I'm from where the hammer's rung, News cameras never come
You and your man houndin' every verse in your rhyme
where the grams is slung, nuggas vanish every summer
Where the blue vans would come, we throw the work in the can and run
Where the plans was to get funds and skate off the set
To achieve this goal quicker, sold all my weight wet
Faced with immeasurable odds still I get straight bets
So I felt some more something and you nothing check
I from the other side with other guys don't walk to much
And girls in the projects wouldn't f#ck us if we talked too much
So they ran up town and sought them dudes to trust
I don't know what the fuck they thought, those nuggas is foul just like us
I'm from where the beef is inevitable, Summertime's unforgetable
Boosters in abundance, buy a half-price sweater new
Your world was everything, So everything you said you'd do
You did it, Couldn't talk about it if you ain't lived it
I from where nuggas pull your car, and argue all day about
Who's the best MC's, Biggie, Jay-Z, and Nas
Where the drugs czars evolve, and thugs always are
At each other's throats for the love of foreign cars
Where cats catch cases, hoping the judge R and R's
But most times find themselves locked up behind bars
I'm from where they ball and breed rhyme stars
I'm from Marcy son, just thought I'd remind y'all
Jay Z
"Where I'm From"
As I was driving home from last nights disappointing game between the Hawks and the Rockets (yeah...I actually thought that we'd win), I was thinking about what I wanted to blog on. Then, this song came on. This is one of my favorite songs from Jay Z's second cd. In the song, he tells you distinctly and descriptively where he's from (Marcy Projects...Brooklyn, NY). I've never been to Marcy. But through this rhyme...I have.
There are a lotta people who read this blog and participate each day on the blog. Their profiles may say what city they are in but I'd like to dig a little deeper today. Tell me about where you're from. What do you like about where you're from? What don't you like about it? And if you wanna throw in a statistic about it...do it!
WHERE I'M FROM- Florence, South Carolina
population- 67,000
Likes- great place to raise kids, it has a "down home feel" for a small town, it'll always be home
Dislikes- very little social and economic development, people stay locked in the "small town mentality" and aren't willing to break out of it.
Stat- Florence is at the intersection of I-95 and I-20, approximately halfway between New York City and Miami, Florida.
Where are YOU from???
30 comments:
I'm from Gary, IND, known for the Jackson 5, the first Black Mayor, and me. Growing up was excellent, black pride in abundance, everywhere i looked i saw me, we owned the city, and it prospered. But then drugs and crime took over and we became known as the murder capital of the world. I wouldn't take nothing for my memories though, the people, our bond, the steel city at the edge of chicago was my hood...now just a skeleton of a city, struggling against corporate thugs...but home is where the heart is...and for me, it will always be my home.
Good Blog topic 12. Yo, been to Marcy Project many a times son. Got Peeps that been living there for 35 years (sad I know).
But I'm from Southside Jamaica Queens. Home of such notables as Onyx, Lost Boyz (real close with both groups) and 50 Cent (don't know that fool at all.) Population? Couldn't tell you if I knew. But I'm sure my street alone from 130th ave to 110 ave had more people than Florence.
What I liked about Southside? You could get just about anything you wanted at anytime of night. Especially food. It was very convenient.
What I didn't like? It was ground zero for the crack epidemic in the mid 80's. Saw many strong men either killed, locked up or turned to feinds. And there wasn't much hope for the next generation either. One of the reasons why I left.
Oh and Dit, you know I know about Florence. Been round that spot 50,11 times.
I'm from Washington, D.C.
Home to the original Redskins stadium "RFK". When I was a little girl my daddy and use to sit on our back porch eating lays potatoe chips and drinking orange crush soda listening to the game announcer and the people roaring from the stadium. That was living back then. D.C is a true Metropolis. You have a little bit of everything. The filthy rich live amongst the poorest of the poor. D.C was the murder capital of the world. But, now Philly has the title. We were the "Chocolate City" But gentrification is slowly turning D.C into a Vanilla milkshake.
Florence, SC as well same house as you CUZ!
First of all GO ROCKETS!!!!!!!!!! Hey baby, with or without Yao Ming!!! LOL.
That being said, I hail from Houston, TX.
Likes: It's laid-back, you can live either the city life or the country life, very diverse cultures, almost always sunny and hot, great place for the oil and gas industries, great schools, great place to raise kids
Dislikes: Growing tension between Blacks and Hispanics, Everything is being put into Spanish to cater to Hispanics, Stereo types (we don't ride horses and we do have fierce fashion sense), it never snows here.
Great post!
i'm from plainfield, nj...right outside of newark....birthplace of whitney houston, queen latifah, lauryn hill & others...
likes: um, close to the city (ny). baby and i frequent to city to eat, shop and such
dislikes: weather, real estate market, hispanic overtaking (blogged about this today)
I'm from South Carolina too. A lot further down from where you're from. Let's just say, the "low country" is what it's called. I don't like the stilted social and economic development, and will move when I get married.
