Sentimental Moments!

 

Check out my son Kywuan’s [@KyleeBDMG] new post “The Mic Is My Savior.” My 19 year old has a passion for music and he wants the world to know it! Ky, I am so proud of you! @jamilatdavis

The Mic Is My Savior

“Turn my headphones up!” I speak affirmatively into the Bluebird recording mic. I hear the sound waves of the instrumental banging in my ear. My adrenaline begins to pump excessively as I’m eager to show off my extensive word play to my friends and the recording engineer. The room is completely silent; I could’ve sworn that I had a spotlight above my head, the way everyone’s eyes were set on me. As my words started flowing, I knew they could hear the pain in every sentence. As I fade in and out of my reality, I can see their heads bopping through the soundproof plexiglass. I swear this booth feels like my sanctuary. “Uhhh”, the hardest grunt leaves my mouth as I finish my verse. I broke night writing the lyrics to this track, but I could care less; I know it’s all going to be worth it. Thump, I drop the heavy-duty headphones. A feeling of relief runs through my veins. Writing is definitely my passion; as my emotions disenthrall, my creativity spreads throughout my music. Unfortunately, I never had the chance to discover my talents until a few years ago.
Growing up wasn’t exactly a walk in the park for me. I had behavior issues that affected my grades and the way teachers perceived me. I wouldn’t say that I was the worst student, but certainly not the best. I guess you could say my poor actions stemmed from the absence of a “key-person” in my life; my mother. In 2008, my mom was sentenced to 12 ½ years in prison for 30 million dollars in bank fraud.
Sitting in the courtroom on the day of my mother’s trial, all I can remember hearing is each member of the jury call out, “GUILTY”. Tears bawled from my eyes immediately after hearing the verdict. It felt like my heart had been taken out of my chest; as I watched the pain in my mother’s eyes. My grandmother escorted me out of the courtroom. She held me tight and promised me that everything would be okay, but I knew it wasn’t going to be. I couldn’t fathom the thought of my mom not being there for important days like prom and graduation. It seemed the only thing I had left to channel my emotions was a pen, a pad and my mic.
What started out as just music, ended up being so much more. Writing rhymes was my healing process, helping to express feelings that I wouldn’t convey on an ordinary day. There were nights where I would write and completely break down because it touched deep into my heart. As the years flew by, my writing skills increasingly became better, opening doors for myself in unexplainable ways.
After realizing my musical talent and its potential, my grandparents invested in a recording studio for me, in effort to cut costly studio rates and travel fair. Armed and enabled to record at my own disposal; I began to create large bodies of work in a short period of time. One song in particular, entitled “He Don’t Deserve You” has become a true hit in my eyes. The song was inspired by a close friend who had ended an abusive relationship with her ex-boyfriend. Since the song was released, I’ve had dozens of women reach out to me to let me know, that my lyrics have helped them get through a rough time in their relationships. Some fans have even mentioned that they were grateful, for someone like me, who actually puts out music to uplift females instead of degrading them (like many of the Hip-Hop artists that are out today). It warms my heart to know that people suffering from the same problems that I once had (or witnessed) can actually relate to my music, regardless of race, or gender, or sex. Forget about a Grammy or an MTV Moon-man, that is the biggest accolade in my book.
One of the toughest times of my life was during my junior year of High School; I had so-called friends who I lost, along with a crazy break-up. Academically I was scoring higher than ever, however I felt yet again a huge void in my personal life, due to the sudden absence of my peers. Days, even weeks would drift away and I just wasn’t myself. I was transferred into an Honors English course; in Spring 2013, little did I know my life was about to take a sudden shift. I met a wonderful teacher by the name of Ms. Benson; she helped to unleash my inner-writer skills and showed me things that I once had no knowledge of. “Hello class! Today we’re going to be starting our college essays.” I used to jitter and shake just hearing the word college. “What!? I’m only a junior”, I accidently screamed out, but Ms. Benson didn’t take offense to my outburst. It seemed as if everyone was anticipating a reaction from me by the way the classroom suddenly went dead. She eased my dreadful thoughts, assuring me that it was not a difficult process. “Pull out a piece of paper and start jotting down every event that has heavily affected your life.” Now comfortable with the thought process, I began to jot down everything that I’ve been holding in for a while. My emotions spilled onto the paper, and flowed with pure generosity. My notes took up almost two full double-sided pages. In a matter of time, I was writing the introduction for my essay, then the body, and in an instant I was on my conclusion. Still far from perfect, I know I started a new chapter in my life.
Since the day I was introduced to a pen and a pad, and was instructed how to use it, my life has changed for the better. I no longer hold in my feelings or have to bear my pain alone. I now have a viable outlet to release. Tapping into my gift has given my life purpose. Not only does my music help me, it consoles my fans that escape through my lyrics. By listening to my message they know if I could overcome my hardships in life, they too can overcome! Watching the effect my music has on others is beyond inspiring and pushes me to move ahead. The love that I receive from my listeners pushes me to keep pursing my dreams, even during times when I feel like giving up. Regardless of good, bad or indifferent, one thing has proven to be a fact, music is indeed my passion and my “Mic is My Savior”!

