Fathers Week: Day Three 'Just The Two Of Us'
L-Win is a little brother to me. We first met back in 2003 when he used to constantly ask me to check out his music. He was maybe 16 & I heard incredible potential, as his rhymes were better than a lotta grown men on TV & the radio. One of the most incredible stories of his very colorful & unique life was the fact that he was raised only by his father from the age of 13 on. So I asked him to talk a little bit about his experience with a 'single father'.
My father, far from perfect, was nevertheless always there. One word to describe him would be "reliable". How can I linguistically capture the essence of our relationship? Unconditional love. When I was 12 my cousin (who is now incarcerated) and I ran the streets with very little supervision. My mother would do her best to protect me from a cold city, but the older I got, the looser her grip over me became. At age 13, my mother passed and I had to go live with my father. Over the years my mother's side of the family had talked negatively about my father. Consequently, I wanted nothing to do with him. My families down-talk was not unfounded, but inappropriate when in the presence of myself, his child. After a short stint of staying at my dad's house, he then moved me in with his mother (my grandmother). To me it appeared that he was trying to simply put me off on someone else. In retrospect, I can see that I needed more supervision, being in a high crime rate and gang activity section of Chicago.
My father worked full time, and it made it difficult for him to watch after me. Although we didn’t live under the same roof, my dad still stayed in constant contact with me, keeping tabs on everywhere I went. Since I’ve been under his care, I have never needed anything. Till this day, when I need help, whether it be help monetary or just advice, my dad is there. A relationship that was once tarnished by the circumstances has become stronger than ever. In May of 2010, I graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Since that day, my father has finally begun to view me how I’ve always wanted; as a man capable of making my own decisions.
L-Win's album "The Transition" is available for free @ http://lwin.bandcamp.com
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