It's rural, but it provides fodder for all of my horror novels...
@ Mizrepresent
I've heard that Gary was once a very proud city. A city of a great distinction. And everything changed once industries started shutting down and drugs took over.
"known for the Jackson 5, the first Black Mayor, and me." You are funny!
@ Brad
"Kings from Queens from Queens come Kings." Who said that? LOL
@ LRenee
I love DC and the black people there. Home of go-go music! Hate the traffic. One time, Rezidl left me stranded on Suitland Parkway. haaaaa
@ EHam
Sup Cuz? EHam is my 1st cousin. We've been together since we were toothless.
@ Queen of My Castle
LOL. We should have won that game last night. The Hawks were down 1 and then McGrady just went off. I was soooo pissed. Good luck in the playoffs, tho.
"Growing tension between Blacks and Hispanics"...I heard its getting real bad down there.
@ PCD
Plainfield? I was born in Newark. We moved when I was small but my grandmother still lives there as well as alotta family. I read your blog and posted my .02
@ Demon Hunter
Welcome to the 12th Planet. Make sure that you come back. We're here every day...like a bad habit. LOL
What part of the Low Country? Charleston? Summerville? Mt. Pleasant?
I'm from Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn, NY. Home of Biggie Smalls (as if I had to say) and right up the street from where they filmed Do The Right Thing (we were soooo ANNOYED by all the disturbance!!)
What I like about it? It was NYC but not; it was not as noisy, and you could get almost everything you needed right up the street. You grew up quick and you grew up hard, but with the right family (like mine) you grew up smart and savvy and independent.
What I didn't like? How it got taken over...gentrification is a BI-OTCH! How I'm not gonna be able to afford to live in a place that used to be littered with crack vials? It's a damn shame...
Where I'm from: Oakland,California
Home of the Black Panther, Frankie Beverly & Maze, RAIDERS, Fly & the Family Stone, Tower of Power, the Hells Angels and earthquales.
And the stupid bill that was passed to say it was ok for kds and teachers alike to learn ebonics in the class room...as if it's ok to sound dumb as eff.
Oakland is the 44th largest city in the US., and Oakland is the second most diverse city in the US.
Like: Being able to be driving North on 580 and see beautiful lush hills to the right and the blue waters and site of the great bay Bridge to the left...with the skyline of San Francisco. They say Oakland has the second best climate to live in...secondary to San Diego.
Dislikes: Real estate, east Oakland.
I currently live in Harlem...not that much of a difference...lol
I am from H-town Texas (Houston) I hate it here... too big too spread out. I live on the West side a whole town of it's own. I rather be in a small town near the ocean where it's quiet, serene, and peaceful to walk and talk with your neighbors.
Well let me see...
I hail from the upstate of Anderson, SC.
You know that little city that lies smack-dab in the middle of Atlanta and Charlotte, right on 85. Yeah that's it.
Home of Radio (yeah I know him, he was at TL Hanna when I was), Jim Ed Rice (old school baseball), Larry Nance (old school basketball) and Shawn Ellis (NY Jets).
I like the fact that we are in such close proximity to almost everything (Atlanta, Charlotte, Clemson, etc). I like that the city was big enough yet small enough to know almost everyone.
Dislikes....it was Anderson.
I wish I had a place to call "where I'm from." Moved around my whole life. The longest I ever lived in one place straight was for 4 years in Japan. Germany is a close second.
I'm in Charleston, SC, now and I totally hear you on the close-mindedness. This is one of those places.
....LMAO..."...left you on Suitland Parkway."
....early on in Bed-stuy Brooklyn, as well. Fam moved to Washington, DC. Grew up outside of DC in Prince George's County (wealthiest AA population in the country; home of the most statewide foreclosures per capita in the last year...what's wrong with that picture) Currently live in Annapolis, Md (20 minutes outside of DC) home of Alex Haley (Roots and Frederick Douglass)
Likes: love to live amongst progressive us-folk; plenty to do; beautiful people all around; good job market.
Dislikes: Living amongst progressive no-it-all us-folk...LOL; TRAFFIC; stuck-up beautiful people all around...LOL
since jayz covered the brooklyn part
ima take it to my REAL home
I'm from that place of clear beaches,
mountainous land
treacherous history,
pain, independence, government coups,
third world poverty,
coconuts, greatgrandma's mango tree,
the land of bloodlines and bloody streets,
street markets, and rum.
Where dogs run free and dirt roads are where you tread your feet.
I'm from that "sak passe. nap boule. piti piti" meet and greet.
was never scared to rep my flag
even though i knew some folk would hate me
Now it aint so bad if you say you from
HAITI
@ Jaded NYer
Broooooooklyn!! I remember being at parties in college and the dj would say..."Is Brooklyn in the house?" And people would lose their minds! They say that you can spot a Brooklynite from anywhere? Is that true?
