Latest / Nightmare Success In and Out / Childhood trauma, addiction, prison to Rapper Success - Danny Mitchell

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Childhood trauma, addiction, prison to Rapper Success - Danny Mitchell · Nightmare Success In and Out

0:01
What happens when your worst fear becomes your reality?
0:04
Hi. I'm Brent, Cassidy.
0:05
Welcome to the nightmare success.
0:07
In about podcast, where we explore a, how to overcome your
0:10
fears. And Nightmares is set yourself
0:12
free. We're going to be exploring this
0:14
topic with guys that was in Leavenworth with and others who
0:17
survived their own nightmare. These stories can be inspiring.
0:21
Sometimes sad, there's some humor but hopefully you can come
0:26
away with a nugget of something that will help you knock down
0:28
some of the prisons. You Built up in your own mind.
0:33
All right, now Mara success listeners.
0:35
We are back. And you guys come here for what
0:39
happens when your worst fear becomes your reality, how do you
0:41
adapt survive, overcome set yourself free?
0:45
Well, I have, I want to give a shout out here to Ronnie
0:47
Lankford. If anybody was listening last
0:50
week, we published his is interview, which was fantastic.
0:54
It was a great comeback story, but Ronnie was a, is a member of
1:01
a group called link boys. A great group that play a little
1:06
bit of their music. I've His partner here today and
1:11
Danny Mitchell actually goes by 3D.
1:13
Also, he's actually got a song that is on the radio now it's
1:17
called goodbye Rescue Me. Oh rescue me.
1:20
I that's the first one I saw in there.
1:21
You're right. You're right.
1:22
I'm looking at the first one that's Rescue.
1:24
Me is the number 21 on here. I'm looking to Spotify.
1:28
Yeah, what is what it What a story, you know, I was telling
1:33
him this morning, we were talking that, you know, so many
1:36
people, you know that are going through their stuff.
1:40
The great thing about Danny story is that, you know, it's
1:44
not an easy road to get to where you want to be recovery, can be
1:48
zigzag back, two steps back, three steps forward and talk
1:52
sideways have to get back up. You know, for those who think
1:55
it's just a direct line to success, it's not.
1:58
And I think that's what's great about Danny's story is that That
2:01
he's here, he's making it happen, he's been through one
2:04
hell of a journey. And his story is one where you
2:09
just, you just feel good when you hear about it, before we get
2:12
into that, because I can't wait to get into all this.
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telling the Brent from Nightmare success, since you.
3:05
All right? Danny Mitchell.
3:06
Welcome in man. Welcome welcome.
3:08
Thanks. Thanks for right.
3:10
Danny drove over here from Collinsville.
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So, I was a little bit of a drive, it's so I appreciate you
3:16
coming in because it's it's early in the morning here in St.
3:19
Louis. So Danny.
3:20
I appreciate that. Yeah, definitely.
3:22
It's an honor to be here. Anytime I can share my story and
3:25
offer some hope to someone that's you know walk through the
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same Pathways that I've walked. Then I'm always trying to do
3:33
that for sure. And I think this is a great
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thing. I mean this is one of the great
3:35
things about this. This show is that, you know,
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there's so many different stories of getting through your
3:43
stuff and you know, being able to share your story and people
3:47
be able to plug in and say, wow that could have been me or that
3:50
is me. How do I get to the next step?
3:52
And, you know, you've made you made some really hard steps and
3:57
had to just keep believing in yourself to know that you've If
4:00
you didn't give up on yourself, really a true and you know,
4:03
everybody's stories different. So it's like my story might help
4:08
this one person, but this other person has no relation to it.
4:11
So that's what's unique about these inspirational stories.
4:16
You know, combined, you know, so it's going to, it's going to
4:19
reach one person that it might not, you know, reach that we
4:22
reach one person, we've done our job to that's it will take me
4:26
back a little bit. I know you are from Illinois.
4:30
Just across the river. But what was life?
4:33
Like, for you growing up as a kid as we meet you.
