"I have a very powerful sense of place,
but I have a very powerful sense of being a migrant,
so it's both. It seems like I'm always leaving my home.
That's part of the formula. I love the Dominican Republic.
I go back all the time. I love New Jersey. Go back all the time."
–JUNOT D
ÍAZ


INNER CITY STORIES

Life is like a puzzle,

Man, I hate to see my momma struggle

Yet it’s from there I got my hustle.

So while other people waste their time,

I've been on my grind,

Had to get rid of the nickels and dimes,

So we can all shine.

 

I left my people back home,

Moving to this town,

I felt so alone,

But I gotta stay strong.

Because patience is the key now,

I gotta go along

Like Lil Snoop would freestyle.

 

But God did all this for a reason, for my own good.

Now I'm here teasing so they know it's all good.

See, I would open my circle and let the breeze in,

But people keep changing, just like the seasons.