Full Circle: The Inevitable Creation of The Legacy Project

Please, allow the following greatness to sink in…

“All alone in the midnight zone

Bones lying all around

Don’t know what to do

Don’t know what to say…” #bars

If you also don’t know what to do or say now, it’s because you were just blessed with reading the lyrics to the“Midnight Zone”, a song I co-created at the age of 5 with my older sister and her coffee can drum. (My older sister, Kiisha Morrow, asked to remain anonymous.) Unfortunately, my sister abandoned her Grammy aspiratoins and is now a well paid, successful Cultural and Diversity Director at one of the top law firms in the world. (Silly her.) I, however, got back around to professional songwriting much later in life in what some could argue was my coming back full circle. Except they’d be wrong…

*****

I occasionally ask my mom about my first years of existence to recall what I was like before the “world set in” on me. You know, back when I was ignorant, but less jaded. When I was more daring and the word “hope” wasn’t needed because what could be better than this? When I was naturally less fearful and consistently happy. Despite having some annoying attributes and the same head-to-body-ratio (#yungtumblesault), the words “fun” and “entertaining” came up a lot when describing me. This was not solely with music either as I fed off all imaginative ways to capture others’ attention.

My mom dukes can tell you how shortly after I could walk and talk, I would often put on shows for whomever paid attention. Instead of jumping in zoo pens, I would perform for the crowds until she snatched me away mid song and dance routine. (No worries Black America, they were “non-jiggaboo” related.)

Or, I even remember in my Freehold days when I was 7 and wrote a dedication to the love of my life. Given that she was 17 at the time, I attempted to speak on her level by utilizing every foul word I knew dealing with sex and nudity because, you know…game. I then illustrated this in a 100 page book, bound together utilizing some of the finest Elmer’s my money jar could buy, and gave her this Song of Solomon the next time I saw her at church because you know…God first. Unfortunately, she obviously had never been privy to pimpin on this level as she showed what was sacred to “we” to all of her thirsty, jealous, and probably still single friends. Apparently my love interest didn’t understand the #SnitchesGetStiches campaign as this graphic novel (pun intended) eventually made its way to my mom. Unsurprisingly, my pro-corporate punishment parental unit beat me multiple times while she questioned where I had learned such talk. (HBO after 11p was a beast back then…)

Or my cousin would tell you about how he would come in town from Cleveland and watch me set up epic battles amongst my toy squadron of Ninja Turtles, He-Men, Micro Machines, Happy Meal toys, and Barbies (borrowed of course). I would stage the most dramatic day long stories and plot twists that would put both The Battle of the Bastards and Shonda Rhimes to shame. I would also like to note that I was a pre-teen feminist in that not only were my female characters key intellectual protagonists and antagonists, but they also often went shirtless as they understood that their mammaries deserved the same freedom as their male counterparts. (Can’t wait til I make movies…)

But somewhere down this creative road to either a padded institution or world acclaim, I, like many of us do, became confused. I started to conform a lil bit, became boxed in by my own and others’ expectations, and felt bound by my supposed limitations. I rightfully became moved by my parent’s guidance, but misunderstood it to be GPS and not a moral compass. I picked up some extra idleness that mingled with my bad habits to eventually conceive unnecessary mistakes. And though not often, I was occasionally moved by the superficial thoughts of “life will suck if I’m not this by this time with those and these”. But most of all, I just became kinda scared like…“What if I fail?”

Now obligations do exist and duties are important. Also, to even be able to toggle between options in life is already a privilege within 1st World Privilege. And let us not forget that the need for dough, or more so “resources” is real, so this isn’t a just “do whatever in life to be happy” or “follow your passion” diatribe, as I actually subscribe to neither schools of thought. But when the long-term pros begin to outweigh the (often artificial) short-term cons, I begin to ask:

“Why not?”

And when I look around and can find no better person to do a doper job at what I’m thinking, the question expands to:

“Why not me?”

And when the answers to that question begin to sound oddly like “fears” instead of reality, I’m more than likely gonna bet on black every time.

So, that’s what this project is…

The “why can’t I create something dope that I’ve never seen before?” The gamble of an adventure that came from my mind back in 2012 and was created with a hellafied team of dope individuals through at times actual blood, sweat, and tears. It’s my true “full circle”. You know, until I dig a little deeper and find out that I once accurately diagramed the quantum mechanics of the human brain and consciousness on the back of a Waffle House napkin when I was 2. #staywoke But til then, The Legacy Project it is. Hope ya’ll enjoy.

Download “The Legacy Project” (for your smartphone)