Mama, We Made It!

"The quicker you grow to love the struggle, the easier it is." Pasadena, CA, a young Mdot grew up loving all things creative. His bedroom walls were completely covered with pics from magazines like the Source, XXL. Moving around every year after 10 years old, leaving friends as soon as he made them, and discovering new ways to survive socially, Mdot's only real place to find his identity was through the hip-hop culture. This creative space was a place for him to also escape the realities of gang violence and poverty that encompassed his neighborhood. However, as he was entering high school, Mdot was given a unique opportunity to witness wealth and abundance, and for the first time, see a world of possibility. This would become the most pivotal moment in his life. Always knowing that he would seek a path driven by his creativity, he was fueled by his entrepreneurial spirit, and resourceful abilities, to push through the barriers of his harsh environment, and thrive. "I grew up around lions