Wednesday, September 18, 2002

i'm 24. how the fuck do i know 3 suicides already. is this normal? what the fuck.

Tuesday, September 17, 2002

i know that a lot of people who read this went to school in st louis, and so the following might be of some interest to you.

kat, from the st. louis rap group bits n pieces, died on friday in st. louis. he flipped out and did some shit that led to his death, that it seem like he wanted to lead to his death. bits n pieces were one of the best underground rap groups in st louis and kat ripped it up everytime that he was in front of a mic. from what i understand part of what set him off on friday was putting so much into hip-hop and not seeing the success that he deserved.

i remember meeting him and his brother jia before the j-live show in the gargoyle my sophomore year. my friend garth and i talked to them for a while, totally down to earth, all about the art, and all love.

i remember putting on a hip-hop show in the basement of this punk spot on the hill, the italian neighborhood in stl. there were probably 40 people there. about halfway through their set kat took the mic and dropped two lines about each and every person there, in order, clockwise.

i remember the shit he said at paint louis 98 that made it into the documentary: hold on, i got something to say. that wall down on the riverfront, that's fucking history. keep hip-hop in your heart and not in your pockets.

i remember him and his brother coming through my apartment in donaldson court, just kicking it, talking football and music.

i remember the two of them announcing that they were changing their name to 'ghetto alumni' on my daio show, radio free st. louis. they changed it back to bits n pieces.

i remember going by his place once. south side(i think) projects. literally. like a cop at the door and all that. but he brought me through his place like i was family, not like i was some rich white college kid who he'd only known for a second.

i remember the last time i saw him, at the upstairs lounge, on my way out to LA, when i was passing though st. louis. he gave me a copy of the bits n pieces album that had just come out.

i may have some other thoughts later, but for now, rest in peace, kat, much love, much respect, and my deepest sympathies to his family, friends, and everyone else in st. louis that knew him.