 sentimental Kywuan

 

My Baby Girl Turns Sweet 16!
by: Jamila T. Davis

Being trapped behind bars for so many years, I’ve missed out on many memorable occasions. Literally from a visiting room, I’ve had to raise both of my children. Watching them grow into fine young adults has made me extremely proud!
Tears flooded through my eyes, watching my clock knowing it was my daughter Diamond’s Sweet Sixteen party. I sat on my bunk bed wondering how she was dressed, and who would help her cut her birthday cake and who would share such a special moment with her. It’s times like these that make me realize how much pain my incarceration has caused not only myself, but also my family.
Despite the tears and the disappointment, God has proven to be faithful! He has blessed me and my family tremendously. We have learned the value of love and loyalty, and even though we are temporarily departed from one another the thought of being reunited soon keeps us going.
I wanted to share with you all a picture of my daughter Diamond at her Sweet 16 party. I got this picture in the mail and it brought me so much joy to see that my baby girl is happy, healthy and beautiful, despite my absence. Hopefully it will brighten your day too.
If you have children that you can reach out and embrace, please hug them and be grateful that God has granted you with that privilege. Tomorrow is not promised to any of us, so cherish the good times!
Last, please help me wish Diamond many more Happy Birthdays. Prayerfully we will all be reunited soon!

                                          My Baby Girl Turns Sweet 16! by Jamila T. Davis.

sentimental Diamond
Just wanted to share a testament of God’s grace in mercy concerning my daughter, Diamond Baker, during my absence:“You will be just like your mother” were the words many family members used as weapons to stunt my growth. I vividly recall having what some may consider “an American dream life,” living in a large home, enjoying luxury cars, fashion, wealth and prestige. However, at the age of 10, suddenly it all faded. My mother was taken from me in handcuffs and began to serve a 151 month sentence for her role in a multi-million dollar bank fraud scheme. This meant I would be living without my mother’s guidance until I turned 22 years old.
Suddenly my life restarted on a different page. The riches and prestige were taken away, yet I learned how to survive without everything being handed to me. Many would believe that the results of my obstacle would lead me to utter hopelessness. Yet, against the odds that were stacked against me, I took what I lost and used it as ammunition to create a different story!
Being accepted into the High School Of Fashion Industries was one of my first major accomplishments. As a young girl I always had a passion for fashion and desired to gain experience in this field. During my high school years my dreams finally began to unravel into reality. This accomplishment forced me to mature and break out of my shell. Inspired by observing successful business men and women, from various walks of life, pursue their dreams in the face paced culture of New York City, I decided to take a “shot at the apple” too! I didn’t just want to nourish my artistic talent, so I decided to also develop my academic and leadership skills.
By my sophomore year, I became active in my community and joined many extra curricular activities sponsored by organizations such as the Big Brother-Big Sister program and The Public Color organization. In the 11th grade, I took on the role of joining Student Government and became the chairperson of Campus Beautification. Through these activities I gained experience in leadership, promoted cleanliness and maintaining good health, and developed positive behavioral and organizational skills. Maintaining good grades has also been my key focus. I am proud to say I am a straight A student who has persistently remained on the honor roll; and my 95% grade point average has allowed me to become a member of the National Honor Society.
In 2015. I was elected to be the Student Body President of my school. While participating in several extra-curricular activities in my community and in school, and sustaining part-time employment at Barneys New York, one of the biggest luxury department stores in the world, I have maintained this position.
I believe my life is a testament that regardless of the many roadblocks we encounter in life, success is a matter of choice. Therefore, I CHOOSE to be a proud, active leader within my family, community, and soon, the WORLD!
Kywuan Graduation High School
kywuan's High School Graduation
 Diamond’ s High School Graduation

Diamond Graduation1

Congratulation to Diamond on Receiving her Diploma with Honors from The High School of Fashion Industry. She is off to A&T College in Greensboro North Carolina.

Diamond Graduation

Diamond and Her Brother Kywuan.

Diamond Graduation3

Diamond outside of Hunter College Auditorium after Her Graduation.