The following program
discusses sensitive issues.
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Parents are
cautioned that some material
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may be too candid
for younger children.
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Welcome to the New Journey,
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a program about real life people
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with real life testimonies,
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doing real life
ministry for Jesus Christ.
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I'm your host,
Pastor Marquis Johns.
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Join us on the new journey.
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God has gifted each of us
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with a unique personal testimony
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and it is through
sharing that testimony
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that we overcome
the woes of the enemy.
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With us today is such a person
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that has a testimony
like you will not believe.
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Brother Rainbow Israel,
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thank you for being
with us on the new journey.
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Thank you for having me.
It's a pleasure to be here.
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Man, man, listen, I just
want to get right into the story
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but first start by
telling us a little bit about
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where you're from,
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like where you were
born, where you grew up
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and give us a little background.
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I was born in
Mount Holly, New Jersey
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by way of Camden.
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Moved to Baltimore,
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probably about six or
seven months, years old
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and then raised in Baltimore.
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Happen to freak
within California.
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Okay, so at what age do
you move out to California,
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do you remember?
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Thirteen. Thirteen. Thirteen.
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So tell us about that
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because you know
I'm from Los Angeles.
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Okay. Yeah. I'm
from South Central.
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So tell us a little bit about
the move out to California.
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What was that like for you?
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It was rough for me
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I think that was the
beginning of my rebellious stage
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because I didn't really
want to leave Baltimore,
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no family members out
there, all my family here.
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My mom decides to go
on a spiritual journey,
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so we moved to California,
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happen to move to 52nd Street
between Main and Broadway.
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So I decided to
become a Crip. Okay.
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You know, so
that whole experience
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was just profound in itself.
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So I grew up in a similar area.
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What gang were you from?
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Five Deuce
Broadway Gangster group.
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And that's interesting.
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I was a Q102
East Coast Crip. Wow.
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So right on the
other side of 110, you know
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and I remember
when the East Coast
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and the Broadway's at
one point we were cool,
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and then there was a point
we got beat for one another,
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so it's an interesting thing
that we're sitting here now
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in this life able to
be brothers in Christ
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because have we met back
then there's a possibility
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this would be a completely
different conversation.
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Might not have.
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We might not have been here.
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Yeah, yeah, exactly.
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I see that.
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So bless the Lord for conversion
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and new creatures in Christ.
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So you move out to California,
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you get involved
in the gang life,
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what is that life for you?
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What is it like
being in California,
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you're from Baltimore,
you come out here yearning,
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you know, you're
going to California,
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you're Crip now,
what's that like?
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It was very interesting
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because I've always
been a inquisitive kid,
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so back then we had
covatis cut with the short hair,
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had a little waves.
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So I'll go out there
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with this
different type of slang,
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so they're
intrigued by this little dude
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who talks different
then they found out Baltimore
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and they say what's that?
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You know, what
is that Baltimore?
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So you know going to school
being chased home by the guys,
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telling them what
set you from gang and all
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and I happened to
be on this neighborhood
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that their guy saw
them running me home.
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So they're like "oh, oh,
what's going on with this?"
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And then he
introduced me to the gang say,
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well, you need some protection,
you need to join this gang.
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So they made me go
through the initiation,
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you know, one line...
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few line of this way
and another line of this way
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I'll run through, you
know, me being little,
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they didn't beat me up too bad,
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you know, they let me
feel some blows but...
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Oh, but the next day, I
went to school, oh yeah,
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he said, let him bring you home,
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let him run you home.
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Let him chase me
home, got to the strip,
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turn around we got in,
got it in, beat them all up,
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had no problems ever since.
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Yeah. Yeah.
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And so how long do
you live in California?
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How long was the stay?
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Six years. Okay.
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So from thirteen to nineteen,
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you were running in with
the Broadway Gangster Crips,
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living a gang life.
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So were you at that point
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introduced to
the crack cocaine...
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When did the drug, the
drugs trafficking or usage
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or when did that take place?
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Well, it didn't happen
until I came back to Baltimore,
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but before that I got in trouble
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with the law out there.
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So being a juvenile
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couldn't leave the state
of California till I was 18.
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Wind up being in these
new forms, things like that
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got saved, turned 18,
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you know, got
released from prison
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was able to come
back to Baltimore.
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How long we were
you in jail that time?
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I probably was
about maybe a year.
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Okay, okay.
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So that begins
your stints in jail,
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the little
stints here and there.
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Yes, yes.
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So the first time you get any
time in jail was in California?
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Was in California. Okay.
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So then you get out of jail,
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you know, have an
encounter with Christ
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and then you move
back to Baltimore?
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That's when I got out. Okay.
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That's when it
got to ugly phase.
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So tell us about the ugly phase.
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How long this ugly phase last?
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It lasts from like
about 19 to age 26.
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Okay.
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So tell us, you get
back to Baltimore...
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Now, here's something I
want to ask about because of...
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I used to work at
a home for At Rescue
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and I was able to
interact with a couple of people
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who claim affiliation
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with the Bloods and
the Crips and is there a...
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Was there when you
came back out of Baltimore,
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was there a gang culture
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similar to what was
going on in California?
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Was there a gang
culture or was there not one?
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And if there was, what was
the gang culture like out here
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and how did it differ
from that in California?
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Well, it wasn't a
gang culture back here.
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I remember I
used to tell my boys,
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you know, about the gangs
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and they would,
they would be intrigued,
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but now I see it start to
rise and I was dumbfounded
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because I was like,
wow, all these years later,
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you know, Baltimore is
just catching on to this,
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even though it's
in a negative light
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they're just catching on and so,
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you know, it
wasn't back then but now,
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you know, they would gangbanger
for all the wrong reasons
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not to say the
gangbanger has a good reason,
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initially it did,
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it was supposed
to be for the good
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of the neighborhood to
bring brothers together
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for a positive,
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to help and put
back to the neighborhood
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but then it
turned ugly specially
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when the drugs got introduced.
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So nowadays, these
young guys back here
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have no idea of
why they're gangbanging
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just because
they see it on videos.