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So, first one of the first childhood memories that I have
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was actually My biological dad and my mom they got in a fight,
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argument broke out my dad leaves and that's basically about all I
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see from my dad for awhile. So how old would you been?
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I want to say maybe three or four, you know, young kid?
5:01
Yeah. Young.
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And then my mom had met a another guy which was would
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later. Be come my stepdad.
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So I have a brother and two sisters that, I grew up with
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that our blood, and then my stepdad, he had a son and two
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daughters. So there was seven of us kids,
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it's a large amount of people family and then I had two
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half-brothers from my dad, a different mom, but they didn't
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live with those. Did you know, him?
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I knew of they all in the same area, like when the same area, I
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knew of them. But when I was younger, I really
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didn't get to see too much of them.
5:40
I actually was all in. The same School District?
5:44
No but pretty close. Yeah but they was they was a lot
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older to though. So so it was a later on in life,
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I would actually get to meet them and know them more, but
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taking you back to meet my stepdad, seven kids, We didn't
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really have much growing up. We grew up in a little town.
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It's actually in Collinsville, Illinois, but it's called State
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Park. Yeah, it's a little
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poverty-stricken little community of that.
6:15
Yeah, and that's basically where I spent from 5 to 12 years old.
6:22
I had spent there. As far as childhood.
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We had a pretty good childhood as far as, you know, like doing
6:30
family stuff and stuff like that.
6:32
That. But like I said, we didn't have
6:34
a bunch of money. So did your mom work?
6:37
She did when she could, my step dad worked every day.
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A lot of times she had to take care of so many kids sir, but we
6:44
actually lived in a two bedroom trailer and there was seven of
6:47
us. Kids living in one room.
6:48
Wow. Yeah.
6:49
And but, you know, like they always did their best for us as
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far as, you know, Christmas and holidays.
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And, you know, when we get out of school for summer vacation,
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you know, they would take us camp in and take us to Raging
7:01
Rivers. This is Six Flags so that you
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know like as far as childhood memories like there was a lot of
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good ones. Yeah.
7:08
My stepdad at struggle with the little bit of addiction.
7:11
It didn't get too crazy but when he used like you could tell like
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his mood swings and stuff like that.
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So were you aware that he was using or not?
7:18
Not at the time. Like, you know, later I would
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find out, you know, he he was a functioning addict as most
7:26
people would call, you know, because he could using and get
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up and go to work. And, you know, versus, you know,
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like You know, attic. That's just totally shocked.
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Yeah, but it still came out and like, in his is behavioral, so a
7:39
lot of times he would take his or, you know, aggression out on
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us verbally, not physically, you know, sort of sense, but
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definitely verbally, abusive. So and then my dad like my
7:51
biological dad, he hit the road with the Gypsies and they
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gypsies was basically these group of gypsies that would
8:00
travel the country laying a Fault.
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So he hit the road with them and maybe once a year, I would get a
8:07
call or a visit from. So there really wasn't any
8:10
connection there without know and like I wanted that
8:14
connection was like I could never get that connection.
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I actually remember one year, it was my birthday.
8:21
I don't was probably six or seven.
8:23
He called me and told me happy birthday and told me he was
8:25
coming. So I was so excited.
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I went outside and I lived at a dead-end street, so I'm looking
8:34
down the street waiting, on, on this big asphalt truck to come
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because that's what he always pulled up in when he came, which
8:40
was really fascinating as a kid to be able to cry on playing
8:42
that truck just equipment. Yeah, so it was cool.
8:45
Well, I set out there for like three or four hours and he never
8:48
showed up never called. And I just remember, sitting out
8:50
there bawling my eyes out. It's like something you see on
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the movies. Yeah, and actually, I wrote a
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song about that but I haven't released it yet but um, but
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yeah. Like in, you know, as a kid you
9:01
don't I understand that you think it's, you know, you think
9:04
it's your fault and I remember like the time before he came
9:09
here, when he had come down, when I did see him, he had like
9:13
some fishing poles and I could Tackle Box in his truck.
