The black man who went to Ivy League College then became a Drug Kingpin

[Gloxina]

High achievement is based on so many factors, including knowing how to navigate and develop relationships with other future high achievers. I figured this shyt out in my mid-20s. I was a super smart kid growing up, went to a great school etc. And came out with my degree making peanuts. Then I looked around and said what was the difference between me, the smart kid who worked hard, and those who were truly succeeding and it hit me that I didn’t have the relationships to be in the spaces where moves were being made. So I switched my focus from being the smartest person in the room to being the most likeable, throwing myself into a lot of environments that were uncomfortable for me (understanding that I to this day still feel most comfortable in the hood) so I could learn to navigate and develop relationships in them. Ten years or so later and my life has changed immensely. People give good jobs and opportunities to the best people they know, not the best resume. Most resumes don’t even get looked at except as confirmation that you can hire that person you know or who has been recommended to you by someone you know. It’s game of thrones in real time.

I also had to do a lot of healing. The hood left me with a lot of wounds. But this post is already too long.

So when I read stories like this I get sad cuz I know how easily it coulda been me or on the flipside, how easily brothers like this could have succeeded with more social support and positive examples. Environments matter so much…

EDIT: Sorry if it came across like I was preaching at you my brother. It wasn’t that. Just a lot came out. This shyt hits home.

Proud of you and happy you made it

 

[Guess Who]

He graduated from Yale; he had access to all of that.


Point is, going to an Ivy doesn’t mean you walk out making a million dollars. I know a few ppl who attended ivies and their first job was literally the same— working as a teacher for a few yrs before going to grad school.

Fair enough. There’s also the perspective of him having access to that knowledge but not thinking to access it cuz nobody was in his circle to turn his mind in that direction. Just throwing out hypotheticals. The breh gotta take some personal responsibility too, you’re right.

My greater point is still the same—networks and environments are often the catalyzing factors for success, talent and hard work are just foundations but don’t guarantee anything.

 

[Guess Who]

Proud of you and happy you made it

Appreciate that. Thank you!

 

[karim]

He graduated from Yale; he had access to all of that.


Point is, going to an Ivy doesn’t mean you walk out making a million dollars. I know a few ppl who attended ivies and their first job was literally the same— working as a teacher for a few yrs before going to grad school.

 

[DonB90]

Yep.


She had a kid with the wrong guy, and instead of banning her son from seeing him she still let him visit his dad in prison, because I’m sure people would’ve said she was wrong if she didn’t.

His father was his worst influence.

I don't agree with banning him from seeing his father and I never do except for cases of pedophilia. But she definitely should of "moved for a fresh start" to like Maryland or NC or some place like that to get him away from the influence I hate to say it. Father could of loved from a distance I mean he was in prison not like he had any choice at that point he made it clear what he prioritized by ending up there, can't blame the mother if she restricted access. Sounds like she was doing the best she could though but still..I hate seeing Black life lose especially one with such great potential

 

[Complexion]

Nah you right about that breh. Tesla was a fukking genius, much more so than Edison, but that motherfukker Tesla was apparently weird af. Edison knew how to network and sell (and steal haha) better than Tesla so he’s the guy we know about.

Word. Not only that but the potential impact on the world because Tesla was a pure scientist who just wanted to push the limits and take this to the next level whereas Edison was the prototypical "I'm a hustler, not a rapper" but in another field.

He dumbed down to double up and that proves what I said earlier about the idiocracy effect.

Kudos on that thought, I checked myself plenty of times in life from doing evil cause I believe in generational karma or curses that may affect others in one's fam.

This is something I feel is exceptionally real and is actually the true cause of many, many problems. In effect many Souls are paying off the debts of their ancestors whilst adding in their own bit for their jits to pick up and run with. Once you start looking at folks extended family trees and doing depth histories you'd be amazed to see their jaws drop at the links and resonance to those long dead and their current events.

A lot to be said for epigenetics, cellular memory and the whole holographic conscious thing as it ticks so many boxes.

 

[EndDomination]

My question is how do you go to Yale, literally one of the best universities on the planet, and "only" become a teacher??

A lot of Ivy grads teach for a few years after graduation.

Then grad school or pivot to another career.

 

[Scientific Playa]

Word. Not only that but the potential impact on the world because Tesla was a pure scientist who just wanted to push the limits and take this to the next level whereas Edison was the prototypical "I'm a hustler, not a rapper" but in another field.

He dumbed down to double up and that proves what I said earlier about the idiocracy effect.



This is something I feel is exceptionally real and is actually the true cause of many, many problems. In effect many Souls are paying off the debts of their ancestors whilst adding in their own bit for their jits to pick up and run with. Once you start looking at folks extended family trees and doing depth histories you'd be amazed to see their jaws drop at the links and resonance to those long dead and their current events.