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And see, one of the
things that I found interesting
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when I interacted
with the young people
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who profess to
be Bloods or Crips
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and this is something we
didn't do in my era coming up.
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I mean, it was about
keeping your mouth shut,
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snitches get
stitches, the whole nine yards.
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However now they
tell me something
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about this
concept of knowledge books
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and knowledge books
is where they write down
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all the gang lingo,
all the gang culture
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and when I first
heard that I'm thinking,
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man when I was coming up,
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has somebody got that?
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You know, the police, I mean...
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that would have just been a
catastrophe waiting to happen
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but now they are transmitting
all of the gang culture
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and gang lingo to one another.
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Have you had any
interaction with people
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who are into the knowledge,
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you know, the gangbangers
that are into knowledge books.
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No, I'm from that era like you,
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you know, we didn't
have that back then,
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the closest I came to
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and I've seen a
documentary on TV,
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you know, it's like the
book where they teach them
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how to do these
gang signs and also,
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so that they can
decipher the codes
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that are sent through
the mail to the inmates,
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this how they monitor,
they exactly have a team
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now that's just designated
to decipher gang lingo.
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Wow, wow, wow.
That's crazy, isn't it?
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It is, it is
because that is what,
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I mean this
would have never happen
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when I was coming up
like you wrote it down,
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what's wrong with you?
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That just go to show
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the progression of
the gang life, you know.
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Being involved in a gang has
gotten a little sophisticated,
00:07:59.71\00:08:02.11
yeah.
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So you get back to
Baltimore, 19 years of age.
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Tell us about
your re-introduction
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to the Baltimore
society and culture?
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Oh, man, I was always...
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In my youth I
was always a follower
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that's what I have to say,
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and so whatever was the
latest thing to do I did it,
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and so I remember being
introduced to a crack cocaine
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because the powder
cocaine never done that before.
00:08:23.93\00:08:26.00
You now follow the trend,
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you put it on your
gums and you sniff.
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You walk around my
gums numb, my nose numb.
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You ain't get no
enjoyment out of that.
00:08:33.44\00:08:34.91
So you know the crack
cocaine came tried it,
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didn't know what to expect.
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You know, but
that being introduced
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kind of hook me, man,
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and I just went
back and forth for that
00:08:44.45\00:08:46.86
and then
everything went downhill man,
00:08:46.89\00:08:48.76
I became a
crack head, dolophine,
00:08:48.79\00:08:50.73
blackout drinker,
drug dealer, ex con,
00:08:50.76\00:08:53.43
tried everything
that you can imagine
00:08:53.46\00:08:55.46
just to get high up
on pills, everything.
00:08:55.50\00:08:57.93
How was your
family responded to this,
00:08:57.97\00:08:59.30
what was your relationship
like with your family?
00:08:59.33\00:09:00.80
I know with my mom when
she started using drugs,
00:09:00.84\00:09:03.54
I mean, I mean, we live a
bunch of different places,
00:09:03.57\00:09:07.14
she stole from people.
00:09:07.18\00:09:09.98
There were a couple of occasions
00:09:10.01\00:09:11.81
where I remember waking
up in the middle of the night
00:09:11.85\00:09:14.55
and my mom is
literally in a fight with a guy.
00:09:14.58\00:09:17.09
She's standing
in the living room
00:09:17.12\00:09:18.45
both of them are stark naked.
00:09:18.49\00:09:19.85
And they're fighting
00:09:19.89\00:09:21.22
and she's hitting him
with the axe and kill him.
00:09:21.26\00:09:24.53
And I'm getting my
brothers and rushing,
00:09:24.56\00:09:26.73
you know, over to
the neighbor's house
00:09:26.76\00:09:28.10
because she has,
you know, promised him,
00:09:28.13\00:09:31.47
you know, sex if
he bought the dope.
00:09:31.50\00:09:35.64
And now that they
didn't have the dope
00:09:35.67\00:09:37.01
and he's trying to
cash in on his hands
00:09:37.04\00:09:38.57
and she's like,
no, I ain't going down
00:09:38.61\00:09:40.91
but that caused our
relationship to be strained
00:09:40.94\00:09:44.61
and it strained a
lot of her relationships
00:09:44.65\00:09:46.65
with other people.
00:09:46.68\00:09:48.02
How was your family responding
to your crack addiction?
00:09:48.05\00:09:50.85
Man at first...
00:09:50.89\00:09:52.22
Excuse me at first they
thought it was just alcohol
00:09:52.25\00:09:54.92
but you know, that
crack takes a toll on you
00:09:54.96\00:09:57.46
when you get real
skinny, you don't eat,
00:09:57.49\00:10:00.03
you know, you don't
want to wash and bathe,
00:10:00.06\00:10:02.46
and so it became fragmented,
00:10:02.50\00:10:04.17
I started stealing from
family members, friends,
00:10:04.20\00:10:07.67
you know, I will go
up to the drug boys,
00:10:07.70\00:10:09.30
you know, they
will put the dope out,
00:10:09.34\00:10:10.67
I will snatch it and run,
00:10:10.71\00:10:12.17
you know, God
literally carrying me,
00:10:12.21\00:10:13.84
bullets flying pass my ears.
00:10:13.88\00:10:15.98
You know, I
remember feeling that,
00:10:16.01\00:10:17.35
I know it had to
be some angels man
00:10:17.38\00:10:19.01
because I was running so fast,
00:10:19.05\00:10:20.55
a couple steps I
didn't even hit the ground,
00:10:20.58\00:10:22.52
you know, when I
fell and I slit my hand
00:10:22.55\00:10:24.89
and you would think
that once I got home,
00:10:24.92\00:10:26.99
I would nurse the
wounds first, right?
00:10:27.02\00:10:29.26
No, it was get high
first then nurse the wounds.
00:10:29.29\00:10:31.96
So you know, that crack cocaine
is definitely a mind drug,
00:10:31.99\00:10:35.73
you know, like heroin it
affects your physical body
00:10:35.76\00:10:38.03
but that crack man, they say
you just chasing that one out
00:10:38.07\00:10:41.17
that you can never reclaim.