9:16
And I remember like asking him for and he, he was like,
9:20
reluctant to give it to me, but he finally did.
9:22
So when he doesn't show up my first thought was, man, I should
9:26
have never asked him for that stupid fishing pole, you know, I
9:28
mean, it's all my fault. It's all my fault, you know, I'm
9:31
out now. My dad's not Going to show up.
9:32
So later on, I would learn, you know, the real reason is because
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he was a struggle and addict and he's actually was using that
9:41
day. And he felt so ashamed that he
9:43
didn't want to come down. But did your mom have anything
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to say when all this happened? Like a, you know, a kid that's
9:49
upset. Yeah.
9:50
Sitting out front looking for his dad and I would think is the
9:54
as the parent on the other side. Yeah that just tear you apart.
9:57
Definitely she was definitely comforting, you know.
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And you know she would try to Never my mom's such a good
10:04
spirit and good. So she would never like try to
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bash my dad, you know, trying to point the blame but you know she
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would say stuff like you know, maybe he could make it, maybe he
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got sick, you know, just trying to be protective but at the same
10:16
time not like bashing him because of course, she knew
10:19
everything that was going on, you know?
10:21
So yeah, she she tried to do the best with, you know, the
10:26
situation that she could soon as you got along and he got a
10:30
little older and went to school and And what was your school
10:33
life? Like school was pretty good.
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I Chi was a really quick learner.
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I've always always made good grades.
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I played Sports, I was really athletic.
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Yeah, I had a lot of pressure for my, my stepdad being
10:47
verbally abusive. It always felt like I was
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walking on eggshells around them, you know.
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So it was kind of like that tiptoe and it always felt like,
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you know, he was, you know, over me and like trying to tell me
10:57
what to do and then it's like as a kid.
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It's like you're looking at this guy.
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You're not my dad. You know what I mean?
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You can't tell me what to do, you know?
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So that rebellious kind of spirit.
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I think had started at a young age.
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So 12 years old, my mom and my stepdad split up over some, you
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know, complications with their marriage and we actually moved
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to the next town relocate. And then she gets what another
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guy who she would later. Marry.
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And then it was Like I'm a teenager.
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Now, here's this new guy, trying to step in and it's just like,
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I'm looking at this dude. Like, he's kind of like a, an
11:41
interloper of pot in a posture. Like dude, you're not going to
11:44
tell me what to do. Get away from me.
11:46
I've already tried to step that thing.
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It didn't work. Like I've done with that.
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Yeah, I'm done with that. So, it was like, I would go out
11:53
of my way, just if he says not to do something, I would go out
11:56
of my way to do it, you know? So that whole rebellious kind of
12:00
teen phase, I think it's Damned, were you close with your
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siblings like during very close? Yeah, we was we was very close
12:08
really tight-knit, you know, because it was like through our
12:11
Joys and through our struggles we always have Cheney banded
12:14
together, we banded together each other.
12:16
Oh yeah. So around this time my my one of
12:22
my older brothers who I live with he started getting in
12:25
trouble with the law and he's four years older than me.
12:28
So I'm 12 B 16. He actually starts going to like
12:32
juvie and juvenile institutions and stuff like that.
12:36
So when that happened it like it really started to tear us apart
12:41
you know it was like here's a one of the persons that I look
12:44
up to and there's no longer around, you know.
12:46
So I'm getting in Fights with kids at school.
12:50
It's like you know you always want to run to your older slip
12:53
sibling and tell him, I can't do that with him because now he's
12:55
locked up, you know. So And like my mom did her, you
13:01
know, she God bless her so she did her best to really raise us,
13:04
but I know it's got to be hard on, you know, a single parent
13:07
trying to raise four kids. So a lot of times, you know, we
13:12
would do, you know, we would take off and, you know, and go
13:16
get in trouble and stuff like that so and always kept
13:19
hush-hush about it for, I know it, I found myself, you know,
13:24
getting in trouble with the law. Hanging out like I had a lot of
13:29
we got a lot of cousins in our our families like really big but
13:33
a lot of them are older so I would hang out with a lot of
13:36
them but they always you know, they would hang out with the
13:39
older crowd. So I found myself around them.
