"You love to hear the story again and again/
of how it all got started way back when/
The monument is right in your face/
Sit and listen for a while to the name of the place...
The Bridge, Queensbridge/"
- "The Bridge", MC Shan
This is the actual, factual, true story of how I became a journalist, how I met Tragedy Khadafi (the person who re-named me "MJ"), and herein lies a review of the first documentary film about his life. Read about it...
QB is the largest housing projects in North America, with 96 buildings. Over 3,000 miles away, in Mar Vista Gardens, one of L.A.'s smallest projects, I got my first tattoo from a cholo with an electric toothbrush motor for his tat machine. Sitting in the basement headquarters of 4080 Hip Hop Magazine some years later, I took a call from Zenobia Simmons, then publicist for Penalty recordings. That call would soon send me to Attica, New York to the Wyoming Correctional Facility, to visit Kiam "Capone" Holley and interview him. A small part of our Q&A would be published in Trace Magazine alongside a N.O.R.E. feature. It was my first trip to New York, and I decided to stay awhile.
The first temp agency I looked up in the yellow pages got me a job at "a record label, I think they do rap," Gee Street Records. I ended up working for Jon Baker as his personal and executive assistant. One day, he sent me up to Spring Street to deliver some papers. I walked in the building, went up to the office, and saw Sincere, Screwdriver, Agent, and the rest of the 25 to Life crew. A few minutes later, Tragedy Khadafi walked in.
Upon being introduced to me, he immediately realized who I was. "You're that lady, the writer, the one who been going to see Ki." He showed me mad respect, and mad love. He gave me some money from the stack in his pocket to put on Capone's books the next time I saw him. Tragedy told me that I had to keep in touch with him, and that he wanted me to come to the 'hood so I could see where it all started. Queensbridge - where they say that there's something in the water, something to make a majority of the residents nice with theirs when it comes to hustlin, rhymin, or both.
Article comments
1 - Mark Rucker (QB-RED)
Thank you,
I really dug what you said about the life of a youth growing up in QB. You see I grew up in QB. I left at the age of 19 years old when one of my best friends was gunned down. Anthony was only 19 or 20. I joined the Marine Corps where I felt safer then being home in QB. It took me 23 years to leave the Marine Corps. Don' get me wrong, I owe all that I am to my up bringing in QB. You are so right when you say it must be something in the water. I love QB it will always be a part of me. QB for life Baby! [Personal contact info deleted]
2 - French 41-08 10th street
I lived in Queensbridge for 14yrs,it was the best place to be growing up.We played until the lights came on, riding to the park ,playing handball, and listening to the guys playing drums during the summer months. We even had a garden competition with the other buildings.The neighbors watched what you did and told your parents if at any time you stepped out of line.I currently work in corp America and never hesitate that I was born and raised in the projects.