00:10:41.20\00:10:42.54
And chasing that first high.
00:10:42.57\00:10:43.91
So you start
doing time in prison
00:10:43.94\00:10:47.41
when you're in California.
00:10:47.44\00:10:48.78
I'm sure that with this
growing crack addiction,
00:10:48.81\00:10:53.15
prison becomes a reality,
00:10:53.18\00:10:55.22
explain to us about you going
in and out of the jail system
00:10:55.25\00:10:58.19
as a crack head
and as a dolophine
00:10:58.22\00:11:00.96
and all the other
things you described so far?
00:11:00.99\00:11:02.89
Well, when I was introduced
00:11:02.92\00:11:05.09
to the prison
system in Maryland,
00:11:05.13\00:11:06.46
I went in a full
blown crack head per se,
00:11:06.49\00:11:08.76
you know, I was just still
00:11:08.80\00:11:10.13
dibbling and dabbling the things
00:11:10.17\00:11:11.50
and I will always do small time
00:11:11.53\00:11:13.50
like a year here
six months there,
00:11:13.54\00:11:15.67
18 months here and there,
00:11:15.70\00:11:17.04
so you know, was just
trying to come back out
00:11:17.07\00:11:19.71
and just you know, you
make up a lot of false hopes
00:11:19.74\00:11:24.55
when you're in prison.
00:11:24.58\00:11:25.91
I'm going to do xyz
but then when you get out,
00:11:25.95\00:11:28.28
reality sets in and you kind of,
00:11:28.32\00:11:29.75
you don't have a support,
00:11:29.78\00:11:31.12
you kind of fall
back to the same old ways.
00:11:31.15\00:11:33.15
So that's basically
how my little cycle was.
00:11:33.19\00:11:35.92
So from 18, you
said to about 26,
00:11:35.96\00:11:39.83
you're struggling with
crack going in and out of jail
00:11:39.86\00:11:43.00
a year here, six
months there, 18 months here
00:11:43.03\00:11:45.93
and this is after
being brought up in Camden,
00:11:45.97\00:11:48.97
introduce, you know,
Baltimore City about 19,
00:11:49.00\00:11:51.54
go to California join
the Broadway Gangster Crips,
00:11:51.57\00:11:54.94
live that gang
lifestyle for a while,
00:11:54.98\00:11:57.05
come back to Baltimore
00:11:57.08\00:11:58.41
get swallowed up
into the crack cocaine
00:11:58.45\00:12:00.78
that it just
swept through the nation
00:12:00.82\00:12:02.22
and is claiming
lives left and right.
00:12:02.25\00:12:05.05
After that you start
going in and out of jail,
00:12:05.09\00:12:07.92
you're stealing
from crack dealers,
00:12:07.96\00:12:09.52
you're stealing
from family members
00:12:09.56\00:12:11.39
and this last from 18 to 26.
00:12:11.43\00:12:14.90
What happened when you were 26
00:12:14.93\00:12:16.83
that began if you will the
turning point in your life?
00:12:16.87\00:12:20.30
Well, my mom, she was
a traveling missionary.
00:12:20.34\00:12:22.37
You know, that's how
we got to California so...
00:12:22.40\00:12:25.67
I came to my wit's
end because I was like,
00:12:25.71\00:12:28.91
I need to stop this,
00:12:28.94\00:12:30.28
you know, my life was
really going down here
00:12:30.31\00:12:31.95
when I tried to commit
suicide that didn't happen.
00:12:31.98\00:12:35.12
And so my mom, she
came off the mission field
00:12:35.15\00:12:38.02
and she saw me, I came
in the house that night,
00:12:38.05\00:12:40.22
man, half of my
hair was shaved bald,
00:12:40.26\00:12:42.66
half I had hair on it
00:12:42.69\00:12:44.79
because my family kicked me
out of our body to finish off,
00:12:44.83\00:12:47.00
so I couldn't
complete the cycle.
00:12:47.03\00:12:49.36
And my mom looked
at me man, she said...
00:12:49.40\00:12:52.27
I was homeless,
jobless, penniless.
00:12:52.30\00:12:53.80
My grandma was standing there
00:12:53.84\00:12:55.17
in the senior citizens building.
00:12:55.20\00:12:56.54
So that's where I'd stand with
00:12:56.57\00:12:57.91
because I burned my
bridges through my family.
00:12:57.94\00:13:00.28
My mom looked at me
and saying, man, go to bed,
00:13:00.31\00:13:02.24
got to deal with
you in the morning.
00:13:02.28\00:13:03.88
The next
morning, she looked at me
00:13:03.91\00:13:05.95
gave me some words in the Bible.
00:13:05.98\00:13:07.35
God told me I was lawless,
00:13:07.38\00:13:08.92
you know, I need to
get my way back to him,
00:13:08.95\00:13:11.19
plus we gonna fast
three days, three nights
00:13:11.22\00:13:13.19
to break that
cycle of addiction,
00:13:13.22\00:13:15.32
to break that
stronghold that Satan has on me,
00:13:15.36\00:13:18.06
and that was in
February of 1991.
00:13:18.09\00:13:21.53
And I was 26 years old, man,
I've been drug free ever since.
00:13:21.56\00:13:24.83
Ever since the three day fast?
00:13:24.87\00:13:26.20
Ever since the three day fast.
00:13:26.23\00:13:28.07
Fast from food?
00:13:28.10\00:13:29.44
Totally abstinence.
00:13:29.47\00:13:30.81
Fast from water?
Totally abstinence.
00:13:30.84\00:13:32.27
Fasts from crack
cocaine? Totally abstinence.
00:13:32.31\00:13:34.21
You just...
everything for three days
00:13:34.24\00:13:35.58
straight to nothing?
00:13:35.61\00:13:36.95
Totally abstinence.
