"Every place I go, Every face I see
I pray they'll stay with me, I pray you'll stay with me
I'm doing this for y'all (Oh Oh Oh)
I'm doing this for y'all (Oh Oh Oh)"
Last week someone passed away that was near and dear to me and a lot of people I know. Mr. Corbin, better known as Family, was a program director at Bedford Academy High School & spent his time finding ways for the youth to express themselves. Whether it was poetry slams, open mics or bringing people to school to show us a little more about the real world. I'll never forget when he brought Sadat X of the legendary group Brand Nubian to our schools cafeteria. We even got a chance to have a cipher with him. Family was always inviting us to different events so that we would get a chance to do our thing and witness others as they do their thing.
The last time I saw Family was at a Perch Cafe (Park Slope, Brooklyn) open mic. He came out to support me, Mouse Sucks & Lady Ma MaC Mrs. performing that night. That night, after we had performed, the announcer introduced somebody going by the name of D.I.R.T.. This person turned out to be none other than Family himself. When asked why he chose to refer to himself as dirt that night he simply said that he was the soil helping us young seeds grow.
With that being the last time we saw Mr. Corbin, I thought it was only right that we make our way back to Perch Cafe in honor of him. So Sunday, February 27th we made our way to a packed house at Perch Cafe and did our thing the way Mr. Corbin would have wanted us to. He was always so positive and supportive towards our dreams and endeavors that it would be wrong to give them up now.
I dedicate the lyrics above to the memory of Learie "Family" Corbin and follow them with the lyrics below
"On our way to my show, Just me and my bro