13:42
So I started you know smoking weed and drinking like at the
13:46
age of 12, 13 smoking cigarettes, be going really?
13:49
You were with the older crowd, right?
13:51
So even though they're experiencing this, you know,
13:53
firsthand, you know, 17, 18, you're just a kid.
13:57
I'm just a kid, you know, and So that's basically where my
14:02
trouble had started. So, did it seem normalized when
14:05
you were in that environment? Because and I've talked a lot of
14:09
different people that have gone through that.
14:11
Did you do you feel like because these were the people, you knew
14:15
and family. And that that, it just seemed.
14:17
Okay, or yes? Yeah, yeah, absolutely.
14:20
Like, even even with my addiction, like I remember going
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to parties and like, all my friends cousins and family.
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I mean, they're sitting there getting, you know there,
14:30
Drinking that you know drink after drink and it's to the
14:33
point where they're just you know, heavily intoxicated.
14:36
So to me that was the normal like we did it.
14:39
Yeah. Like I never looked at drinking
14:41
like a, a social thing or something.
14:44
It's like if you drink, you're supposed to get wasted, you
14:46
know, if you ain't puking, you ain't drinking enough.
14:48
So, definitely, the abuse of alcohol and drugs, you know, it
14:53
started from that, you know, it was like, yeah, that was
14:56
socially accepted in my family to smoke weed and, and to drink.
15:00
A halt. And yeah so it was a sense of
15:04
normalcy. Now you start thinking as a kid
15:07
at that time, going you're in high school.
15:11
Did you think that maybe you had a problem or did you think that
15:14
you had any addiction? Or did you just think I'm just
15:17
living life? No, I just thought man.
15:19
I'm just living life. You know I'm living did it
15:22
escalate it did? Yeah, yeah.
15:24
I did over time. So how did that all happen for
15:27
you? I so Probably like 1314 tried
15:31
cocaine, did that occasionally, you know, that was really
15:35
expensive when I was younger. So it's not like we always had
15:38
our hands on that but then I remember trying and like
15:42
Oxycontin and Vicodin for the first time and I think I was
15:46
like 14 15 and that like that I felt like was my drug of choice
15:51
because when I first tried it I was just like, whoa.
15:53
Like this is good, you know? And like pills back then we're
15:57
so easily accessible. I mean, you could find them You
16:00
know, in any bathroom and people sold them and it was really
16:03
cheap at the time. So.
16:04
Yeah. And then, you know, a lot of
16:08
people, you know, they assumed that since it's prescribed from
16:12
a doctor it's a pharmaceutical that you know it's it's safer.
16:15
You know. So so yeah that's where my
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opioid addiction had really started.
16:22
And then after that I'm just continued to do pain pills up
16:27
until I was like 18. So Did I know you're?
16:31
I mean, you are into and really good at music.
16:35
Thank you. We're going to play some of your
16:36
music because it's in your on the radio.
16:38
You don't just easily get on the radio.
16:40
Absolutely. Were you into music back then?
16:44
So I actually started writing some of your songs are really
16:48
deep. I mean, I that one that I
16:50
watched where you're actually in the trailer park, were used to
16:54
get high and, and again, it's powerful addiction.
16:57
Yeah, wow. Hey, check that out there.
17:01
You can see that one on YouTube. It's it's powerful and really
17:04
good. But so anyway you you did or you
17:08
were getting into music at that time or well.
17:09
I did that all happen for you. So like my right-hand man, my
17:14
best friend who was also my cousin.
17:16
You know, he was a he was older. He was, I was like 15.
17:21
He was like 18, 19. He had started doing hip-hop
17:24
music, you know. So that hip hop I grew up in a
17:28
multicultural A family. So it was why you know all
17:33
Blended all Blended so white black you know Spanish so and we
17:37
all grew up a lot of us that grew up on the same street.
