I was born in West Baltimore but when I was three, my mom and dad split up and me, my mom, and my brother moved Over East. I grew up on Cedarcroft by the old Mars grocery store that closed down years ago. I always wondered why they close grocery stores in Baltimore, like people don’t need them. It was a calm, yet wild experience growing up over there. I feel like East Baltimore has lots of outlandish shit just like every other hood does, but there's also respect that everyone has — even gang bangers and drug dealers, especially for kids and families. You can see so many parents raising their kids over there. I remember everyday I’d walk by these dudes that sold drugs right outside of my apartment complex. I believe the reason they never messed with me when I walked to and from the bus was because I always had my trumpet.
Since I was eight at Leith Walk Elementary I started to fall in love with the horn and became so eager to improve. I will never forget, in elementary school, before I had band rehearsal I’d always get butterflies in my stomach. Little did I know, this was my subconscious telling me that trumpet would always be an integral part or extension of myself . When I am away from the horn for too long, I don’t feel the same. The trumpet allows me to express myself in the most honest and vulnerable way.
I started UPENDO while attending the Baltimore School for the Arts because there weren’t lots of ensembles or opportunities in place for me or my friends to play the music that we wanted to play, which was Black music. UPENDO means love in Swahili and I chose that word because all I’m trying to do with this music is to make space for, and spread, love. We are a family; it’s like 20 deep. Everybody in the family I love, trust, and honor. We started playing all around the city and East Coast while I was in high school and grew through the lessons we learned freelancing. Me and Troy — my best friend — have been writing, performing, and working since we were in high school. I owe all of my success to my family, friends, and my mentors. They truly helped me to believe in myself and be confident in everything I do. One word to sum up the group: village.
I am living the dream as we speak and have been living it. The dream is the process, the process is the dream. I haven’t even graduated from college yet. Will I ever? I dropped out at the end of my sophomore year, and the degree was never something I was looking for. I went to college because I was eager to learn more, move to California and New York, meet new people, and take advantage of the full rides that I was given. But the degree never had been an inspiration or goal for me. As soon as I got what I needed, in spring of 2018 I moved back to Baltimore to begin working on my album. I learned some of the biggest life lessons from making that decision.
As a college dropout, I’ve taught at three different schools, gave masterclasses, and I am an artist-in-residence this year for an arts high school in Harlem where I get to compose for interdisciplinary collaborations. I say that to prove that there are no right or wrong paths for any group of people. You just gotta do you, learn the lessons you need to learn, spread love, give without expecting to receive, and be confident in yourself.
