Growing Up Derrick

Yesterday, while visiting my family, I came across an image of me taken when I was around 6 months old. I have no idea who the child to the left is, but the young lady on the right is my cousin V. She happens to be one of the most important people in my life. V and I, along with our other cousin Ryan, grew up like siblings. Since our mothers gave birth to us when they were young, we were taken care of by our grandmother.

V left home at the tender age of 17. Two years later, after becoming a mom and moving into her own apartment, she invited me to live with her in Bronx. At the time, I was around 12 years old and these were the defining years of my life. Not only did she teach me how to take care of myself, she also introduced me to the culture of hip-hop. 

Above: Pictured with V and my aunts.