How I Got To The BET Awards (Personal Entry)
Wow what a difference a year makes. I remember last year, I was fresh out of county jail, sleeping on my cousin’s floor and getting an email from @freshalina asking me to live blog the BET awards and she would pay me for my time. It wasn’t enough to buy a pair of sneakers, but it was all the money I had. And now this year I’m actually at the BET awards.
You see, I had a dream, I wanted to blog fulltime. I was sick of sneaking on the computer at work to check my blog, comment and post. I was sick of following orders, making quotas and answering phones for a living. I just wanted to surf the net. So, charged off numerous phone calls with my best blog friend forever Necole B. I quit my job and decided to move back to Atlanta. I knew I wasn’t the best writer in the world, hell, when I started on myspace, I used to write poems and pass them off as blogs. Gradually I got better, and better. I know I’m no journalist, but today a blogger is just as important as Tom Brokov, Joan Rivers and the cast of 60 minutes.
A few days after quitting my job, I got a call from Global Grind asking me to be their sex blogger. I was stoked, I dropped to my knees and prayed to God, thanking Him as soon as I clicked ‘end’. At that time I had 2 dollars in the bank and a $900 check coming from my “Real” job. I was blogging for a living now, and on my way to move to GA next week. Things were going well I was at the top of the world and then the move. Long story short as soon as I crossed the border of GA I got locked up. I didn’t do anything terrible, but I caught a charge in 2005, which the courts dropped, but in the summer 2007 the state picked it up and sent a letter to my old address. I had no clue about the charge, and when the police ran my name I had a warrant.
45 days later in the year of 2008 I was set free for a failure to appear in court for a charge in 2005. My cousin came to pick me up from jail, and told me I had to sleep on the floor. Well it was softer than the bed in my cell, so I didn’t complain. Globalgrind told me I no longer had a job, but they would keep an eye on me. I took that as a good sign that the door wasn’t’ shut on me completely. Then I thought what am I going to do for money?
My cousin told me to get a “job”, but I refused, I knew I was good enough to blog for a living. I asked him for 3 months to get on my feet, “Just let me stay here for 3 months that’s all I need.” My girlfriend gave my pictures of Vince Young topless, I knew they would cause quite a stir on the Internet, but I needed the money. So I reached out to various Black blogs and no one wanted to post them or buy them. So I posted them on my site, and wow things really took off, AOL, TMZ, ESPN, Sports Illustrated, and many other major media outlets all linked me as the source. My traffic was great… for a week! It did help me make 100 bucks off ad revenue.
My cousin was convinced I was doing much better than I was doing, because I got numerous exclusive information, photos etc. We began to argue a lot, because all I did was sit on the computer ALL DAY long. I mean every hour I was awake. But, I wasn’t trying to get coochie or watch porn I would search the Internet for info. I would blog and try my best to be the best. Then the arguments became too much to bare and he attacked me, while my daughter stood in the room and watched. He never actually made it to me, but he did kick me out of his house.
So with about 40 bucks in cash, and a couple of hundred in my paypal, my daughter and I were on the streets, floor hopping from house to house. Then the police came a’ calling. Saying if you don’t go to probation you’ll be back in jail. But, they did not allow children in probation. So I was forced to cut my summer with my child short.
Once I took her back I was able to do more, money was still slow, I was still broke, but I was getting exclusive after exclusive. A lot of stuff I covered was simply just a way for me to eat. And every day I would sit in the Rita’s Ice near Piedmont park and just blog my heart out. Free Internet. I would talk about sex, gossip and leak new music. DAILY.
The grind started to pay off, Kim Osario was at Globalgrind at the time and she reached out and offered me a job. It only paid 800 bucks a month but it was enough to pay rent, cell phone bill and buy some Top Ramen noodles for a month. I was back on top of the world. I continued to grind. Meeting TI who had a tremendous affect on my life. Not that he said anything to me but I felt his energy. I saw the dedication in his eyes and it only made me grind harder than ever.
I keep up the hard work and Globalgrind made me an editor and gave me a raise. I dropped to my knees again and thanked the LORD! My blog, blogxilla.com took off as well, traffic growing every month, and now its 5 times bigger than what it was a year ago.
I never asked anyone for anything, and except for Vince Young I didn’t step on or diss anyone to get here. I carved out my own lane and did me. I thank each one of you who have been here for the ride. I promise bigger and better. I was at the BET awards which surely wasn’t anything like what I’m hearing the TV production was. I thought it was awesome from backstage.
As I am reminded each time I get an email from Russell Simmons, With great love all things are possible.
Xilla
