They say good things come to those that wait…well, I’ve been waiting for this moment for about 4 years, ever since I went to a Chicago tattoo parlor, and got, ‘Respect,’ tattooed on my neck. Almost immediately, I knew exactly what I wanted to title my 10th Spoken Word CD (Which in turn is now my 11th CD, due to the Mix CD I previously put out before it). The tattoo is for mainly for 2 reasons. First, I always knew I was going to get a tattoo on my neck, it’s kind of like my last blow to Corporate America, in the sense that I can never walk up into one of their establishments and get a job. I could always wear long sleeve shirt to cover up the rest of my body art, or take my nose ring out, to look appropriate during my interview and…but it’s kind of hard to wear a turtle next year round. Almost a decade ago, with only a year of college left, I turned my back on a structured safety net, and decided to gamble everything I had for my artform, and through the years, with the passion and heart I have put into my work, they have to respect that I’ve paved my own way. Second, when I went to Jamaica I was fascinated by how the people would greet me. Not even knowing me, where I came from, or what I am about, but when you walk past them, the first thing they did was nod their head and say, “Respect.” With every production I am involved, I am always trying to top myself. This album is no different. The poems have been marinated, the music has been seasoned, I tried my best not to rush this process, even though if I have to speak honestly I would say I have been more anxious to release this CD more than I have any other before it. Truly, this has been a ride, so many times I thought about walking away, throwing in the towel, when at the last moment there was something that kept me in the game, maybe a phone call, maybe some fan mail, or maybe even one of my old poems that I listened to, reminding me why I’m still doing this. Someone asked me, who inspires me and what artist motivate me. And I told them, truthfully, nobody inspires me more than myself. Don’t get me wrong, I RESPECT, and admire many artist, and they have inspired me greatly. But at the end of the day, it all comes back to me, what am I doing to make myself better. So many people doubted my moves, doubted what I was doing, doubted my work, there were many that thought I’d be done after a year, but now those same people, I see it in their eyes how they look at me. Whether they hate me or love me, they still look at me…with Respect.