future

Tour & Performance
How is the tour going?
The tour was great!! I sold out of CD's early so I had to get some reprinted ASAP,
but thats a positive problem. The response from the crowds have been great,
I have been received very well in every venue I have performed in. I'm loving
being back on the road again, this year I hit more places and put up more miles
than I have before. Future is definitely out here working hard for the people.

How do you keep it fresh each night while on tour?
I have a motor that doesn't stop running. I make sure I take care of the vocal
chords by drinking hot tea after all my shows and being easy on the dairy and
stuff like that. I usually take 15 minutes before time for me to hit the stage and
get my mode on. When I'm on stage about to perform it's not for me anymore,
it's for the people in theaudience that came to see what I had to say. I always
keep in mind that no matter how im feeling, when I hit that stage it has to be all
the way live ornothing at all.

What do you do to prepare yourself for a tour and a performance?
I set up what I like to call "tune up" shows. We have a monthly show in Flint
called Flint Unplugged. So I get my new material I'm thinking of using for the road
together along with other work and I put on a small feature for my hometown
audience. That works good for me to get myself prepared in order to get the
pieces out how I want to, a good way to work the rust out.

How do you unwind?
I love getting in the gym. Hitting the weights is a great way to use up restless
energy. Working out has become an addiction of mine. Other than that I like going
to the movies, whether it be the cinema or blockbuster I love watching movies.
I like shooting pool, playing dominoes, spades, just normal stuff and hanging with
family and friends. Being surrounded by good people is needed so friends and
family are always around if I can help it.

What have you learned about yourself while being on tour?
I can be a very patient person. I can also be hard to deal with if I feel I am being
treated unfairly. A few times people have tried to avoid paying me and I felt I was
being disrespected. Sometimes things get ugly fast, but I have also learned how to
channel negative energy in a positive direction. You have to be able to adapt and
learn quickly out here, especially as an independent artist.

How do you entertain yourself when you are on tour?
I'm not hard to entertain at all. Good friends and good food and I'm good. I love site
seeing in new places. Traveling is my thing so I usually try to get out and see what
my host city has to offer. Some of the best shows I have done have been in places
where people have been set in place to take me wherever I wanted and make sure
I get to see what their home has to offer.

What do you do with your off time…when you are not on tour or doing a show?
I'm at home working on new material and making the older material better.
Practicing my pieces and working on ways to be more creative in an effort to put
on better shows for people. It's always important to remember the people who
support you by buying albums and books and paying to see you perform so my
attempt is always to put on a perfect showcase for everyone in attendance.
Outside of preparing myself I like to hang out with my family. I can be a
homebody when I'm at home, being around my people puts me at peace so I don't
need to do anything else really.

What advice could you give to young artists considering following your path?
I don't believe in following paths I believe in creating them. I am also a believer in
either you have it or you don't. Everyone has a different role to play in the
movement, mine just happens to be on the stage. We need patrons to support
and help us continue to perform, we need business' to continue to open their doors
to us to put on our shows and we need our own establishments so we can not be
moved out of our space as well. This Spoken Word is turning into hip hop so fast
and is becoming saturated with "artist" and CD's , and books all over the place , and
half of these folks aren't putting any real time into what it is they're doing. We can't
have folks who don't represent well portraying the art because they turn away
people who have never really been exposed to good art. Everybody and their
mama is a poet now, So when booboo the drunk is spittin and putting people to
sleep, he will have folks thinking that's what spoken word is. So you telling me that
he do the same thing?? I don't feel that way at all and sometime's I tell people
I'm not a poet. I'm a writer that happens to perform and put on shows. Just be you
and you will fall into place

The Ladies
The FAME thing, are the women coming after you? Lol! How are you handling the
attention?
In this industry you rely heavily on reputation and image. Networking is a he part of
the business so attention is something that is to be dealt with very carefully. I don't
mind the attention. I love when someone comes up to me after a show and tell me
that I said something that really touched them, or someone is in the crowd crying
because of what I'm saying on stage…it's like God's way of telling me this is where
I belong. The women are usually very cool. You get a few that wild out here and there,
but for the most part they buy product and tell you what they thought about the show
so I love them. Ladies are the best... lol.

