Staring Into the Face of Adversity

Tuesday, 09 November 2010 11:05 Duane L. Lawton

Hammerstein Ballroom

I was in my early 20’s when “NYMP” came out. I should have been a kid fresh-out-of-college ready to conquer the business world. I was indeed ready to conquer the world, but as a community college drop out, spending my time drinking, smoking weed, scheming and scamming. I was hustling- but backwards. I was trying to find my way (which is still a work-in-progress) and I struggled to make things click in my life. The physical conditions that I lived in weren’t dire. But I was struggling to pay rent in my first one-bedroom apartment with no job and no money. I was constantly thinking of “creative” ways to get money so that I could pay my bills and survive. “NYMP” struck a chord with me, particularly these lyrics, because though I wasn’t from the streets of Brooklyn, I could relate to being in a tough position, facing adversity and needing to have strength, courage and determination to overcome difficult challenges.

Jay rhymes about “looking death in the face”, which doesn’t have to be taken literally to be insightful. In life you’re going to have to stare into the face of adversity at some point. Jay reveals that he “held tears back”. Emotion is always a factor in how you deal with adversity. There is nothing wrong with having emotion but when you’re overcome with it, it’ll impact how well you handle your situation.

I looked Death in the face years back
I held tears back
I gathered myself and stared back
I’m from where you don’t crack
The weak don’t live
You gotta bounce back
Homie, the streets don’t give

“NYMP”

Jay got himself together and stared back into the face of death. The scenario he describes is literally a life or death situation. It takes an incredible amount of courage and strength to face death. But it also takes courage and strength to face any sort of adversity. Jay states that he’s “from where you don’t crack”, referring to the streets of Brooklyn. But make no mistake; regardless o... f where you’re from, you can’t crack under the pressure. I don’t care if you grew up in the safest community in the America, you will have to demonstrate strength and courage at some point in your life.

Jay refers to the streets he grew up in when he states, “the weak don’t live”. But once again, “the weak” don’t thrive and will barely survive regardless of who you are and where you’re from. Some of us think we’re above struggle. No one will go through life without facing a challenge of some kind. Everyone will face a setback, whether you’re poor or wealthy. In fact, I would argue that the more successful you are, the more adversity you’re likely to face in life.

Though you may be on the road to success, failure is right around the corner. Some of the most successful people have failed many times before they succeeded. As you work toward accomplishing your goals, expect setbacks. But you don’t have to be from the streets of Brooklyn to realize that you MUST bounce back from failure. When Jay says the “streets don’t give”, that statement can be applied to life itself. Life makes no apologies; it is what it is. Life doesn’t give you anything, you have to work hard and smart to take what you want. But before you can succeed in your life you have to have the courage and strength to face the struggle.