What Made You Turn Away From A Life Of Crime/Street Life?

[Tiffrock]

My family, my education
Thinking about what my mom had to sacrifice for me to get a good education

If I wanted to be a criminal, there was no need for me to get a formal education

 

[Ghost Utmost]

Gunfire

Wherein, the bullets were coming toward me

No bullets contacted, so that was good.. but it seemed way too precarious suddenly

So I just never came back to the hood (to live) after that. I was in college. I just kept going further from home

Until now. 25 years later

 

[SirReginald]

My family, my education
Thinking about what my mom had to sacrifice for me to get a good education

If I wanted to be a criminal, there was no need for me to get a formal education

 

[JamilALAmin]

Best friend got killed a week before he was going off to Tenn. State, saw another homeboy get shot right in front of me (he lived tho), got tired of seeing my folks cry (wasn't raised like that at all, parents had sense), got tired of spending money on courts costs, class fees, drug tests, lawyers, etc, and finally just gained a new outlook on life. I actually care about things and want to live a decent and hopefully long life.

Won't glamorize it at all for the young brehs. It really aint shyt out there for you, at worst you'll be dead or in jail, at best you'll be like me, early 30's and just now getting your shyt together with a social network full of females because all your bros is dead, locked up, or washed up. I purposefully had to cut myself off from folks because the direction I'm going in now, my day 1's just aint on the page. I've been back home in my city almost 3 years and a lot of brehs don't even know I'm back yet.

Your network is your net worth, my moms specially told me to get a new circle, in my teens and 20's I had dreams of being 40+ with all my bros sitting back counting this money, now I'm out here solo still making it happen, but I wont lie, it's lonely sometimes.

 

[Youngblood Priest]

Once I realized how much time I was wasting.

 

[SirReginald]

Best friend got killed a week before he was going off to Tenn. State, saw another homeboy get shot right in front of me (he lived tho), got tired of seeing my folks cry (wasn't raised like that at all, parents had sense), got tired of spending money on courts costs, class fees, drug tests, lawyers, etc, and finally just gained a new outlook on life. I actually care about things and want to live a decent and hopefully long life.

Won't glamorize it at all for the young brehs. It really aint shyt out there for you, at worst you'll be dead or in jail, at best you'll be like me, early 30's and just now getting your shyt together with a social network full of females because all your bros is dead, locked up, or washed up. I purposefully had to cut myself off from folks because the direction I'm going in now, my day 1's just aint on the page. I've been back home in my city almost 3 years and a lot of brehs don't even know I'm back yet.

Your network is your net worth, my moms specially told me to get a new circle, in my teens and 20's I had dreams of being 40+ with all my bros sitting back counting this money, now I'm out here solo still making it happen, but I wont lie, it's lonely sometimes.

EXACTLY and congrats to you

Even though I was never in the streets in my late teens and now I do believe in keeping my circle small. Basically with 3-5 close friends who are positive and the rest associates. I try to differentiate the two. Associates are more for hookups with jobs (with the freelance I want to do down the line).

 

[8====D]

Seeing someone shot, gasping for air.

I decided to fall back after that. I can't have some random officer popping up at my parents house in the early morning asking them to identify my body via picture. It would destroy my family.

 

[Mirin4rmfar]

Parental expectations. It's a shame how this type of life is glamorize through hip hop music. I remember when I was in the 5th grade, listening to the block is hot by lil'wayne and wanting to my emulate that. My parents were like nope .