Rose That Grew From Concrete is about making something out of nothing. It is a reference to a Tupac song. Tupac says:
You try to plant somethin' in the concrete, y'know what I mean?
If it GROW, and the rose petal got all kind of
scratches and marks, you not gon' say, "Damn, look at
all the scratches and marks on the rose that grew from concrete"
You gon' be like, "Damn! A rose grew from the concrete?!"
Same thing with me. I grew out of all of this
Instead of sayin, "Damn, he did this, he did this, "
just be like, "DAMN! He grew out of that? He came out of that?"
All the trouble to survive and make good out of the dirty, nasty
y' know what I mean, unbelievable lifestyle they gave me
I'm just tryin to make somethin'..
~~
Instead of noticing all of the scratches and marks on that rose, be amazed that it grew despite where it was planted. That's what my work is all about: making something beautiful out of what you've got, no matter where you're from or how little you have. I believe in creating music and writing that tells my story, shares my experiences, and inspires others coming up behind me--other kids who grew up with nothing, like I did.
My dad was a gangster and my mom was a drug addict. I was committed to DYS at age 12. I've been in and out of jail for most of my adult life. I've met so many people and seen so many things. I've lost many close friends to drugs and gun violence.
Rose That Grew From Concrete is about telling my story, passing it on, and inspiring others to do the same.
