Orangeburg, SC - the hottest place in the world in the summer time. Haa. My second home. You will always be home! South Carolina State University - The best 5 1/2 years of my life! Period. I bleed Garnet & Blue. It was an honor to play football there. Bulldog for Life! Atlanta, Ga - I can't imagine living anywhere else. I didn't know anybody here when I got here. I am thankful for it all.

Special Shoutouts...The Oceans Crew - World's Most Dangerous Crew. You know how it goes. Crew love, everybody on Norwood Lane & Spaulding Heights, JFresh, Shaft, Jimmell, Fred, JayH3, Dluvhall, Zeek, Zo, Ryan, RC, TQ, Denise, TuTu, Nyesha, Joey, Erv, Marie, all of my teammates at Wilson High (i can't name all of you but you know who you are! LOL)...Coach Wells (RIP) I still hear you, Coach..."Time waits for no man. You must have a respect for time" ....Everybody at SC State University, all of my classmates, professors, and all proud alumni (RIP Alan Robinson). Most importantly, love and respect to all of my teammates who wore that Garnet and Blue. Thanks to those who played before us and those who carried on the tradition after we left...Bulldog Pride...my teammates and partners in crime...Moe, Russ, Clark, Big Mel, Pizzo, Big Shot, Naylon, Q, Bruce, Hemby, Early, Tez, Spann, Bush, Frankie Sanders, Barr, Shorty, Trez, and everybody from that Class of ' 91. Shoutout to the old heads who paved the way...Zeus (RIP), Big Larry, Carnell, Big Rodney, Colson, Faulk, Joe, Top, Quincy, Houston, Big Ty, Greer...the crew...Juan, Steve, TurkNice, DG, Mal, Toine, Zae,  Shawn, Dia, Avis, Tan, Wilson, Scmoove Capone, Larry, Boogie, Rich, Shaun, AL B, Naz T, Brad, RobMa$e, Hov, Nicole, Sean I, Crystal, Will, Kimmie, ERob, Charles, DK, Hakeem, Kim, Sherry, and B. My favorite spots in Orangeburg...Foxy 44, Club Ritz, The Silver Spur, Fairgrounds, Dukes Gym, SHM, Bethea Hall, Mitchell Hall, all of the female dorms on campus (haaa). And last but not least...Kick Booty ; ATL spots...Club Esso, The Underground, Kaya, Shark Bar, Visions, DragonFly, Whiskey Peach, Northview High (best Sunday hoops in the city), Atlantic Station, Lenox Mall, the old Buckhead, Strokers, Magic City, Club Nikki, Gentleman's Club, Kamal's 21 (we still gotta go, you owe me!), Los' crib, GA Dome, Phillips Arena, Peachtree Street, Piedmont, Candler Road, Panola Rd, Earwax, Electric Fetus...Much love the kids who I coach and the coaching staff at Central Dekalb...my blogger crew - thank you! we all share a bond. Long before Twitter and Facebook...there was Blogger. LOL. Much love to you all. Special shoutout to those of you who read this blog but NEVER comment. It's all good. Thanks for reading...12 Radio Show - it would never exist if I never had this blog. Thanks to all who have co-hosted and those that listen. Shoutout to all of my peeps on twitter and facebook! Major shoutout to my homegirl LRenee who gave me the idea of starting a blog. You helped create the 12 Brand. I owe you five dollaz. Haaaa.

My PR guy is really rushing me to finish this list.

Thank you for WATER AND AIR!!! I need it to survive. Thank you. I love water and air.

Last but not least...Thank you God. I am who I am because I am your creation. I'm thankful each day for the opportunity at life to be a little better than I was the day before. Grateful. Blessed. Eternally

12kyle aka Kyle aka KD aka Kid Chocolate aka KDot aka Randy Floss aka Lunchmeat Mumford aka Rollo Lawson

if I forgot anybody...charge it to my head and not to my heart. Peace