00:13:36.98\00:13:38.31
And I was ready, I was ready,
00:13:38.35\00:13:39.68
because I knew whatever God say,
00:13:39.71\00:13:41.35
I was ready
'cause I know He's real
00:13:41.38\00:13:43.08
I was running from Him,
you know, so I welcome that,
00:13:43.12\00:13:45.92
man, it was a wonderful thing
00:13:45.95\00:13:47.32
and just so happened that a lady
00:13:47.36\00:13:49.72
that lived in my grandmother's
senior citizen building
00:13:49.76\00:13:51.83
had a church and
it was having revival
00:13:51.86\00:13:53.93
for these next three days.
00:13:53.96\00:13:55.43
Okay. So, okay, good.
00:13:55.46\00:13:57.07
This is good, this
is good, this is good.
00:13:57.10\00:13:58.70
So three day fast,
complete abstinence.
00:13:58.73\00:14:01.60
No bread, water,
nothing, no drugs,
00:14:01.64\00:14:04.61
then right after
the fast is over,
00:14:04.64\00:14:06.57
there's a revival
happening at a local church?
00:14:06.61\00:14:08.51
No, during the
fast. During the fast?
00:14:08.54\00:14:10.18
During the three days. Okay.
00:14:10.21\00:14:11.55
Had to have me
something to keep me occupied
00:14:11.58\00:14:13.28
that's how good God is,
you know, so those three days,
00:14:13.31\00:14:16.18
three nights have revival
and I was there every night.
00:14:16.22\00:14:19.59
And then I can just
feel God just rejuvenating me
00:14:19.62\00:14:22.56
and I'm in there,
I'm praising the Lord,
00:14:22.59\00:14:24.33
I'm just, I'm
just being rejuvenated.
00:14:24.36\00:14:26.43
And so when the fast end,
00:14:26.46\00:14:28.36
my mom getting ready to
go back on a mission field.
00:14:28.40\00:14:30.60
Remember, I'm still
homeless, jobless, penniless,
00:14:30.63\00:14:33.40
all of a sudden I don't
notice, she said something,
00:14:33.44\00:14:35.47
you got an appointment
00:14:35.50\00:14:36.84
with Salvation
Army in the morning.
00:14:36.87\00:14:38.57
You need to go down there.
00:14:38.61\00:14:40.08
And so they gonna give
you a new analysis test
00:14:40.11\00:14:43.11
to make sure you clean.
00:14:43.14\00:14:44.61
Look how good God.
00:14:44.65\00:14:45.98
That was the
fast it was all about,
00:14:46.01\00:14:47.48
not just to break the stronghold
00:14:47.52\00:14:49.38
but to have me clean
00:14:49.42\00:14:50.82
so I can enter
the Salvation Army.
00:14:50.85\00:14:53.15
And I stayed there
for six months man,
00:14:53.19\00:14:54.72
got my life back
together, got on my feet.
00:14:54.76\00:14:57.13
Okay, okay. That was wonderful.
00:14:57.16\00:14:58.59
Okay. Okay. I like the smile...
00:14:58.63\00:14:59.96
When I think about
it, hey, that saved,
00:15:00.00\00:15:03.30
God saved my life, man
00:15:03.33\00:15:04.93
because I was on a
one way ticket down.
00:15:04.97\00:15:06.70
Right, right, right. Okay.
00:15:06.74\00:15:08.07
So now you're
clean and you've been
00:15:08.10\00:15:12.17
in the Salvation
Army for six months,
00:15:12.21\00:15:14.18
life is together, clean,
mind on spiritual things,
00:15:14.21\00:15:19.18
what does God need,
want Rainbow to do then?
00:15:19.21\00:15:22.82
What's the next,
what's the next kind of act?
00:15:22.85\00:15:24.89
Now to be honest
because I love to be honest.
00:15:24.92\00:15:27.16
God wanted me to
surrender and submit to Him.
00:15:27.19\00:15:30.03
I wanted to rap
now because that's what
00:15:30.06\00:15:32.23
I did in the secular world.
00:15:32.26\00:15:33.60
So I wanted to rap, He said,
now you need to put that down.
00:15:33.63\00:15:36.23
Man, there's
thousand and one rappers,
00:15:36.26\00:15:38.07
I need somebody
with some substance,
00:15:38.10\00:15:39.77
I need somebody to
live what they're saying.
00:15:39.80\00:15:42.20
So he told me to put that up
so you know the next ten years,
00:15:42.24\00:15:45.77
He started to make me
and mold me and shape me
00:15:45.81\00:15:47.94
but in between time around 2003,
00:15:47.98\00:15:50.68
He allowed me to go
back into the prison
00:15:50.71\00:15:52.78
and start preaching in a prison.
00:15:52.81\00:15:54.25
So you want to
rap after six months.
00:15:54.28\00:15:57.22
You're like, okay, now I'm
gonna do this rap game thing,
00:15:57.25\00:15:59.85
but God is like, no,
I need you to sit down
00:15:59.89\00:16:02.02
and so for ten years
you weren't doing the music.
00:16:02.06\00:16:03.86
What were you doing during
that ten year period of time?
00:16:03.89\00:16:05.93
Actually I was
letting God make me, man.
00:16:05.96\00:16:08.33
I was doing my best
to live by His Word,
00:16:08.36\00:16:11.27
you know, no drinking,
no drugging, no fornicating,
00:16:11.30\00:16:14.84
I'm just living by
His Word to the best
00:16:14.87\00:16:17.81
and my ability and
just let Him make me
00:16:17.84\00:16:20.98
and I fell back, you know,
00:16:21.01\00:16:22.98
once I got off
the Salvation Army,
00:16:23.01\00:16:24.35
I went to a recovery house,
00:16:24.38\00:16:26.15
there for about six
months trying to get a job.
00:16:26.18\00:16:29.15
The wreckage of my past came up,
00:16:29.18\00:16:31.85
you know, my
uncle called me one day
00:16:31.89\00:16:33.49
and said man, a
policeman looking for you,
00:16:33.52\00:16:35.16
they got a
warrant for your arrest.
00:16:35.19\00:16:36.73
I'm just like, oh
no, so you know, gosh,
00:16:36.76\00:16:39.03
you have to turn yourself in,
00:16:39.06\00:16:40.50
so I will stay
with my grandmother
00:16:40.53\00:16:42.00
off and on in
senior citizen building
00:16:42.03\00:16:44.30
and I had to go
to Emerson and...
