THE SOUNDTRACK FOR MY ESCAPE

Music soothed the soul. Mine needed a blast of Conway The Machine. His lyricism had me in a state of bliss. I'm in an early 90s state of mind. Shout out to Nas for that classic song. Anyway, this was how I started my day in the day room at Nottoway Correction Center.

The unit I'm housed in was a work unit. Incarcerated men were going in and out the front door all morning, heading to work. To block out the noise, I slid my earbuds in my ears, then went to my playlist: CTGOAT. Conway's voice, gruff, and full of vigor, paints pictures so vivid, that I'm back in my heydays, listening to Raekwon from Wu-Tang Clan in my bedroom.

I focused on the lyrics, in my zone, bobbing my head, sipping on my tea. The drink, hot with a kiss of honey. I'm not in prison anymore. I'm at the East River Park. The cool breeze caressing my cheek at an early morning hour. The noises of passing motorists on the FDR Drive were my background music. I'm resting on a wooden bench, arms draped over the backrest. Free! That's what I am right now. I'm thinking about a slice of pizza with garlic powder, and a Sprite to wash it down. There's no need to smoke a blunt, I'm high on those amazing lyrics that have me wanting to take a trip to Buffalo. Crazy, Conway The Machine did that for me in prison.

Hours drifted by. The world, music, bleeding one song into the next. I'm listening to albums like Look What I Became, LuLu, From A King To A God, God Don't Make Mistakes, Conway The Goat, and Slant Face Killa. This music took me out of prison, freeing me to think about my life in New York with my family, being normal again.

Thanks, Conway for the reminder of what I'm fighting for. Also, John Woo Flick is amazing. Respect. What albums take you away from it all?