Publisher’s Word

from Urban Life News Issue 4: St. Valentine's Edition

Rap Battle: Ma$e vs Cam

I am grateful to those whom participated and assisted in making this month’s issue a reality. Thank you to all that made artistic and creative contributions. To the women of this struggle, I especially thank you for sharing the complications, uncertainties, fears and victories with our readers. Your testimonials are a great benefit to those that are currently supporting a prisoner. Whether as a wife, girlfriend, sister, other family member or friend- It takes a wise person to learn from their experiences, but it takes a wiser person to learn from the experiences of others. It is vital that we create a platform for the people that have lived through the system to share their personal stories. Urban Life News Magazine is all about creating a platform of expression, information, and explanation of all that is involved in the system as it relates to incarceration. Providing awareness to those men and women in all phases of incarceration; but more so explaining the system to the family of the prisoner. Enabling the prisoner to focus on the immediate and continuous hazards of living in prison in a certain way. Our ultimate goal is preparing the prisoner to reenter back into society. We are arming the supporting team and the prisoner with knowledge and insight in a way that has not been easily assessable. In addition, Urban Life News Magazine includes the benefit of entertainment with the latest news in hip-hop culture in its many aspects.

To my brothers and sisters whom may be sitting in a cell, cube or dorm locked up - I would like to suggest, although the position you are in may not be a place where you wish to be- I boldly say, after having done an 11 year stretch up-north and 3 ½ a federal prison, the universe doesn’t make mistakes. We can only, at any moment in our lives be, where at that MOMENT our choices have landed us to be. For every action there is an opposite and equal reaction. However, this same principle works in our favor. All life began in a cell. Spiritually, life in a cell gives us an opportunity to become something new and improved. It also gives us the chance to correct in ourselves the things that needs correcting. All we have to do is apply ourselves. We must accept the valuable lessons out of the toughest of situations and conditions. In time, the gates will open and things will begin to work in our favor. Circumstances do not make or break any man; they reveal the man to himself. Unfortunate situations cannot persist or continue to hurt us if we learn from therm. How can

Demar “Jahliek” Tyson, Publisher

a situation that we have outgrown be large enough to confine us? How could we overlook important information in the preliminary stages of our case, if we read instead of playing cards or going to recreation? The justice system is unbalanced and biased, we are often overcharged and receive poor representation in the courts. However, if we chased freedom and personal transformation with the same attention we chased the things that landed us in a prison, all things would be achievable. In order to survive any aspect of the streets we must cultivate a strong work ethic. The habit of working through opposition and challenges that could knock one off their square. That begins right where you are.