00:16:44.33\00:16:46.67
I can't remember it
should be Emerson Avenue
00:16:46.70\00:16:48.37
and something and
they pulled up in a truck,
00:16:48.40\00:16:51.51
jumped out on me
with the guns drawn
00:16:51.54\00:16:54.11
but they looked
at my arrest picture
00:16:54.14\00:16:56.21
and they looked at me
00:16:56.24\00:16:57.78
and they looked at
the arrest picture again
00:16:57.81\00:16:59.41
and then they looked at
me and they put the guns down
00:16:59.45\00:17:03.39
and said turn
around and one said,
00:17:03.42\00:17:05.15
no, turn to the front
and handcuff me in the front.
00:17:05.19\00:17:08.09
And the guys said, man,
00:17:08.12\00:17:09.46
whatever you're
doing keep doing,
00:17:09.49\00:17:11.73
but we gotta take you in.
00:17:11.76\00:17:13.09
Right.
00:17:13.13\00:17:14.46
Helping me now and
say you want to cigarette?
00:17:14.50\00:17:15.83
And I started to say,
yes, and was like, no.
00:17:15.86\00:17:18.40
You know, so the
wreckage of my past caught up,
00:17:18.43\00:17:20.10
I had to serve
that time, came home...
00:17:20.14\00:17:22.77
How much time was
that? About a year.
00:17:22.80\00:17:24.37
Okay. I came home...
00:17:24.41\00:17:26.07
And because of the
wreckage in the past
00:17:26.11\00:17:27.58
I was staying
with a family member.
00:17:27.61\00:17:29.54
And I didn't get a job as fast
00:17:29.58\00:17:31.05
as they would like
to see me get a job.
00:17:31.08\00:17:33.31
So they stopped
giving me bus money,
00:17:33.35\00:17:35.65
so I walked around
my old neighborhood
00:17:35.68\00:17:38.12
and it was a
open air drug market,
00:17:38.15\00:17:40.06
and I was
looking and I was like,
00:17:40.09\00:17:41.96
wow, I don't use it no more.
00:17:41.99\00:17:44.83
I can get some money.
00:17:44.86\00:17:46.66
And you know, one
thing led to another,
00:17:46.70\00:17:48.30
I started selling the crack
00:17:48.33\00:17:49.76
and things start
going well for me,
00:17:49.80\00:17:52.30
you know, everything
like that then I got arrested.
00:17:52.33\00:17:54.74
Now I'm clear now,
I've got a clear mind
00:17:54.77\00:17:57.47
I'm still in the
backseat in this thing,
00:17:57.51\00:17:59.17
but I've got a clear mind.
00:17:59.21\00:18:00.68
So when I got arrested I said,
00:18:00.71\00:18:02.14
Oh Lord, I know
what you're doing.
00:18:02.18\00:18:04.55
I said, I surrender,
you get me out of this,
00:18:04.58\00:18:06.58
I'm running for you.
00:18:06.61\00:18:08.72
And so I was sentenced to
five years with possession
00:18:08.75\00:18:12.02
with intent to
distribute crack cocaine.
00:18:12.05\00:18:14.22
Served two years, eight
months, six days, ten hours,
00:18:14.26\00:18:17.06
forty five minutes
and made up in my mind,
00:18:17.09\00:18:20.30
Lord, I'm running
for me from here on now,
00:18:20.33\00:18:22.10
you know, I was released
and I came home flat footed man
00:18:22.13\00:18:25.57
and you know
joined a local church
00:18:25.60\00:18:27.04
and they start
letting God build me up.
00:18:27.07\00:18:29.40
And then I was introduced
to the prison ministry in 2003.
00:18:29.44\00:18:32.97
So in 2003, God introduce
you to prison ministry.
00:18:33.01\00:18:36.21
Tell me about that introduction?
00:18:36.24\00:18:38.48
I was telling the
gentleman earlier,
00:18:38.51\00:18:40.72
we started going
to the institution
00:18:40.75\00:18:43.62
and I was just
going as a lay member.
00:18:43.65\00:18:45.52
You know just going
to enjoy the service.
00:18:45.55\00:18:47.22
So the elder from
Miracle Temple said,
00:18:47.26\00:18:49.59
I want you to preach next month.
00:18:49.62\00:18:50.96
I said, okay, fine.
So I preached next month.
00:18:50.99\00:18:53.60
Then we came
back the next month,
00:18:53.63\00:18:54.96
he said, we want you to
preach again next month.
00:18:55.00\00:18:56.90
I said, okay,
fine, I preached again.
00:18:56.93\00:18:59.00
Not thinking that
is going to be mild,
00:18:59.03\00:19:00.47
I just come and
enjoy the service, he said,
00:19:00.50\00:19:01.90
God told me to tell you that
00:19:01.94\00:19:03.47
you are the
preacher from here on now.
00:19:03.51\00:19:05.67
I said really?
00:19:05.71\00:19:07.04
But I made a promise
to God like 26 years ago
00:19:07.08\00:19:10.38
in the same institution
that I go back to now,
00:19:10.41\00:19:12.88
I said Lord, you
getting me out of this now...
00:19:12.91\00:19:14.25
Now wait, wait, wait.
00:19:14.28\00:19:15.62
So you're now
going back to the place
00:19:15.65\00:19:17.62
that you had
once served time in?
00:19:17.65\00:19:18.99
Yes.
00:19:19.02\00:19:20.36
And so God has
seen fit after all of,
00:19:20.39\00:19:22.19
all of the foolishness
that you got yourself involved
00:19:22.22\00:19:25.26
in running away from Him,
00:19:25.29\00:19:26.70
you ended up in a jail
that God now is saying, listen,
00:19:26.73\00:19:29.00
I want you to go back
00:19:29.03\00:19:30.37
and almost talk to
the person you were
00:19:30.40\00:19:32.97
when you were here.
00:19:33.00\00:19:34.34
Yes, sir. Okay, okay, okay.