17:41
Yeah so I grew up listening all types of music so I loved all
17:45
music. He had started writing hip-hop
17:49
music and it had showed me. And then he had, you know, he
17:52
had kind of like, he's like, man, you should try to write.
17:54
We can do it together and, of course, I looked up to him.
17:58
So I'm thinking if he's doing it, he's cool.
18:00
You know, he was the cooler kid. He was older.
18:02
He was, he was dealing drugs, he had money, he had women.
18:05
So it was like, I was looking up to him.
18:07
Yeah, I want to be like that. So, I started, I remember like
18:11
the first song, when I actually sat down, I put the beat on.
18:14
I'm sitting on my mom's computer at home and like, the lyrics
18:18
Just naturally came out. Yeah.
18:19
Like it was like so natural and so easy, but yeah, that's where
18:24
it started. So I started doing like, Street
18:26
Music When I had first started. So.
18:31
So when you have Danny had this progress for you because you
18:35
know they I couldn't tell from reading your background, like
18:40
when was the first time that you really got hit Tangled Up in
18:44
something and and what was that? Like when did you get put away
18:51
for a while? So when I was 13, I robbed some
18:59
houses in my neighborhood and judge gave us.
19:03
He gave me it was me as actually me my sister and a couple of my
19:05
friends he gave us probation. He gave us a couple weekends.
19:09
Okay? Which was like as a kid had an
19:12
experience that it was like it was traumatized about real.
19:15
I remember sitting in that cell just like wanting to go home and
19:18
it was like yeah it just sucked. I wish I could say like that was
19:24
enough to stop me but it was like you don't probably saw it.
19:28
A lot of other people that happening to.
19:30
Yeah, it's like older than you. Well, yeah.
19:31
And then it's like, you know, you tell yourself you're never
19:33
going to do that but you still do stuff that can lead sure back
19:38
that way. Open the danger zone.
19:39
Yeah. And then especially with drugs
19:41
like when you're, you know, when you're using drugs, you're not
19:44
really thinking clear way. Yeah, you don't really.
19:47
You're not thinking clearly anyway.
19:48
So it's like you tell yourself. You're not going to go back, but
19:51
you're you're doing drugs. What's going to, you know,
19:55
you're going to go back. So, So that's where my trouble
19:58
had started the fur. And then, you know, continued, I
20:01
kept, you know, catching cases and burglaries and stuff like
20:04
that. They try to send me to rehab.
20:06
I would leave the rehabs. I'd go on the run, so that's
20:10
where it started. So, on the judge, eventually got
20:13
tired. And was like, you're going to
20:15
juvenile DLC and that's when they sent me to a place called
20:18
iyc Harrisburg. It was a, it's in Illinois, or
20:23
was it like, it was, it was a hell, were you?
20:26
I was 13. 14 years old and to have to experience that it was a
20:32
culture shock. Yes, it was traumatizing there
20:34
was there's 500 kids in there and you know a lot of you know,
20:39
all the kids in their have troubled backgrounds.
20:41
You know, the troubled youth a lot of them misguided there's
20:44
gangs in there. There's fights every day because
20:47
these kids are trying to prove their selves, you know.
20:49
So it's like 500 kids. But there's a fight like
20:51
literally every single day stabbings going on, you know,
20:56
they lock you in So you know if you're not going to school, you
21:00
know, are you work a job for a couple hours like they would?
21:04
You would basically be locked in a cell and then it was like even
21:08
that get, you know, like they sold TVs in there but in order
21:11
to get a TV like you'd have to be on your best behavior and I
21:15
don't know. They could have changed a lot of
21:16
this stuff, you know. Yeah.
21:18
From when I was in there until now, I don't really know.
21:22
But it was like and then the staff would show favoritism on
21:25
kids in there. So It was like if you didn't
21:28
make this certain grade on your level, you can't even buy a TV.
21:32
And then even if you did get a TV you you could lose it.
21:37
You know, if you wasn't on your based on behavior and they had
21:40
books in there and don't get me wrong, you know, I learned to
21:43
love to read but you know, so you had education in there.