Are you currently dating?
I have been on one date in the last couple years. I don't want to say it's because I put
so much time and work into my career, but I do spend a lot of time in my notebook.
I do kick it from time to time and I always have time to chill, I guess it's just a matter
of running into someone that I would like spending personal time with.

What sort of women would grab Futures eye?
Well I'm an ex athlete and a gym rat so I love athletic women. I like women who take
pride in their health and in their bodies, that would have to be the quickest turn on.
Form there its all personality. I love a woman with a great sense of humor and
common sense. A lady who knows how to just chill and relax, enjoy good conversation
and is just an all around good person

Now let's get serious...Being on the road can be rough. How do you really handle being
by yourself?
I have dreams and goals as an artist/performer/entertainer, so if the only thing that
stands between me and success is getting on the road by myself then so be it. I usually
always plan on having other artist with me, but usually they flake out or end up making
excuses for why they can't make it. People pulling out of a road trip is all to common
so I always plan to be on the road by myself, I have to. If not I would always be stuck at
home listening to the same old excuses. Motivation and Drive separates the fake from
the real, you sacrifice for what youIt's not their fault, they're just not built for it.

I take time to think, work on new material in my head while I'm driving, I take time to
thank God that I'm able to do what I do. Other than that it's CD's and looking at the open
road baby, I do a mean Usher Impersonation when I'm wheeling by myself! Funny thing is,
I have learned some new vocal techniques from trying to keep up with Usher and Trey
songz when I'm driving lol, they making my stage presence better!

Music
What genre of music did you listen to while you were growing up?
Blues and Funk, Parliament, Bootsy Collins and the Rubber Band, Ohio Players,
Michael Jackson, Gospel. All kinds of stuff

Who and what are you listening to at this moment?
I'm a lyricist so I hear words first and beats second. I don't care how tight the beat is,
if you no always will be. It's my dream to work with Dre 3000 and Big Boi. Together or
separate I don't care them my guys. Im a Nas head, Jay Z and I find myself listening to
Lil Wayne. Weezy F. on fire these days, I find myself listening like, "what! What he say?!"
I love hearing cats going for broke man, show me the talent behind the music

Do you have a favorite artist, past present or current?\
OutKast are my favorite artist, group whatever. Dungeon fam got it poppin. Nas and
Jay Z. Goodie Mob an dthat boy Cee Lo Green. That's my crew right there.

Does music play any roll in your work? If so, how does it?
Music can be very inspiring. Whether it be good or bad. Sometime sit inspires thoughts
and thoughts become lines and lines become poems. It depends on how it hits me

What musician would you collaborate with on a project?
OutKast an dthe Dungeon Fam, Goodie Mob

Poetry
How did the word rise from you?
Well it kind of just jumped on me. I was at work one day at the University of Michigan-
Flint's rec. was for and he said a poetry slam. Two weeks and three poems later I was
on stage competing.I almost one that event, lost by half a point!

Who and what inspires your work?
God has blessed me with a gift to be a blessing to others. I do the best I can with what
HE has put in me so HE gets all the glory and credit for me being so talented.

Who among your peers makes you think?
A fellow named 13 of Nazareth from the Virginia area Is pretty hot. My guy Ayodele is a
great up and coming writer as well. There is a young woman here in Flint y the name of
Amber Lakes who is an awesome performer and writer. I try to keep myself surrounded
by great talent, it helps to keep my work ethic high.

If you had to choose a mentor among the already established folks from your profession
who would it be and why?
Right now that would be my guy from Miami Will "Da Real One" Bell. He Is like my big
brother in this industry. I love him because he doesn't sugar coat anything and he'll
curse me out quick for letting stupid stuff get to me. Sometimes you need a good slap to
get your mind right and he definitely playsthat role for me.

