There was never that one concert mom or pops took me to. In the Fort Greene apartment where my family lived were my older brother’s Sega Genesis, a basketball, and toys: priceless childhood memories. Not once did I ask my parents for a musical instrument. Playing outside and reading were the only  things I wanted to do. Between mom playing oldies as she cleaned, and my brother blasting hip hop classics, music was always on, no matter what.

Marvin Gaye, Aretha, Bill Withers, Sting and Michael Jackson echoed through the house with the likes of Jay-Z, A Tribe Called Quest, Wu-Tang, and Mobb Deep. Then there was the writing. I loved to write. I’m terrible at math but I always had a knack for words.

The day I found a way to use my writing to connect with others is when I finally realized what it was meant for. I’ve always been in love with music, but making music is a completely different kind of love that has my heart. Hip Hop is storytelling and everyone has a story, but most are afraid to tell it. To find a way to speak my truth, I had to let go of that fear and evolve. I couldn’t allow people to define who I was while I kept my mouth shut. Welcome to my transformation. I am Locera.