Growing up in Baton Rouge was tough, but it shaped me into the person I am today. Life on the streets wasn't easy, but it taught me how to survive and hustle. My childhood was filled with struggles and hardships, but it also had its moments of joy and laughter.
I remember running around with my friends, playing basketball in the neighborhood courts until the sun went down. We didn't have much growing up, but we made the best of what we had. Music was always a big part of my life - I would listen to rap songs on repeat and dream about making it big one day.
As I got older, things only got harder. The streets were unforgiving, and trouble seemed to follow me wherever I went. But through all the chaos and madness, music remained my constant companion. It was my escape from reality - a way for me to express myself when words failed me.
When I first started rapping, no one took me seriously. They said I would never make it out of Baton Rouge; that I was just another kid with dreams too big for his own good. But deep down inside, I knew that music was more than just a hobby for me - it was my calling.
I poured my heart and soul into every lyric; every beat became an extension of who I am as an artist – raw, unfiltered, and unapologetic. My music reflected the pain and struggles of growing up in a city where hope seemed like a distant memory.
And then came success: record deals, sold-out shows, millions of fans across the globe. But fame comes at a price - it's not all glitz and glamour; there are sacrifices you have to make along the way. It can be lonely at times - surrounded by people yet feeling so alone; always on edge, wondering if someone is plotting against you behind closed doors.
Through everything,
my roots remain firmly planted
in Baton Rouge -
it's where
I learned
to be strong,
resilient,
and true
to myself.
The journey may have been long
but looking back now,
I wouldn’t change
a single moment
because each trial,
each triumph,
has brought
me closer
to becoming
the man
that
Baton Rouge raised
me
to be.
So here’s
to
forever grateful
for
where
it
all began.
-Kentrell DeSean Gaulden