“WTF IS UP?” - GUCCI MANE “THE G”

Na, I’m serious—what’s good bro? How are you? You good? You maintaining? All is well? You here, yet?

Whether you answer yes or no, you’re in the right place!

I started journaling in 2016 as a self-care practice. After reading a few of my entries to the other members in the Divine IV [my best friends Eddie, Izick, and Nate] they encouraged me to start a blog. What started off as a personal venture, quickly evolved into something much bigger than imagined as more people began to confirm what I already knew: we all tryna heal from something. I scoured the internets for a place where men, especially black men, could be honest about their emotional wellbeing, comfortably take off their masks, lay down their ego, and confront themselves through vulnerability and truth, but they were scarce. So, I created my own. Readers will be introduced to different tools and practices that can assist them in showing up as their best selves. By emphasizing a holistic transformation, you’ll be motivated to free your mind [reading], subdue your body [exercise and diet], and raise your spirit [practicing a discipline]. This ain’t no get free quick scheme, it takes work and I’m in the quarry with you, healing and showing up for practice and life everyday.

Aight, so who am I?

To be honest, that question still consigns me to a mild mania and here’s why:

Within each of us are a multitude of personalities and identities existing as one. And when asked this question, we’re expected to—within a split second—give a concise description of who we are; but all that comes out is our name. And as Romeo did during his bout of madness with love, we must ask: “What’s in a name?” 

For most of us, our names were chosen before we were born and we had no say so in how people identified us. If I were able to perform a miracle as the Qu’ran says Jesus did when he was a baby, my first would’ve been telling my mom not to make me a “Junior.” Don’t get me wrong, my childhood wasn’t horrible—I have beautiful memories of my days as a boy in Boone Height, Alton Park, and East Chattanooga. Growing up in the projects you’re instinctually raised in survival mode. That, in itself, is a type of spiritual violence that robs some of the most innovative and brilliant minds of their capacity to envision a life that’s better than their environment. Surrounded by bricks and dysfunction, I learned at an early age to work my imagination in ways that made me feel free. I saw a future in the darkness my biological father would lock me in; I heard melodies in my mother’s cries as his fist beat her like an 808. For a long time, carrying my father’s name made me feel condemned to bear his sins as well. Luckily, I was a precocious child and at a very young age I became painfully aware that the name on my birth certificate wasn’t the real me. Everything seemed to be an illusion. I knew somewhere among the infinite potentialities surrounding me that I was free—and I found that freedom within when I realized,

I AM.

I’ve spent the last ten years industriously occupying my mind in the pursuit of useful knowledge. At Alabama State University in Montgomery, Alabama, where I became a “Mighty Marching Hornet,” I studied music education and learned the theories and formal practices of music—both of which I apply during my work as an arranger for my high school’s marching band and a soon-to-be Grammy-winning producer. You can checkout my most recent album "he[art]Beats” on whichever streaming service you prefer.

Currently, I’m pursuing a degree in Philosophy because I literally have a love for wisdom.

As a complement to my formal education, I join the ranks of Malcolm X, Karl Marx, Schöenberg, Steve Jobs, and Ta-Nehisi Coates, as an autodidact. This self-led learning has given me access to the tools and insights needed to assist others on their journey of self-excavation and healing. My greatest teacher has been Life itself. As we get to know each other more I’ll tell you about my first sermon and why I left Christianity, my journey into the occult, fatherhood, my first attempt at marriage, my process of awakening, therapy, meditation, etc. I have two beliefs when it comes to my role: 1. a learner should be at the center of his own learning and 2. we can lead only to the extent that we go ahead.

My contributions as a writer have allowed me to be published in “Why Black Lives Matter [Too]: A Revolutionary Call to Action” by Dr. Mary Canty Merrill, featured on blogs such as Sipping Sunshine by Charmaine Griffin and A Natural Beaut by my friend, Chasity.

Free Black Society, INC. is a love-centered movement of black folk and allies, based on the philosophies of eastern practices [Buddhism + Hinduism + Christianity])and the political philosophies of Malcolm X, creating the society our ancestors dreamed of through a deep connection with God and an undying commitment to reality. We build spaces and curate events for healing that help people increase self-awareness, find the will to self-actualize, and become more engaged civically. We’ve partnered with The Hunter Museum of American Arts in Chattanooga, TN for“Get Free. Stay Free. Set Free: A Transformative Dialogue,” WE REAL COOL: THE EmpowerMEN Hour, and Midnight Meditations with Erika Roberts [Velvet Poetry] and Roe Lashay.

Our freedom is intrinsically linked and none of us are free until we all get free. My role is no different from Jesus’ or yours: we are to use our gifts and talents to help remind those who may have forgotten that beyond white supremacy, capitalism, patriarchy, racism, sexism, colonialism, and all other oppressive constructs—we are free, indeed.

As we travel onward, upward, and further inward, I hope that my words serve as a signpost to help you on your own personal journey.

WELCOME TO TODAY,

B R O P H E S O R X