I carry a lot of weight on my shoulders. Family, work, bills, responsibilities both as an adult, and also as an artist, the love I get worldwide, the hate I get worldwide, etc.
But no weight is heavier than that of my vest. As I type this and look over at it, what’s on it, what it represents, what I choose to represent, I get my second wind, a burst of energy, and the burden isn’t as heavy.
The name and ,watcher logo represents the first crew that ever assembled as a bboy crew and started what is now a multi-billion dollar business, and they were all poorly educated ghetto cats just like me but it didn’t stop them from following their heart. I can imagine how ridiculous they seemed to others in the begining shuffling on the floor and attempting to spin on their heads, however how they looked to others compared very little to how the dance made them feel. I represent those brothers proudly.
on the front I have a presidents patch. In means I now lead this amazing crew and I try to do so to the best of my ability, like all humans, I flaw at times, but I am blessed to have such an amazing international conglomerate that is there to teach and mold me into the leader that this crew deserves, I lead less than I serve and protect, but that is my personal definition of a leader, one who serves his people, or at the least can serve a purpose. From brothers and sisters, men and women, who have held me down all over the world, to even the adolescent x-mob pulling a devine intervention to get me to quit smoking (still not smoking cigarettes, and still love those kids). I am truly blessed, although not worthy, to humbly lead this crew of leaders. When I think about our numbers, and on an international scale, of ill brothers and sisters I have collected, I feel truly blessed and hope I am what they expected. When I see that presidents patch I see the whole MZK, because they all help mold me, and I represent MZK proudly.
underneath that presidents patch I have a patch that says ORIGINAL 13. the original 13 are those first 13 brothers who walked into FSS wearing patches on vest. That patch symbolizes that I was a part of the beginning of a revolution, the ORIGINAL 13 are not only the brothers who took command and molded MZK, they are not only the true leaders of MZK, but the majority of them were the ones who stepped to the plate and ran this crew in my absence. While I was flying around Europe for 5 years in the make believe world of alien ness, members of the original 13 were the glue, the oil, the chains the gears and all the nuts and bolts of the MZK machine. When I look at that patch I see those brothers, and I represent them proudly.
across from those patches, I wear a patch that says BEAVER 1975, that patch not only commemorates MZK’s win at FREESTYLE SESSION in 2007, not only does it mean that I have achieves probably the highest goal as an MZK member, but it also symbolizes and was named after a bboy who was part of the first 11 ZULU KINGS by the name of BEAVER, who in 1975 was the first bboy whos name rang in every hood , the first to gain that ghetto celebrity status all bboys and bgirls strive for, the one who made everyone in NYC want to break, the one who started this all for us and took it past Bronx River Projects, when people talk about a “bboy style” they spoke about BEAVERS style. When I see that patch I see not only beavers acomplishments, but it put me in the league of bboys who have done what beaver did on a global scale. I represent those brothers proudly.
underneath that I wear an ace of spades patch. Although we don’t brag about it to the masses, this patch commemorates div. 17 of the BLACK SPADES. adopting MZK as members of THE BLACK SPADES. all MZK members are considered Spades by members of the back spades, they are the first to legitamize our patches, and is the organization that spawned famed crews such as the cassanova crew, and the universal zulu nation. Since 2005 the black spades have re-grouped, and have a history of community services, from feeding the homeless, to their annual family and unity day cookout, to handing kids bookbags and school supplies to under priverlaged kids in the projects when I see that ace of spades patch I see the significance of groups like the black spades and I represent those brothers and sisters proudly.
underneath that patch I have this biggest patch on the front of my vest, it says BRONX RIVER. Bronx river projects it the projects that gave birth to AFIKA BAMBAATAA, THE ZULU NATION, and THE ZULU KINGS. Bronx River is also the place where hip hop AS WE KNOW IT began. I am proud to live in these projects, and when I see that Bronx rover patch on my vest I see the very womb from which we all sprang from as a culture. I represent those projects proudly.
my vest also has a memorial patch, it reads, IN MEMORY OF BUCK FOUR, SKEETER RABBIT, FROSTY FREEZE. These brothers not only molded me, but molded a culture and were all my teachers in not just dance but in life as well. When I see that patch I see all that I have become because of those 3 and I represent those brothers proudly. hidden strategecly out of site I wear a patch that reads IT IS WHAT IT IS. That patch symbolisez moments outside of the cypher, outside of the lights and shine, outside of the events, those moments that you just had to be there. When I see that patch I get back all the memories that I have collected with this crew as fam, as friends, as anything that you just don’t find in another “crew” from the most emotional moments that make me tear, to the wldest ones that make me laugh out loud, I think about the ones who share that patch and those moments with me, and I represent those brothers and sisters proudly.
another patch I have is my beloved Puerto Rican flag, my roots, MI PATRIA, and I represent that proudly.
another patch I wear reads SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL GHETTOS. It is a campaign that was created by one of the biggest minority motorcycle club in the state. Rather than abuse power, they chose to use their influence to have people come together under the banner THE GHETTO COALITION consisting of almost every motorcycle club in the tri-state area, and have pushed their efforts and energy into helping the community. They have blessed MZK in more ways than one from supporting Zulu functions, to providing a home for us where MZK can either get their party on or their practice on. They have blessed us with permission to wear the patch and shown us nothing but love,despite the fact that we are not an MC, and we live by the words on that patch by always building with underpriverlaged kids in all ghettos worldwide, and giving free workshops to kids who might normally can’t afford one. When I see that patch I see all the efforts of MZK and over 1,000 motorcyclists and that they do for the ghetto. I represent those brothers and sisters proudly.
I have one more patch on my vest, it reads D.I.L.L.I.G.A.F.
for those who don’t know, D.I.L.L.I.G.A.F. is an acronym for (to put it bluntly) DO I LOOK LIKE I GIVE A F*@K?
In other words, considering all the weight I carry when I wear that vest, and all it represents TO ME.....
I LOOK LIKE I GIVE A F*@K? WHAT YOU THINK OF WHAT WE WEAR????
I could'nt care less what you think about me or MZK wearing what we wear and dressing like we do.
get a life, only WOMEN sit around with other women gossiping about what others are wearing... REAL TALK.
