There is one thing I have learned in my life. Not just as a singer and songwriter, but as a man. Life is going to come with it's storms, it's trials and tribulation. It is going to have it's stumbling blocks in the road, but no matter what comes our way to try and deter me, I have to keep pressing forward.

In my personal life, I have had so many trials and tribulations from being born prematurely to living in a hotel to keep from being on the street. There were so many times that I have cried myself to sleep, and I have felt that all hope was gone. All the while, when I got up the next day, I found the strength to keep going. To laugh and smile in spite of what turmoil I faced. In music, I have faced many obstacles as well. Starting out, people didn't take me seriously at all. I was told, "I was crazy" and "You will never make it." Friends and family, at times, when I would perform at different events and shows would swear up and down they would come and support. I remember one particular show in August 2015, I was selling tickets to the show and I was performing with other Independent artists in Charlotte. Friends and family were swearing they bought tickets to see me perform, until the day of the show came. I arrive early so that I can do my sound check, only to find out by my booking agent that no one bought tickets for the performance. So my performance was cancelled, and I was furious. I got on my social media page and I went off, I felt better and people wanted to give their reasons as if I was buying the cookies they were trying to sell. It instead put more of a fire in me, so I continued to press forward. I decided I wasn't going to perform again after that but I was going to keep going with my album. I had people saying, "The album wasn't going to happen, he can't sing. He won't make it." I still kept pressing forward because it wasn't what people thought or believed, it was what I believed and had faith in. In January 2016, when I went to Oklahoma to record my album, it seemed like everything wanted to fall apart the day I was about to leave. I was about to give up and not go, but a friend of mine called me that day and said to me, "You can not see the staircase until you take the first step." So, I kept pressing forward and I got the plane to Oklahoma. I got there and recorded my debut album in two days. Well, the album came out and it debuted at #1 on iTunes Top 100 Albums and iTunes Top 100 Pop charts. Not many people went and got my album but still I pressed forward, and those who did told me how much they loved it and what songs they loved. A fellow recording artist and Poze artist, Simply T. told me about Poze Productions and Poze Radio which I didn't know what it would lead to as far as getting my music noticed. I pressed forward in September as I found out about the XMA Awards. I put my song "Touch U" in the R&B Song category and it didn't win but I again kept pressing forward. Pressing forward paid off, when in January I won the award for Best Pop Song. Then, in March I won Best Pop Album and I set a record being the first artist in Charlotte Pop to spend over a year at #1. Now, I am off to the XMA Awards to perform and possibly come home with two more awards. What I am saying to you is this... No matter what the obstacles are in your life, keep pressing forward because the hard work is going to pay off in the long run. God bless.