Kwaku Walker:  

Who am I? I am a burnt out genius who has made it this far with my family's support, hard work and perseverance, and a whole lot of luck with the grace of Mother-Father God. I was brought up through home schooling* mostly and bounced around through a couple of private schools*. My parents were and still are teachers, so they new the educational system wasn't what it was suppose to be so they home schooled me and my sisters without a concrete plan on what to do. I got to an age and point socially where they couldn't handle me so they put me into the public school system, and put me in one of the best schools academically in our area, School Without Walls*. When I took the C.T.B.S. test(a placement test back then)to see what level I was on, I scored 12th grade 9th month, which meant give me my high school diploma right now at the age of 14. This was great, but no one knew what to do with a 14 year old black boy genius. So they went on and enrolled me into School Without Walls. If I was white, back then I would have been Doogie Howser M.D. But this was 1988, and me and my family was from N.E. D.C. and we didn't have a clue. So I went to high school already knowing everything but social skills and street smarts and I learned those the hard way. I became a class clown, a trouble maker, and had my first taste of marijuana (which was a bad combination with a mind like I had). I got put out of the school in two years because of behavior problems (kept a 4.0 gpa though) and had to go to my neighborhood school, Eastern Senior High School*. This was the beginning of the end for my innocents(what ever was left). I was very low key my first year at Eastern. I took AP classes(grades were in between a 4.0 -3.7) and was in the concert band. Then in my 12th grade year, Byron saw me playing the Timpanis in concert band and said that I should play the tri-toms and join the marching band (WooooHooooo). Now mind you, I still had a brain of a genius, so what ever I did I tried to beyond great. I became the greatest tri-tom, quads, quint player ever(to this day I hear beats I made up from playing with Eastern High School, Hampton University,Bowie St. University, and Howard University). Not only did I learn how to get a crowd hype, I learn that I could get girls/women hype too. I turn into a straight up HOE! I became a super FREAK! My senior year I learned so much out of the class room that I was in the band room and outside way more than in classroom(Oh yea, shot out to 250-4 my cool a$$ home room). Unfortunately I became addicted to marijuana(not just regular weed and I was so high when I took the SAT but still scored a 1100), drinking, and FEMALES! I did graduate of course, but what if I would have went to college at the age of 14(I probably would have been assassinated because a African-American Black Boy Genius would have been way too much for 1988). Plus I would have missed out on the funnest 10 years ever!! I went to Hampton University* on a full music scholarship (Thanks Mom, Mr. Boyd, Mr. Neal, the whole Eastern faculty, and Byron) and was a one year wonder because by then my motivation to learn was replaced by my motivation to PARTY! I did OK academically my first semester because there was structure with band camp and marching, jazz, concert, and pep band. But when the band season was over, I got hooked up with other students from D.C. and so went my career at Hampton. If I had went to class I would have passed with ease because I didn't fry all my brain cells yet, but I replace class time with nap time recovering from the partying, gambling, traveling, hooping, running scams(stealing clothes or technically we were switching tags on polo shirts and pretty much doing D.C. techniques in a country environment)and women(they loved D.C. pretty boys back then). Plus I was very popular because they had never heard Go-Go in a marching or pep band. To make a long story short, I got caught switching tags in a store off the boredom and got expelled from school. I actually got a second chance at college in 94'. I worked with my mother as a teachers aid at her school for a year. Save some money and lucky for me my father became a professor at Bowie St. University, so that gave me a free ride. But unfortunately, I followed the same pattern. I did good 1st semester and then got my social life on there after. I maintained a passing gpa for about two years, but the attendance and behavior issues reared their ugly head. Before I could get fully put on probation and expelled, I dropped out(took a break is what I told my parents) and bounced around some jobs and found an illegal job(hustlin'). I saw how much money I spent on marijuana, so I figured why not make a profit while getting high and so started my career in weed. I was no dummy of course(I was and of course still am and will always be a genius), so I knew this could not be my full time job or my only job so I kept a job as a front for my income. Of course I had hella customers, college students(I networked from Hampton*, Norfolk St.*, and Bowie St.* for starts). Then in 95', Eastern was having an alumni band(Oh yea, you know that was perfect for me). I got to soil my royal oats some more, get my crank on, and continue my side job. Then I got caught slippin and got a dancer pregnant(I loved me some cheerleaders, flag girls, majorettes, and of course dancers), so I had to get a great job with benefits. I got a job at Dulles Airport* fueling airplanes. Big money for a 21 year old in 95'($20 a hour plus unlimited OT, so you know I was killin them because one thing I was and always will be is a quick learner and a hard worker). I got that job through a girl I was messing with that I met at the MIRAGE Night Club*(Whhhooaaaauuu, my scoop-em-up head quarters). I loss that job off some bull $hit(whitey hating because I was the youngest and 1 of about 4-5 blacks out of a whole crew and became the best), but I still had my side job and always found other jobs. I took care of baby mama(and family) and was doing my thing on the corner(36th and Minn. Ave.), when my man Calvin(Eastern Alumni 94' and 36th and Minn. Ave) told me about this consortium program that UDC*(13th grade) and Howard University had in which if you were enrolled at UDC, you can march with The Mighty Bison. So you know I jumped on that(More women, More clients, More parties, More sites to see, and I got to CRANK a whole lot More). It was now 97' and I was a street wise and go hard 23 year old with a whole lot of swag(but I was laid back with it). I had hit the jack pot, Uptown on Georgia Ave(Backyard Band Land) with all these out of town women and all these weed heads and all these opportunities to show case my talents(Oh yea, was and still am a hell of a dancer) on a free ride called Howard University Marching Band*. Do I even need to tell you that this was a one year show. After a couple of unfortunate events, Howard University decided that UDC students were a little too raw for the HU image, and they decided to end the program(Was it my fault?). Some UDC students officially transferred over, so I was still connected. I made so many friends(and my best friend who I claimed as my little brother Damo(Class of 95' at H.D. Woodson) and took care of him) and associates that even though I wasn't in the band anymore, I was. I got a job at Sports Zone* in 98' on Georgia Ave.(pretty much on HU's campus) and did my thing. The whole time I am taking care of my family and baby mama(and family) and pretty much holding it down cause my father decided not to be around(that much), but in some...Expand for more