Testo Kwaku Vic Mensa

Kwaku

I was born in Asokore, Koforidua in the eastern region of Ghana
And I started schooling in a one room school house
Now I can look back and say everybody was poor
But we didn't know we were poor because we had food all the time, a loving family
The main problem was trying to go fetch water because there was no running water in the house
The bathroom is somewhere there outside
We didn't have the clean shoes that ?verybody had
We didn't have good clothing
It wasn't particularly v?ry comfortable being under British colonial domination
And then I came to the United States in 1977
Just before the winter
Chicago then had a murder rate of around close to a thousand a year
It was a very violent city
That’s when it earned it's nickname as the Beirut on the lake
But again, that did not scare me
I went to 63rd
We used to say that 47th street was so dangerous that if you died, your parents may not come for your body
If you wanted to [?] the streets
Yeah, it was bad, but still, the city was home
When I had a son and I just thought that it’s better we stay in Chicago, to raise kids
The good thing about Chicago, is you learn the truth about America
There’s no sugar-coating nonsense at this time
I got scared though, I got scared because I thought you could be shot
And when you started to get in trouble, I started greying
I started greying very fast, my heart was beating, I was having nightmares because you were having real problems with the police
But in the meantime, I called to come and look for the police station, where my son could be
I was really, really scared that one of these days I may be called to the mortuary to identify your body
You know growing up in Chicago gave me a lot of heartache and headache
But around the time you did the Innanetape
The enthusiasm with which you handled that
And the friends around you
How mature they become
You know, all of it just made me like, okay, this kid's made it
I think my father in his grave would be very happy that I brought up some good kids in America
And particularly also I see it as a great success
If I leave I have very little regrets