21:46
You actually went to school in there and and you were was just
21:51
a hardcore, High School inside a prison.
21:53
It was and I got my GED in there.
21:55
I took some college. Long, were you in there?
21:58
So It would be like six months. I'd get out for six months.
22:05
Go in a year, get out for you know a year and a half or
22:08
something like that back in. So over from the age of 13 to
22:14
18, I probably had about three years in that place for years.
22:18
Yeah, wow. That's hard core education.
22:21
Yeah, it is growing up for sure. So, you age out of that.
22:25
What happens next in your life? Well, so, queso 16.
22:31
Let's go to 16 years old. I have a baby and it's like I
22:40
have a son, my son's born and I I tell myself like I'm going to
22:45
do the right thing, right? I'm not gonna, I'm not going to
22:48
be like, how my dad was. I'm not going to abandon my kid
22:50
through the exact opposite. Yeah, I'm going to be there
22:52
because I know how it feels right.
22:54
And I I believe that with them I so like I would have sold my
22:58
soul at that moment because I know that like that was my mind
23:00
Focus, you know, but using drugs you know you get caught up and
23:06
stuff so caught an adult case. It was still using drugs, trying
23:13
to manage, you know, and then DCFS.
23:17
I got involved right after. I had my daughter, so I had my
23:20
son at 16 and my daughter 18, DCFS gets involved.
23:24
I get locked back up. DCFS takes the rights of my kids
23:28
because I can't be a dad. Who do they go to?
23:31
So foster parents, they had first went to her side of the
23:36
families. They went to her her side of the
23:39
family first But later would go into a foster home.
23:44
So what how does that affect you?
23:45
Because I mean, you being, who you were as a kid and having
23:49
this complicated relationship about how you felt about your
23:53
dad. Knowing that now you had kids
23:56
and you were going to try to be the opposite of that and be that
24:00
Dad. And now the kids are taken away.
24:03
They put in foster care. What's going through your mind.
24:05
It's like the person that I did not want to become.
24:08
I was becoming, you know, and it was like, even though hopeless
24:12
to feel like you didn't have control, you were powerless.
24:15
Like the, the addiction was, you didn't have the clear mind to do
24:20
what you wanted to do. It was a lot of everything.
24:25
Really there would be moments where I would you know like even
24:30
like they they had tried to get me to sign my rights away there.
24:33
Like there's no way you're going to win in court.
24:35
Just go ahead and sign this paper.
24:37
You know. And I wouldn't I refuse to do it
24:39
like I'm like, no, you guys gotta you're going to have to
24:42
take me to court and take my rights.
24:43
I'm not going to sign my rights over.
24:45
Like I love my kids. I want to be there for my kids.
24:47
Yeah, you know, I just, but I couldn't be there for my kids.
24:50
So, Yeah, but when I had, when I had lost the rights to my kids
24:55
and you know, they did, give me chances, you know, they'd offer
24:58
me help to go to rehab, I went to rehab, I actually completed
25:01
it but I got out and I started using again then I got like back
25:05
up so it's not like they didn't give me a chance.
25:07
You were just heading out. I were just in and out.
25:09
I was in that young phase and for many years like I just I
25:15
think, you know, a lot of addicts struggle with this.
25:17
They they believe that they can manage their addiction and it
25:20
and it never starts out. Like when you do get clean and
25:23
you get that sober period. You tell yourself that you can
25:28
just drink. Yeah.
25:29
Oh I can be a normal drink or you know I can I can go to this
25:32
this ballgame and have a beer like that's a good social, you
25:35
know, everybody else is doing it.
25:37
So why can't I do it? So but it never works that way.
25:40
And it's like some addicts drives ourselves to the graves
25:43
trying to do this. It wasn't until later that I
25:46
realized. Like I can't use nothing
25:49
whatsoever. It's got to be complete
25:51
abstinence. I wish I would have learned that
25:53
at a younger age, but I didn't. So it took me a long time to
25:56
learn that. So so I'm like trying to get my
25:59
kids back and then, you know, I catch more cases because I'm
26:02
still out, you know, now I'm committing frauds, you know,
26:05
home repair frauds because that's basically what my dad was
26:07
doing any kind of taught me that when he came back around.