A lot to be said for epigenetics, cellular memory and the whole holographic conscious thing as it ticks so many boxes.

Very well articulated !!!!!

 

[Gloxina]

I don't agree with banning him from seeing his father and I never do except for cases of pedophilia. But she definitely should of "moved for a fresh start" to like Maryland or NC or some place like that to get him away from the influence I hate to say it. Father could of loved from a distance I mean he was in prison not like he had any choice at that point he made it clear what he prioritized by ending up there, can't blame the mother if she restricted access. Sounds like she was doing the best she could though but still..I hate seeing Black life lose especially one with such great potential

Lol so…you basically agree with me.

 

[PrnzHakeem]

Met him once for brunch (dbl date situation), cool dude. Never would've thought he was living that life

 

[DonB90]

Lol so…you basically agree with me.

I was never disagreeing with you lady

Just don't explicit say your gonna cut off access to the father thats hurtful, and as a man, who were made in God's image, ergo being the closes thing to God, we don't like being hurt. Even it what your saying is the truth. Its a pride thing. And its Fathers Day

 

[Gloxina]

Word. Not only that but the potential impact on the world because Tesla was a pure scientist who just wanted to push the limits and take this to the next level whereas Edison was the prototypical "I'm a hustler, not a rapper" but in another field.

He dumbed down to double up and that proves what I said earlier about the idiocracy effect.



This is something I feel is exceptionally real and is actually the true cause of many, many problems. In effect many Souls are paying off the debts of their ancestors whilst adding in their own bit for their jits to pick up and run with. Once you start looking at folks extended family trees and doing depth histories you'd be amazed to see their jaws drop at the links and resonance to those long dead and their current events.

A lot to be said for epigenetics, cellular memory and the whole holographic conscious thing as it ticks so many boxes.

Yep. But this also makes me think about nature vs nature. If you take that same intelligent child, pluck him from the environment and put him elsewhere, with no knowledge of his dad’s horrendous past surrounded by the proper influences, he probably wouldn’t be thinking about going back to the block and selling drugs.


This is honestly why there has to be more proper familial influence, girls have to be taught to approach things with more logic than emotion, and we need better influences to guide young men. This is a completely tragic tale. His mother tried to course correct and steer the ship away, but her son couldn’t escape the influences that were around him from his youth.

 

[HarlemHottie]

Met him once for brunch (dbl date situation), cool dude. Never would've thought he was living that life

I was gon say... I mighta come across him once or twice myself. He was around my year and, a, I went to a hs in NJ that played St Benedicts and we made it a point to know ALL the black boys and, b, I was at Yale damn near as much as I was at my own school. Damn.

There was another situation at Yale in these years too, but I can't remember enough details to google.

 

[Schadenfreude]

My bad Steve Harvey

That's not what I'm getting at, at all. Just saying that much like some famous people from Detroit from back in the day -- it's probably best that most people don't know what they were really like.

 

[Complexion]

Yep. But this also makes me think about nature vs nature. If you take that same intelligent child, pluck him from the environment and put him elsewhere, with no knowledge of his dad’s horrendous past surrounded by the proper influences, he probably wouldn’t be thinking about going back to the block and selling drugs.


This is honestly why there has to be more proper familial influence, girls have to be taught to approach things with more logic than emotion, and we need better influences to guide young men. This is a completely tragic tale. His mother tried to course correct and steer the ship away, but her son couldn’t escape the influences that were around him from his youth.

Yes and no. Twins that were adopted and raised in very differing circumstances with no knowledge of their past or heritage often exhibit stunning similarities in preferences, lifestyles and events.

Things like this kept on popping up again and again and constantly refined my perspective because there is zero chance of that happening organically unless we are indeed in a simulation in which case Ctrl C, Ctrl V is super easy. The influence of friends and family (as well as media) is immense though as it can draw out talents or impress in devishness that was there all along and looking for a way to express.

In many ways its like sculpting a block because the skill is removing what doesn't need to be there to reveal what was always present and this is something that requires a certain level of development that most are entirely lacking. See my other thread about autopilot lives:

0-30 = Instinct. 30+ = Reason

Does this match your experience? Better yet do you have friends that haven't made that shift? You can tell as they often don't have the wisdom of experience as they've never stopped, chilled and watched how the pieces flow and thus are still running off at the mouth like chickens about which...

www.thecoli.com

We can recode ourselves and indeed its the only sane option as most of us were born to half crazed parents who knew none of this and never had the time or inclination to introspect and do something about it before creating the next gen. Wounded womb in full effect.