00:19:34.37\00:19:35.90
So now you're doing
prison ministry and you have...
00:19:35.94\00:19:40.08
Initially wanted to do the
rap that rap thing, God said,
00:19:40.11\00:19:42.48
nah, nah, nah, no
rap thing for you.
00:19:42.51\00:19:45.05
And so while you're
doing prison ministry,
00:19:45.08\00:19:47.02
does God ever come back around
00:19:47.05\00:19:48.38
and say, okay, now you
might be ready for that?
00:19:48.42\00:19:51.62
Yes, He did.
00:19:51.65\00:19:52.99
And then you
know, look I thought
00:19:53.02\00:19:54.36
I wouldn't had I'm thinking,
00:19:54.39\00:19:55.72
you know, where
is this coming from?
00:19:55.76\00:19:57.09
You know, does I
had to a check myself,
00:19:57.13\00:19:58.46
is this self
ambition or you know
00:19:58.49\00:20:00.50
because I don't want
to, I don't want to disobey,
00:20:00.53\00:20:02.33
man, he bought
me from the gutter.
00:20:02.36\00:20:04.00
So I heard Him say,
I need you to pick up
00:20:04.03\00:20:05.77
the music ministry now.
00:20:05.80\00:20:07.14
So and I ignored
it for like a year
00:20:07.17\00:20:11.54
and He said, Rainbow, I
need you to start a ministry
00:20:11.57\00:20:14.18
and this time around He
brought everything to me.
00:20:14.21\00:20:17.38
What no effort
going to seek this,
00:20:17.41\00:20:19.15
going to seek that,
going to seek tracks,
00:20:19.18\00:20:21.15
studio time everything
00:20:21.18\00:20:22.82
just fell in my
lap from the church.
00:20:22.85\00:20:24.92
Everything just fell in my lap,
00:20:24.95\00:20:26.72
and then so I just
started the ministry
00:20:26.76\00:20:28.29
and produced the CD
00:20:28.32\00:20:30.06
which is called
now I understand.
00:20:30.09\00:20:31.59
So now I have a full
fledged music ministry as well
00:20:31.63\00:20:35.23
and look, just this year, man,
00:20:35.26\00:20:36.87
God blessed me to have a catalog
00:20:36.90\00:20:39.23
to go into the
institution that I'm preaching
00:20:39.27\00:20:41.50
so the Emmys can purchase
it doing their package CDs.
00:20:41.54\00:20:43.94
Mercy, mercy. That's a blessing.
00:20:43.97\00:20:45.51
Now here's what I want to ask,
00:20:45.54\00:20:46.98
how long have you been
doing the prison ministry?
00:20:47.01\00:20:49.14
About how long? Ten years.
00:20:49.18\00:20:50.51
Ten years? Next year
it will be ten years.
00:20:50.55\00:20:52.05
Next year it will be ten years.
00:20:52.08\00:20:53.42
Rainbow, have you
had an opportunity
00:20:53.45\00:20:54.78
where you are
going to the prisons
00:20:54.82\00:20:57.45
and you meet someone in jail
00:20:57.49\00:20:59.59
who's in either a
similar situation worse
00:20:59.62\00:21:02.29
or slightly better, I mean,
00:21:02.32\00:21:04.03
that's very
relative than you were
00:21:04.06\00:21:06.33
when you were there
00:21:06.36\00:21:07.70
and have been able to establish
a relationship with them
00:21:07.73\00:21:09.66
and see them be
rehabilitated and come out
00:21:09.70\00:21:13.07
and be a
productive member of society?
00:21:13.10\00:21:14.77
Have you had that experience?
00:21:14.80\00:21:16.44
No, not yet. Okay.
00:21:16.47\00:21:17.94
Because most of the
inmates where I met,
00:21:17.97\00:21:20.18
they have a lot of times in,
00:21:20.21\00:21:21.54
they're not going
away and the other ones,
00:21:21.58\00:21:25.15
so we minister to Adventists,
predominately Hispanic.
00:21:25.18\00:21:29.45
So the other guys the first day
which are lot of black inmates,
00:21:29.48\00:21:32.65
I'll see them coming and
going and we have a relationship
00:21:32.69\00:21:36.22
but it's nothing where I
can keep in contact with them.
00:21:36.26\00:21:39.06
Although I see
God is expanding that
00:21:39.09\00:21:40.93
because the chaplain
asked me to do start come in
00:21:40.96\00:21:44.00
and doing
concerts, many concerts now
00:21:44.03\00:21:46.20
that's going to
invite all of them.
00:21:46.23\00:21:48.34
So I get to
interact with some of them.
00:21:48.37\00:21:50.14
So eventually, you know,
they've been reaching out,
00:21:50.17\00:21:52.17
you know, where you
stay, can I give you my number,
00:21:52.21\00:21:54.01
can I give you my information?
00:21:54.04\00:21:55.38
So I have to be kind of careful
00:21:55.41\00:21:56.75
because of the
prison institution,
00:21:56.78\00:21:58.28
you know, and
some of their rules
00:21:58.31\00:22:00.18
but I kind of see that
coming in the future though.
00:22:00.22\00:22:02.48
So here's the story thus far
00:22:02.52\00:22:04.09
is young man grows up
little bit in Baltimore,
00:22:04.12\00:22:08.59
born in Camden
goes out to California
00:22:08.62\00:22:11.56
joins the Crips gang.
00:22:11.59\00:22:12.93
Yeah.
00:22:12.96\00:22:14.30
Bangs in Cali
for about six years.
00:22:14.33\00:22:16.33
Does a year in jail,
00:22:16.36\00:22:18.30
gives him a kind
of a wakeup call.
00:22:18.33\00:22:19.87
Yes. He goes back to Baltimore.
00:22:19.90\00:22:21.64
Family moves back to Baltimore
00:22:21.67\00:22:23.00
when he gets
there the drug epidemic
00:22:23.04\00:22:25.37
that is sweeping the
nation sweeps him up with it,
00:22:25.41\00:22:28.58
become a crack head
from the ages of 19 to 26.