26:10
When I was like 16, he actually moved back into town.
26:14
So I started Getting to know him more and he had kind of taught
26:16
me that he taught me how to work for myself, but he also taught
26:19
me how to scam people so that had become one of my charges.
26:23
So I'm back in prison. I lose my rights and then when
26:26
I, when I lost my right, it was this like it just made me worse.
26:30
Like that's when I started using a needle that's when I started
26:33
shooting heroin. Like it just I just lost her.
26:37
Way down, hit the rock bottom. Yeah, I just lost hope and I
26:39
just I just gave up on like trying so what, you know, when
26:44
that happens. Cuz I you know going in and out
26:47
of prison catching different charges and going back, getting
26:51
out trying to get clean coming back.
26:53
Getting out, losing your kids hitting rock bottom.
26:59
What's because it's some point? Because I know that you is some
27:03
point. You, you, make, you make this
27:05
change but then you'd actually go back again.
27:09
So how does that? How does that all happen for
27:11
you? Because like, at the time
27:14
period, that you lose your kids like, we're, are you in like the
27:16
age World 21? Okay, so you're still a young
27:21
kid. Yeah, I'm 35 now.
27:22
So like 20. Yeah, like 21.
27:25
Yeah. So you lose them, you hit the
27:28
rock, but I guess you're in prison when that you start going
27:31
down this dark, you know, Rock Bottom in and out.
27:35
Yeah. So when you're in prison, what's
27:39
going on in prison? What what's your life like?
27:41
And when you're when you're in there what-what-what's, are you?
27:47
Because you're, are you getting clean or you?
27:49
Are you still using? How's it working for you?
27:53
So when I had started doing time, I started doing Time in
27:56
Illinois because that's where I'm from.
27:59
When I was about around after I lost my kids had actually caught
28:04
some cases in St. Louis, so I started doing time
28:06
at Missouri. Yeah, Missouri prisons in
28:08
Illinois prisons. Even though they're right next
28:11
to each other, They're ran completely different.
28:13
Yeah, so Illinois, the drugs wasn't easily accessible and
28:18
Illinois. At least not where I was at.
28:20
So, in the prison riot. Yeah, so in there, I'm like, you
28:23
know, I'm working out heavily, I'm trying to eat, right?
28:25
I'm trying to, you know, I'm on my spiritual journey, I'm
28:29
reading the Bible, you know. But there's really no choice in
28:34
there. So and it was good though
28:36
because it helped me grow, you know, some people have to be
28:39
have to have that stuff taken away from them where they have
28:42
access to it. Yeah, you know.
28:43
So, but it's like I got my head clear.
28:48
All right. I'm gonna get out on the do.
28:49
This thing I'm going to do, right?
28:50
I'm gonna become successful and then it's like, I get out.
28:54
Out. I want to go, socialize have fun
28:58
before. I know it, I'm drinking.
28:59
Lead You Back Down the wrong before I know it.
29:01
I'm one upper because I'm so drunk, you know I'm saying?
29:05
And then, you know, I do an upper like meth or cocaine and
29:07
then it's like, I'm to up. So now I want something to calm
29:10
me down so now I do some, you know, some opiates and heroin.
29:13
Oh now I'm right where I want to be.
29:15
So now I'm doing heroin every day for, I know what.
29:18
I got. A 500 dollar a day habit and
29:20
you're spiraling. I'm just I'm getting sloppy out
29:23
here. I'm not.
29:24
Complete work, I'm scamming, people, I'm robbing people are
29:27
let me in their house, I'm still in stuff out of their house, you
29:30
know, so to support your habit, just support my habit, you know?
29:36
So I'd get locked up and then, you know, like when I first went
29:41
down to Missouri, I did. It was my longest stretch ever.
