EAST 1999 NINE NINE NINE!!! THE ALBUM THAT BIRTH THE ARTIST IN PALMZ. "GROWING UP THATS ALL HE WOULD LISTEN TO" SAYS HIS MOTHER. "BACK THEN WE HAD TAPE PLAYERS AND HE WOULD KEEP REWINDING IT TO HIS FAVORITE PARTS AND JUST RAPPING FAST!" I THOUGHT HE WAS SPEAKING IN TONGUES! lol! HE WOULD ALWAYS RAP, AND HE WOULD RAP ABOUT ANY THING! ONE CHRISTMAS I BOUGHT HIM A KARAOKE MACHINE, WITH A DUAL TAPE DECK. MAN HE WOULD LOCK HIMSELF IN HIS CLOSET FOR HOURS JUST RECORDING HIS RAPS. JAMIE,....I MEAN PALMZ, HES VERY UNIQUE JUST IN HIS PERSONALITY CAUSE HE WAS NERDY BUT HE WAS A POPULAR NERD CAUSE HE RAPPED. HE ALWAYS GOT JOKES FOR THE MOMENT! DID YOU KNOW HE LISTENS TO ALTERNATIVE MUSIC, HE EVEN LIKES TO DO TRICKS ON HIS BIKE! I DIDN'T KNOW HOW SERIOUS HE TOOK HIS MUSIC UNTIL HE JOINED THE DOWNTOWN MUSIC LAB. HE SEEN A NEWS PAPER ABOUT A STUDIO OPENING UP FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS SO HE WENT TO SIGN UP. BACK THEN IT WAS $10/YR . HE SAID HE DIDN'T HAVE THE MONEY SO HE SCRUBBED TOILETS AND VACUUMED THE STUDIO UNTIL IT WAS PAID OFF. I COULD TELL IT WAS WORTH IT CAUSE HE'D COME HOME TELLING ME ABOUT THE BEATS THAT HE MADE, THE SONGS HIM AND HIS GROUP DONE. I BEEN LIVING WITH HIM FOR LIKE UMPH TEEN YEARS AN I JUST PLAYED IT OFF CAUSE IM USED TO IT, BUT WHEN HE TOLD ME HE WAS GOING TO PERFORM AT THE APOLLO, I KNEW THIS IS WHAT HE WANTED TO DO WITH HIS LIFE. AT THE MUSIC LAB HE RECEIVED LEADERSHIP AWARDS, ATTENDANCE AWARDS, JUST BECAUSE HE SOAKED UP A LOT OF KNOWLEDGE AND RAN WITH IT, AS FAR AS WORKING WITH A TEAM, TECHNICAL KNOWLEDGE, KNOWING HOW TO TROUBLESHOOT PROBLEMS. THINGS WAS GOING WELL FOR JAMIE UNTIL HE GOT INTO A RAP BATTLE WITH ONE MEMBER OF HIS GROUP WHO WAS ASSOCIATED WITH ANOTHER GROUP. THEY HAD A GOOD BUZZ FROM GOING TO APOLLO, NOW THEY WERE WORKING ON AN ALBUM, BUT THEY MADE A BATTLE RAP TAPE, HIS GROUP TRIPUL THREAT VS T.I. (TRUE INFINITE) IT WAS VERY VULGURE BUT I THINK MY SON'S GROUP WON BECAUSE THEY WERE RAPPING ABOUT TRUE FACTS THAN JUST TRASH TALKING LIKE THOSE OTHER GUYS. I THINK THAT STRENGTHN THEIR FAN BASE BUT MY SON TOLD ME THAT HE FELT LIKE HE WASN'T GOING NO WHERE AS A MAN YA KNOW. SO HE JOINED THE NAVY! HE SPENT MOST HIS LAST 2YRS IN HIGH SCHOOL IN A CONSTRUCTION CLASS. HIS DAD WAS A CONSTRUCTION MAN (DON'T TELL HIM BUT WE CONCEIVED HIM ON A CONSTRUCTION CITE) LOL! SO HE WAS AN ELECTRICIAN. HE WENT TO BOOT CAMP AND ELECTRICIAN SCHOOL BEFORE HE CAME HOME. I BELIEVE THEY MADE HIM A SOLID MAN BUT HE REALLY DIDN'T HAVE THAT PASSION FOR MUSIC LIKE HE DID BEFORE HE LEFT. IT WASN'T UNTIL HE WENT TO JAPAN THAT HE START BLOWING MY PHONE UP ABOUT SOME (DON'T TELL'EM I SAID THIS BUT) STUPID RAP HE MADE. HE SAID MOM I'M IN JAPAN WITH THIS GROUP CALLED THE RED DOT BOYS, BLAH BLAH YADI YADA! HE SAID I'M OPENING UP FOR T.I. NOW I'M OLD I AIN'T HIP TO THE NEW BUT I ALWAYS INFORM HIS FRIENDS WHENEVER THEY COME BY. THEY WHERE SO PROUD OF JAMIE, HE SAIDS HE GETS LIKE AT LEAST 3 SHOWS A MONTH THERE. I WAS LIKE...STOP CALLING ME ABOUT YOUR RAPS BUT I'M GLAD YOU HAVE FOUND THAT DEEP LOVE FOR IT AGAIN. LATER IN LIFE HIS TIME WAS UP, HE WAS HONORABLY DISCHARGED AND HE CAME BACK HOME. I STILL RARELY SEE HIM CAUSE HE WORKING ON MUSIC!. IN LESS THAN 2 MONTHS HE ASSEMBLES A GROUP (BLACKOUT ENT./BOE) AND MANAGES A STUDIO. IN ONE MONTH HE SAID HIS GROUP HAD A SHOW. I DON'T KNOW! READ HIS TRACK RECORD OR WHATEVER! BUT I KNOW HE GOT AN ALBUM AN HE SHOT A VIDEO WITH SOME GIRL NAMED LADY LUCK! SHE SUPPOSED TO BE FAMOUS OR WHATEVER. I SEE IT LIKE THIS: IF THE WAGES OF SIN IS DEATH THEN THE WAGES OF PERSISTENCE IS VICTORY. MY SON HAS COME ALONG WAY, FROM FAMILY PROBLEMS, HIS OWN PROBLEMS, WHATEVER. BUT THROUGH IT ALL HE KEPT ON WITH HIS MUSIC AND EVENTUALLY SOMETHING HAS TO HAPPEN! I'M BLESSED TO HAVE JAMIE AS MY SON! -MRS. CRENSHAW-