Rap and Redemption Qua “The King” and George Kilpatrick

By Jahnasia Booker
Contributing Writer

“Do people realize that incarceration is Slavery? Incarceration is volunteering for slavery. The 13th amendment abolished slavery… Except Jail! Jail is involuntary servitude–Slavery!”

A father, A son, A walking story.
Born on the streets of Syracuse, NY, Quashawn Blunt shares his amazing story of redemption. Once a soldier of the streets, Blunt explains his different perspective through the eyes of “the King” instead of the eyes of “young Qua.”

“The King compared to Young Qua is like a pastor compared to a gangster,” says Blunt.

As we celebrate Qua’s success, we also have to acknowledge that it was his failures that got him to where he is today. In 2003, the “Boot Camp” gang in Syracuse, New York went down for the RICO law, or racketeering law. Then, in 2009 the 110 Gang was captured for the same thing.

“The broken homes–It had nothing to do with it. If you really think about it, we didn’t have to do what we did. We had other options,” states Blunt.

After serving a couple of years in jail, Blunt accepts what role he played in the Syracuse community. But as a “grown man” as he says, he believes “life is so much more than that.” Blunt is more so focused on the positive things in life such as his music, school, work, and his son. “I’m just trying to get my family out the hood” he stated behind the scenes. “You only have one life to live.”

This young African American man is on a journey and we encourage and support him on his journey. Listen to his story now, and celebrate his accomplishments!