Jah-Boo
Age 37
Growing up in Albany, Ga. in my early 20’s, there was a whole lot of gang violence. No matter if you were in the gang, or if it was all around you, there was no getting away from it. My buddies were involved with people who were in gangs and, man, I just wanted to rap. I didn’t want to get involved with killing people, or doing drugs, or anything. I just wanted to share what I felt through rapping.
One night, my homies and I were at a club wanting to hear the rap battle that night because some friends of mine from high school were performing. My buddy’s gang friends were there. Everything was going fine. Then out of nowhere, I’m in the emergency room. My buddy had hit me in the head with something , and I was sent to the emergency room. I was wondering why, if he was my home boy, that he acted that way? He wanted to impress or turn on me because of his buddies in the gang.
After several different incidents of them trying to get me and us trying to get at them, I went to visit my mama. I knew he and his guys stay there, but I mean, that’s my mama and I am going to go visit her no matter what. There was always this guy that would try and tell me about the Lord; that I needed to get right with Him. “Let me pray for ya, and things would be different if you had God.” I just kept saying, “Whatever man,” not listening to what he had to say. Then with everything going on, I tried reading the Bible.
I started trying to understand the Bible. I kept reading, hoping for something to show up so I would know the Lord is “Lord.” I kept asking the Lord to show himself if he was truly real. The next morning, after asking the Lord to show himself, I woke up to see the sun shining through my window, but then it was like angels around me. I could see what the Lord was trying to show me. I rolled over and went back to sleep, and I had a dream that I was burning up; there was fire everywhere in my dream. I woke up realizing I had a choice I needed to make. I either seek the Lord, or go to hell. It was that simple.
About two months after realizing I wanted to get my life together, I was at a gas station one night and this home boy and six of his guys came in, he was the one that had a hit out on my life, and he said to me “Jah-Boo, I need to talk to you outside, man.”
“I am trying to get right with the Lord. I don’t want any trouble man, but I am tired and if you want to go ahead and kill me, kill me.”
He says, “Nah man, that’s what I wanted to talk to you about. I’ve been trying to get right with the Lord, man. Come outside with me so we can talk some more.”
I thought it was a trick to try and kill me, but I went outside anyway, and he told me that he was trying to get right with the Lord, and he knew I was trying to get right with the Lord, that’s why he came to me. He wanted to do what I was doing to get right with the Lord. We started down that path together, reading the Bible together and just trying to understand what the Lord’s purpose for us was. So, to this day, he and I have been friends for 10 years.
What helps me to be true to my faith is rapping about how I feel in a positive way. I rap, well, about my life and where I come from, but I want to rap in a positive light.
“Lord Lord Lord
Help me out
Lord Lord Lord
Change my route
Lord Lord Lord
I want to change
Lord Lord Lord
In Jesus Name
Lord Lord Lord
Help me out
Lord Lord Lord
Change my route
Lord Lord Lord
I want to change
Lord Lord Lord
In Jesus Name
God said every man woman and child
If you believe my words now my yoke is easy and my burden is light,
You’ll find rest, in your soul tonight
Nevertheless it’s only a test
You can still be blessed
Stress is from the enemy
Greater is he who lives in me
That he who is in this World.”
After finding God, I wanted to give my children a better life so I moved to Gainesville, Ga. to find a job. Gainesville is known as the chicken capital of the world where I am from, so I wanted to move there to find a better job to support my family. I was in Gainesville for four months trying to find a job and then I found a local men’s shelter. I was taken in there and it has opened many doors for me. I have found a job, and that’s a start. It is also a Christian organization, so it has helped me to continue to trust in the Lord. Going through everything I have, I just want a better life for my kids and I feel like this is the starting point for that.
Told by: Connie Oldmixon
This story originally appeared in Facing Homelessness in Hall County, a publication of The Facing Project that was organized by Brenau University in Gainesville, Georgia.