Gentrification is a beast. I heard that it has drastically changed Harlem.
@ Blah Blah Blah
Thanks for coming to the 12th Planet. Come back. We're here everyday like bad traffic.
The Raiders SHOULD be better next yr. Can't forget that Hammer is from Oaktown. LOL.
@ ©hoklateRain
Are you looking to leave H-Town? Thanks for coming back through.
@ Mlinz
Hey stranger!!! Thank you for coming to tha Planet. I've never been to Anderson. I've been to Clemson once.
@ Jewells
You're in Chucktown??? I didn't know that. You betta be careful or you'll be talking "Geechie". Haaaaa
@ Rezidl
You DID leave me stranded on Suitland Pkwy (to the eastside where Essence play). LOL!!!
Annapolis is also the home of Carcetti!
@ dejanae
Thank you for coming thru to tha 12th Planet. Make sure that you come back. We're here every day...hangin out like wet clothes. LOL
Another Brooklyn Bombshell? They say that you can go anywhere in the world and you'll run into somebody from Brooklyn. I've heard alot about Haiti. Sounds like a beautiful place.
From the ROC baby... Rochester, NY
many other celebs besides Eb the Celeb have come from there. The singer Tweet, Taye Diggs, Sun.NY
the list goes on... I just cant think right now... still a little hung over!
I think you can spot us in a crowd... in college my friends from upstate would get a kick out of hearing me say "coffee"...
I never even thought I had an accent until I left BK and everyone was fascinated with it, because not only is it a BK accent, it has a twinge of Spanish, kind of Rosie Perez-ish, but not as high-pitched and annoying LOL
12Kyle...if there were a season six, I guest Carcetti would be in Annapolis in the Governor's mansion...good call.
jaded NYer....sounds like cu-off-eee....
@ Eb the Celeb
Rochester, huh? Hungover? Can't do it like you used to, huh?
@ Jaded NYer
I love me some Rosie. Break out the ice tray. Haaaa
@ Rezidl
We can only hope and pray for a 6th season of The Wire.
Annapolis...home of the Naval Base, right? For some reason, I thought Annapolis was far from DC.
I'm from the RANGE .... K-DOT you know who this is. The Norwood Lane B-Ball legend (LOL!!!) Anyway I'm not going to say much bout florence cause I don't want to get any of that MAGIC CITY back lash. you saw what happen to Clayton. You pretty much said it all bout Florence, but other than that it's still home ...... oh yeah
PHUK FLORENCE
Damn, I'm all late!!! :-(
But anyway...where I'm from...
Bed-stuy, Brooklyn! Chauncey 'tween Saratoga & Howard!
Where you could literally get got if you walked down the wrong block and didn't know the right people.
I couldn't wait to get away...it's so expensive now...I couldn't even afford to move back!
@ da reason
This is fam right here folks. One of my best friends since 7th grade who lives in Va now. Welcome to the 12th Planet, bruh. Don't be a stranger.
We grew up together in Florence, SC. It's funny. As I said in the blog, the city is the geographical midpoint between Miami and New York. Over the years, the drug trade took off there b/c its location. Nevertheless, we all had great childhoods. We've moved away. But it's still home.
@ Opinionated Diva
Another Brooklynite? Wow. I just found out that you live in Jerzy City now? I was born in Newark but i didn't grow up there. JC is wild but I've always liked going there to visit family.
JC can't compare to the car stealing capitol of the world aka NEWARK...pronounced NAWK! LOL
JC is changing so much...new construction everywhere...especially in downtown JC and the journal square area.
Biltmore House......
.....Mount Mitchell......
.....some of the best PURE spring water you will EVER drink.....
.....breathtaking views from mountaintops......
.....Grove Park Inn, Haywood Square, and the Bele Chere and Goombay Festivals.....
....STILL DON'T KNOW WHERE I'M FROM?! ASHEVILLE, NC BABY!!! That's right......I'll "rep my city" 'til the day I DIE.....and that's why I'll be a Tar Heel born, a Tar Heel bred, and when I die, I'll be a TAR HEEL DEAD!!! Granted, I lived in Hampton, VA for 10+ years, Da A-Town for 7+ years, and now am in Orlando, FL, but Asheville, NC is what made me who I am.......
@ Boogie
From Ashville to Hampton to Atl to Orlando...you've seen it all. Next time you come back to visit ATL, we're gonna hang out.
@ 12Kyle: None of that Geechie talk for me. Only been here two years and moving before the year is out. I can't even understand what half of the natives say as is.
@ Jewells
I hear you. I went to SC State and there were a LOT of students from Charleston. And you could barely understand them sometimes
Your really from Florence. I live in SC too!!
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