00:22:28.61\00:22:32.61
Stealing from
families, stealing from drug,
00:22:32.65\00:22:34.88
in and out of jail.
00:22:34.92\00:22:36.25
And it was seen as
though there was no hope,
00:22:36.28\00:22:38.12
absolutely no hope for you,
00:22:38.15\00:22:40.32
and then your mother shows up
00:22:40.36\00:22:41.69
from the mission
field three day prayer,
00:22:41.72\00:22:44.36
fast, going to a
revival, God renews you,
00:22:44.39\00:22:48.36
pulls you out of
darkness, calls you into light
00:22:48.40\00:22:51.03
and now you're
doing prison ministry
00:22:51.07\00:22:52.73
for the last ten years.
00:22:52.77\00:22:54.10
I mean, when you,
00:22:54.14\00:22:55.47
when you think about that story,
00:22:55.50\00:22:56.84
when you put that all together,
00:22:56.87\00:22:58.44
Rainbow, like how
does that make you feel?
00:22:58.47\00:23:00.41
How does that make
you feel seeing where God,
00:23:00.44\00:23:01.81
where you were,
00:23:01.84\00:23:03.18
where God
intersected with your life?
00:23:03.21\00:23:05.25
Where He's brought you
from? And where you are now?
00:23:05.28\00:23:08.08
Grateful.
00:23:08.12\00:23:11.92
You know sometimes get prideful.
00:23:11.95\00:23:14.79
You know sometimes you know,
ego and pride sets in the way
00:23:14.82\00:23:17.96
but God always
has a way of humbling.
00:23:17.99\00:23:20.76
You know to let
me know, Rainbow,
00:23:20.80\00:23:22.46
you haven't done
anything, it's about me.
00:23:22.50\00:23:25.60
You know, case in
point, I came out from prison,
00:23:25.63\00:23:28.24
I was home about a year
00:23:28.27\00:23:30.37
and I had a job doing
residential counseling.
00:23:30.41\00:23:33.07
And so you know,
I could have done
00:23:33.11\00:23:35.28
something different I
had to restrain the child
00:23:35.31\00:23:38.11
and so you know, they said,
we want temporarily you off
00:23:38.15\00:23:40.45
but you know what that means?
00:23:40.48\00:23:41.82
That's just
until we lay you off.
00:23:41.85\00:23:43.79
And so...
00:23:43.82\00:23:46.09
Pastor at my church
that I was attending
00:23:46.12\00:23:47.49
at the time worked with
state highway administration
00:23:47.52\00:23:50.26
and he said man,
00:23:50.29\00:23:51.83
you need to get down
here with your heart.
00:23:51.86\00:23:54.60
And so I prayed about it
and God told me to go down.
00:23:54.63\00:23:57.27
He said remember you're not
doing anything, I'm doing this.
00:23:57.30\00:23:59.77
So I'm home from prison a year.
00:23:59.80\00:24:02.47
So I go down there,
fill out the application,
00:24:02.50\00:24:03.91
you know, you get to that point.
00:24:03.94\00:24:05.27
Have you ever been
convicted of a crime?
00:24:05.31\00:24:07.34
If so, please
explain. So I say, yes.
00:24:07.38\00:24:09.88
If so please
explain. I left a blank.
00:24:09.91\00:24:12.31
Went home God beat me up,
He said, did not I tell you
00:24:12.35\00:24:14.42
you're not in
control with nothing.
00:24:14.45\00:24:16.48
You go back
tomorrow, get that application
00:24:16.52\00:24:18.32
and put on that what
you was incarcerated for.
00:24:18.35\00:24:20.92
I'm showing you my power.
00:24:20.96\00:24:23.12
So the next day I went
back, I said I want to submit
00:24:23.16\00:24:25.36
some information
off the application
00:24:25.39\00:24:26.73
can I please have it back?
00:24:26.76\00:24:28.10
So the lady
personnel standing over me.
00:24:28.13\00:24:29.80
So I wrote possession with
intent to distribute cocaine,
00:24:29.83\00:24:32.63
five years, I've
been there 13 years.
00:24:32.67\00:24:38.04
So, you know,
and during that time,
00:24:38.07\00:24:40.34
I said that to say
sometimes pride sets in,
00:24:40.38\00:24:43.65
that's the time I
get little arrogant
00:24:43.68\00:24:45.08
but God has a way of
humbling but when I look at
00:24:45.11\00:24:47.18
the total whisperers
on a day to day basis,
00:24:47.22\00:24:50.22
especially going
into the institution
00:24:50.25\00:24:51.95
I think that's
why he did that for me
00:24:51.99\00:24:53.52
because that always humbles me
when I walk through that door.
00:24:53.56\00:24:57.03
Here's what I want to do now.
00:24:57.06\00:24:58.39
You're going into a local prison
00:24:58.43\00:25:00.06
and God is using you
to speak life into people
00:25:00.10\00:25:02.56
who only see that
00:25:02.60\00:25:04.43
but through this broadcast
God can now take that story
00:25:04.47\00:25:08.30
to prisons you may never
be able to physically visit,
00:25:08.34\00:25:11.91
but I want you to do
is, I want you to look at
00:25:11.94\00:25:13.34
this camera right here
00:25:13.38\00:25:14.71
and I want you to
speak to someone in a prison
00:25:14.74\00:25:17.05
who has maybe a
similar situation as you
00:25:17.08\00:25:20.12
and explain to them the
hope that God has given you.
00:25:20.15\00:25:22.85
Take about the
next minute and a half
00:25:22.88\00:25:24.75
just talk to the camera.
00:25:24.79\00:25:26.96
I want you to just look
at me. Just look at me, man.
00:25:26.99\00:25:30.83
Ex crack head, dolophine,
blackout drinker, drug dealer,
00:25:30.86\00:25:33.60
ex con, suicidal thoughts,
00:25:33.63\00:25:35.53
trying to kill
myself still here.
00:25:35.56\00:25:38.43
God is no respecter of persons,
00:25:38.47\00:25:39.83
if He did it for me
He can do it for you.
00:25:39.87\00:25:42.34
Even when you don't
want to do, He has a plan
00:25:42.37\00:25:44.14
and a call for
your life, He can do it.
