CHAPTER 09

Chapter 9: High School — Lessons, Loyalty & Survival

High school was more than an education.

It was a test of character, loyalty, faith, and survival.

In Chapter 9: High School — Lessons, Loyalty & Survival, Hitmaker reflects on a turbulent chapter of adolescence where friendships, neighborhood alliances, and the realities of street life often intersected. Like many young people searching for acceptance and belonging, he found himself drawn into environments where loyalty was valued, but danger was never far away.

Among the memories that define this chapter is a neighborhood house party that began with music, friendship, and celebration. What started as an ordinary afternoon quickly turned into chaos, reminding everyone present how fragile safety could be when tensions from the streets found their way into everyday life.

The chapter also recounts a frightening experience in which Hitmaker and several friends found themselves being pursued by a large hostile crowd while simply passing through an area where they were not welcomed. Outnumbered and uncertain of what would happen next, survival became the only objective.

Yet in the midst of fear and uncertainty, another force was at work. When his mother learned of the danger he faced, she responded in the only way she could—with faith, prayer, and unwavering belief that her son would be protected. Though she could not physically stand beside him, her love and prayers became a source of strength during one of the most difficult periods of his youth.

This chapter is about loyalty, courage, resilience, and the unseen protection that often carries us through circumstances beyond our control. It is a reminder that while the streets can teach difficult lessons, faith, family, and determination can provide the strength needed to endure them.

The streets tested me.

Life educated me.

Faith protected me.

And survival became part of my story.

I lived through it.

So I could tell it.