From death row, drug peddling and homelessness, they never gave up and succeeded academically

Rapper Kirk Williams

He was lucky in avoiding being one of many African American felons in the United States. At the age of 14, Williams had been a drug dealer and homeless. He was also declared dead three times after being shot protecting his sister from an attack.

Any other person would have succumbed to the many ills associated with the many ‘ghettos’ in African American communities, but not Williams who dropped out of school after eighth grade and sacked from home by his grandmother.

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The rapper, who goes by the stage name Trembleduzzit, took charge of his destiny and those of his generation and returned to the classroom. He is now a Master’s of Arts in Urban and Regional Planning recipient from the Jackson State University at the age of 36 with a 3.9 GPA.

 “To come from an environment where 98 percent of people have felonies around you, there is always a concern about being able to register for school and apply for financial aid,” Williams said.