00:25:44.17\00:25:46.34
It just takes faith,
size of a mustard seed.
00:25:46.37\00:25:49.24
I know it may
sound like a cliche
00:25:49.28\00:25:51.01
but listen, it doesn't
have to be a cliche for you.
00:25:51.05\00:25:54.22
You put it into action
hold on to his unchanging hand
00:25:54.25\00:25:57.52
and God will bring you through
no matter what it looks like,
00:25:57.55\00:26:00.36
no matter how
many people are down,
00:26:00.39\00:26:02.02
no matter how many
people against you.
00:26:02.06\00:26:04.19
Amen, God can bring you out
00:26:04.23\00:26:06.16
and you can
shine like pure gold.
00:26:06.19\00:26:09.93
That is crazy
because I believe that
00:26:09.96\00:26:12.80
so many people
who get themselves
00:26:12.83\00:26:15.77
into those situations, Rainbow,
00:26:15.80\00:26:17.81
don't feel like
there is any opportunity
00:26:17.84\00:26:20.08
because once you start,
00:26:20.11\00:26:21.44
once you start
stealing from family and you,
00:26:21.48\00:26:23.78
like you said you
burn those bridges,
00:26:23.81\00:26:26.15
there never seems to
way there never seems
00:26:26.18\00:26:28.85
to be a way back over the bridge
00:26:28.88\00:26:30.69
you've learned to the
lives that you have ran from,
00:26:30.72\00:26:33.19
but God sometimes can intervene
00:26:33.22\00:26:36.96
and builds bridges
where you destroy them.
00:26:36.99\00:26:39.06
He does.
00:26:39.09\00:26:40.43
And what He has done
00:26:40.46\00:26:41.80
and what your story
demonstrates for us is that
00:26:41.83\00:26:43.16
God, you know, we've
heard this phrase going around
00:26:43.20\00:26:46.03
can take you from the guttermost
00:26:46.07\00:26:47.50
to the uttermost.
00:26:47.54\00:26:48.87
Yes sir. From the
pit to the palace.
00:26:48.90\00:26:50.31
Yes.
00:26:50.34\00:26:51.67
Here you are
now sitting, I mean,
00:26:51.71\00:26:53.68
well dressed, look good.
00:26:53.71\00:26:55.48
And I think that
someone who sees you now
00:26:55.51\00:26:58.15
would never know that
00:26:58.18\00:26:59.51
that's the
lifestyle that you were in.
00:26:59.55\00:27:02.28
They would never know that,
00:27:02.32\00:27:03.92
similar to when
the police officers
00:27:03.95\00:27:05.52
pulled up on you jumped out
and said, hey, wait, wait...
00:27:05.55\00:27:08.39
Is this the right
guy? Is this the right guy.
00:27:08.42\00:27:10.69
And, Rainbow, that is indeed
an encouragement not only,
00:27:10.73\00:27:16.23
hear me, I don't
think it's an encouragement
00:27:16.26\00:27:17.63
only for the
inmate or the crack head
00:27:17.67\00:27:20.27
or for the blackout drinker.
00:27:20.30\00:27:21.90
I think it's an encouragement
00:27:21.94\00:27:23.27
for those who've never
experienced any of those things
00:27:23.30\00:27:25.94
because I sometimes tell people
00:27:25.97\00:27:27.31
when sharing my
personal testimony,
00:27:27.34\00:27:28.94
the great testimonies
that I hear not to say
00:27:28.98\00:27:31.08
that ours have been a
similar testimony as yours,
00:27:31.11\00:27:34.52
not to say that
ours is any less valuable
00:27:34.55\00:27:36.69
or any less powerful
00:27:36.72\00:27:38.05
but the one
that's a powerful to me
00:27:38.09\00:27:39.79
having been where
I've been is the person
00:27:39.82\00:27:42.32
who says I've
never drank anything.
00:27:42.36\00:27:44.33
I've never smoked anything,
I've never been to jail
00:27:44.36\00:27:47.13
because to me I wonder
what power did you have
00:27:47.16\00:27:51.00
that enabled you
to make it through
00:27:51.03\00:27:52.83
the same amount of years
that I've made it through
00:27:52.87\00:27:55.04
without doing any of
the things that I've done.
00:27:55.07\00:27:57.31
And so your story gives
hope to that person as well,
00:27:57.34\00:28:00.84
give strength to them
00:28:00.88\00:28:02.21
because they know
that like marijuana
00:28:02.24\00:28:04.51
can be a gateway drug,
00:28:04.55\00:28:06.08
petty theft can
be a gateway crime.
00:28:06.11\00:28:07.62
And so somebody
watching this show right now
00:28:07.65\00:28:11.22
is probably being
able to be uplifted
00:28:11.25\00:28:14.26
and see that God can and
will give you a testimony
00:28:14.29\00:28:18.29
not just for the
building up of yourself,
00:28:18.33\00:28:20.70
not just for
pride and arrogance,
00:28:20.73\00:28:22.76
not just for you to
say look at what I've done
00:28:22.80\00:28:25.03
and look at what
I have accomplished
00:28:25.07\00:28:26.90
but so that you can share
that testimony with someone
00:28:26.94\00:28:30.01
and exemplify
what the Bible says
00:28:30.04\00:28:31.77
in Revelation 12:11,
00:28:31.81\00:28:34.11
"And they overcame
by the blood of the Lamb
00:28:34.14\00:28:37.65
and by the word
of their testimony."
00:28:37.68\00:28:40.72
God is giving
somebody a testimony
00:28:40.75\00:28:44.02
that you can
encourage someone else.
00:28:44.05\00:28:46.76
Rainbow, I like to thank
you for being on our show today.
00:28:46.79\00:28:49.02
Thank you for
having me. I appreciate it.
00:28:49.06\00:28:50.39
God bless you for
sharing with us the old journey
00:28:50.43\00:28:52.13
as well as the new journey.
00:28:52.16\00:28:53.50
Thank you. God bless. God bless.
00:28:53.53\00:28:54.93