Who is your favorite poet and why?
I don't have a favorite poet, I like different poet's for different reasons. We are all unique i
n our own ways so I listen to different folk for different reasons

Family
How did you grow up? Were both parents present throughout your life?
I am the first born of three children to Edwin and Cheryl Wilson. My parents are still
together after 28 years of marriage! I'm born and raised in Flint Michigan aka Buick City
aka Bed Rock aka Fly City aka you fill in the blank! My Daddy worked for Buick while my
mother stayed home with the kids. I was born asthmatic. As a child I spent more time in
the hospital and on breathing machines than I have spent on stage. Being sick was very
hard to deal with considering I had to watch all the other children run around and play like
every kid should be able to. My lunges got stronger as I got older, but being so close to
having that attack that could kill you kind of puts things into a different perspective, so I
took a different approach to life. One day it will be over. You can sit around and wait for
that day or you can live. That being said, I went through things that most inner city kids
go through today, having to make decisions about what crowd to follow if any, drugs
being rampant in the streets, gangs and violence. It's a sad story that we all know too
well, the only thing that separated me from a lot of people I used to know is the decisions
we made. I'm blessed with a great family structure that kept me busy in my younger
years so I never had to look for support outside of my people. Weekend fish fries,
popcorn and movie nights with spades was the theme for my folks. I used to hit my
uncle Earl's house like it was the club on the weekend. It wasn't until I got older that
I realized that my family life was unusually positive. Fast forward to high school, I played
football 3 out of my 4 years at Flint Northern and graduated in 1997. I Enrolled in
community college before transferring to the University of Michigan-Flint, became a
member of Iota Phi Theta in 2000, transferred to Central Missouri State University
where I walked onto the football team and got my thang in action on a minimal level,
came back home and got my degree from The University of Michigan and I been spittin'
ever since. Life is a funny thing; how a child born with terrible lunges could become a
force in an art form centered on breath control…dig that.

What tools from your upbringing do you bring to your work?
My daddy is a hard working dude. He works too hard and too much sometimes and I see
hi straits alive and well with me. It's hard for me to take breaks and vacations because I
don't feel successful. I like to keep my group of people I deal with close to me and I don't
believe in excuses, there is do and don't do. You sacrifice for what you love

Has your family been supportive? If so, how?
My family has been more than supportive. The come out to shows and watch me perform,
help raise money for projects. More than that, they believe in what I do and that's enough
for me.

Were the arts a viable part of your home life? Did you go to the theater or museums?
I went to museums with my elementary school, but I have only been writing for four years.
I used to draw a lot as a child; I even had ambitions of creating my own comic book at one
time! I went to a few plays as well, but I never thought I would be involved in the arts like I
am today .

Do you have a role model?
That's a good question. Hmmm, off hand I would say not really, I will say that my father and
my family. These are people that I respect and trust with my life.

Education
You recently graduated from college. What was your major?
Mass Communications Media Studies

Was college a good experience?
College was great at first and then it became a job, lol. I am glad that I have my degree and
it is a blessing to be able to accomplish such a thing, especially from an institution as
DOMINANT and WORLD RESPECTED as THE UNIVERISTY OF MICHIGAN! GO BLUE!!

Were you able to perform while in school?
I wasn't writing back then

Is teaching in your future?
I guess anything is possible. Right now I am giving one on one writing and performance
workshops, so who knows

If you were a teacher, and were performing, how would you aid your students in
understanding the power of the word/poetry?
Life and death lie in the power of the tongue. I received a phone call from a young man one
day crying on the phone, saying that after listening to my album he decided not to kill
himself, young women telling me they decided not to have abortions because something
I said touched them. These are things that can never be put into words yet words are what
saved those respective lives. If you can't understand that then maybe you shouldn't be in
the class eh?

Complete these sentences:
If I could change anything about myself, I would change… nothing, everything I am has
caused me to be the person I have become and I love me.

My life would be complete if…I was successful in every way. A good son a good man a
good husband (one day).

My best performance thus far has been…the Literary Café hosted by Will Bell in Miami
Florida. It was sort of a coming of age show, I stuck all my pieces, delivery and everything
was on point. Plus Florida is just my favorite spot to perform.

I have the audience when I…step to the mic. I own the venue as soon as my feet hit the
stage.

What I would love to share with my audience is…my passion for writing and performing…
myself.

I am happiest when I am…surrounded by family.