Yatta's POV
Since I decided to listen to Mamé and drop 'Muscle' I've been getting so much love in the Bay, especially in my hometown. Along with the love, I've been getting hate too, mostly from suckas and opp niggas, ain't no biggie.
Nobody really makes it out from here, the whole Bay Area in general. It's a couple of Og's that got a little money, but it ain't shit compared to other rap niggas. I guess the music industry just don't fuck with this side.
It's been about 2 months since then and I just released another song called 'Fuck Being Humble' with Drakeo. A rs pper from LA that I met through Mamé and that one song has gotten me a little known out there too. Right now, I see big things coming my way and I damn sure ain't gonna stop grinding or do something that's gon fuck it up for me.
All thanks to my baby though, If she had never persuaded me into dropping it, I wouldn't be where I am now. For some reason I just kept doubting myself, and I didn't want to look like every other nigga that was begging for people to listen to my shit. I was surviving by slanging, but I know that I can't sell drugs forever.
I'm not famous or anything yet, but I'm making small money from what I have done. I'm even thinking of buying an apartment in Oakland with the drug money I've been making. The apartment ain't all that, but it's definitely an upgrade from what I came from. Oakland isn't the best city either, but it's the closest to my family but still keeping me out of trouble in my own city.
"Uncle, can we get something to eat?" My niece Gianna asked me.
"Yeah baby, what you want?" I looked back at her.
"Chick-fil-a!" She squealed as she sat in her seat.
"Ight, whatever you want." I drove off in my mother's car. Basically my own since she's never around.
My ma has been sprung on drugs for a long time now and only comes around when she needs money from me or a place to stay. There was one point in time where she was getting high off the supplies I was using to make money. My pops on the other hand is a good dude and all, but he's always getting caught up in shit that leads him right back to prison.
It's been this way since I was a younging, and still continues. But no matter what, he's always been there for me and my brother, even though he wasn't his son. He came through when we really needed him and I thank him for that. He ain't never really want me in the streets like him, but it was the only way for me and my brother to make fast money to take care of ourselves, when our mother couldn't.
Speaking of my brother, he was killed at the age of 17 out in the East Bay around the Richmond area. He had gotten sick of my mama getting high around us and left. He wanted me to come with him, but I couldn't build up the courage to leave my mama even though she was doing wrong. I was younger then, and I felt obligated to watch over her since she was clearly fucked up. They had gotten into an argument one night and he just left.
He was living on his own, making fast money. I thought about leaving with him because he was living better than me and mama. He always came through to give me money and made sure I was eating since my mama wasn't putting nothing on the table, and I continuously thanked him for that every chance I got. Then one day, he was walking home and some opp niggas caught him lacking. He was shot 9 times and pronounced dead at the scene.
That was four years ago, but still had to be the worst day of my life. I couldn't function for a while and that's when I stopped going to school. At that point, I really wanted to kill myself. I felt like everything was falling apart slowly, but surely. My pops was locked up, mother was somewhere in the streets, and my blood brother was dead.
A little while after that, I permanently moved with my aunt in the SunnyDale projects which is where I met the rest of the gang. I knew KE and Tiggz from a while back since I used to always go over there. My mama's sister is Jasmine's mom, and we used to always be together before my mom became addicted.
After I met KE and Tiggz, I met Yase and the rest. Me and Keezy are cousins too but from my father's side. He too lived in SunnyDale and I met a whole bunch of other niggas through him too. He was the oldest out of us all since Cork passed, and always looked out for us.
It's crazy how we all grew up so close and we still cool like this. I just wish Cork coulda stayed on this earth longer than he did. That was everybody's big homie, we all looked up to him. But I know not to question God so Ima leave it at that.
I was hustling in these streets as a younging, also knowing I had another mouth to feed. My niece was born not too long before my brother was killed and it killed me to know she would never get to know her father.
I've always been her father figure tho, and always talk to her about her dad. She really does act like him too. Always being goofy and shit. But lately she hasn't been acting the same, but I'll find out wassup.
"Did you eat breakfast?" I asked as I looked down at Gianna who was smashing on her lil nuggets.
She shook her head no and continued to eat.
I raised a brow. "Yo mama ain't feed you?" I asked.
"No, she told me to find something to eat and the cereal was on top of the fridge. I asked for help but she told me to shut up." She pouted.
"What?!" I got a little loud.
I know that chicken headed bitch did not leave my baby starving.
I took a deep breath because I could tell I kinda scared her. "She do that often?"
"No." She shook her head quickly. It's good to know that atleast, but I'll forsure address this issue with her mama.
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"What's this about you not feeding my niece, Tamia?" I asked Gianna's mom.
She crossed her arms in front of her chest. "She told you that?"
"Just answer the question, blood." I waited for her response.
She slightly rolled her eyes. "She eats. I mean, she alive aint she?"
"Don't give me that, you better not have her starving over here. She's fuckin 4, bro." I spoke pulling out a stack.
She instantly reached for it but I pulled back. "Hold on, what you be doing with the money I give you?"
"Paying bills and taking care of your niece." She rolled her eyes and tried to grab the money again. I took off the rubber band and handed her half.
She rolled her eyes again. "Thanks Yatta"
"Yeah yeah, lemme go say bye to my niece then I'm gone." I spoke walking in Gianna's room.
I pulled out the rest of the money and put it in her little backpack she keeps from her mom. She smiled and I picked her up, giving her kisses on her pretty little face.
"I love you."
"I love you too!" She smiled widely.
"I'll see you soon, ight? I'll pick you up for the weekend." I responded. She nodded and I put her down, making my way out of the apartment.
I couldn't trust Tamia with all the money so I usually give Gianna the other half or buy her stuff that she needs. When I give Gianna the money, she'll usually buy her own things when she's out with her grandma or my aunty. As far as her mother is concerned, it's all her birthday and Christmas money.
Just before I dropped her off, I restocked Tamia's fridge since she ain't have shit in there, and bought my niece a new pair of new shoes. I swear, once I make it big I'm taking Gigi with me. I don't need her here with her mother who rarely pays attention to her. I want to keep an eye on that lil one and make sure she doesn't turn out like her mother and other females from our hood who are dependent on a man.
Plus, Tamia don't work. The only reason I put up with her shit is because of my neice. She's petty as hell and wouldn't allow me to see her if some shit went down between us. I'm definitely not buddy buddy with her, but I keep it cordial so so can at least spend time with my baby girl.
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