29:44
It was six years. That is a long stretch.
29:46
Yeah. Where were you in Missouri.
29:49
So I started out at I'll go across Regional Center, then
29:53
went to Pacific. That's where I actually met
29:57
Ronnie. Yeah.
29:58
So and then later would go to OCC which was a year-long drug
30:01
treatment but like, in Missouri prisons, like the drugs are just
30:05
So easily accessible in there, you know.
30:07
So I started cutting hair in there unlike the lead Barber so
30:13
in the way the you know the prism was set up at Pacific you
30:17
know the barber had access at night in the winter and because
30:23
the yards would be shut down. So the barber had access to all
30:26
the wings so these guys you know they get their drugs in well.
30:30
Who do they need to carry to the next Wing.
30:32
The barber Barber. They're going to look out for me
30:34
though. You know what I mean?
30:35
Gonna bust me. So here I am.
30:37
I Got Drugs Galore? I remember I remember one day, I
30:41
was going to get someone for a haircut, you know.
30:43
And the guards you know, they let The Barbers going to Wings
30:46
and you know go to the sales and grab the guys I go up to the
30:49
sale and they're all in there shooting heroin and they're like
30:52
July come in, come in, come in, you know and like your the
30:55
barbecue the popular, you know, you could be the popular guy,
30:57
being the barber and I'm saying Barbara's.
30:58
Got respect. Yes.
30:59
You give that her cousin unless you get back at first.
31:02
Yeah, I had some had some friends that were pretty pissed
31:05
off at me. Yeah, it's funny because I
31:10
didn't really have a hustle in there.
31:11
At the time I wasn't getting much money and I'm like, man, I
31:15
need to do something Barbara Barbara slide came open and like
31:19
I knew the other Barbara I'm like, man, give me that job.
31:21
He's like, can you cut hair? I'm like oh sure, I could care.
31:23
I got this, you know, but luckily I had some some friends
31:27
in there that were like yeah you can you can cut my hair you know
31:31
I mean be a Cried Out me so over time, I got better.
31:34
But yeah. So but then it's like I'm you
31:36
know, back to going to get this guy for haircut there in there
31:39
shooting dope. He's like On, and you want a
31:41
shot, you know what I mean? So it's just like, are you, are
31:46
you staying in touch with the outside world when you get put
31:49
away for six years? Or are you just in stat?
31:53
I got my mom as my number, okay? One support some family members,
31:58
I talked to. But usually, you know, when you
32:00
do them long periods of time, it's people just out of sight.
32:04
Out of my busy. Yeah, you know.
32:06
So thank God. I had my mom though, like she
32:09
was always My number one, right by my side, never had a really
32:14
had a woman to stay by my side so yeah, you know, it's rare.
32:19
So you see you get done with this stent.
32:21
That's a six years, stat, what's, what are you thinking in
32:24
your mind getting out now that you've been in for a while?
32:27
So I was, I was getting high in there up to like Probably like
32:32
my fifth year and then that's when I admit Ronnie, we started
32:35
going to church started doing the Christian hip-hop.
32:38
He let us do it in a church. We're doing shows in are people
32:41
are loving it. I get clean in there.
32:45
I'm not using drugs, no more, I'm not passing drugs, no more.
32:48
You know, I like I basically went to all the gang leaders is
32:52
like, look I'm getting my I'm getting sober, so pass your drug
32:56
Sal the barber because I'm not going to do it no more.
32:58
I just can't have that stuff in my life.
32:59
No more. So as I can, then, I'm working
33:02
out every day. I'm getting healthy.
33:05
I'm talking to Ronnie. We're making plans about to get
33:08
out soon. It's exciting.
33:09
You know. We're going to get out of we're
33:11
going to do this thing. Ronnie gets out before me I get
33:16
out like a couple months after him and I go back to my same
33:20
environment, you know and which is tough.
33:24
You know that's I think that's one of the tougher things
33:26
especially if somebody is dealing with a drug addiction
33:29
because I think it's just tough if you get back into the world
33:34
out of prison and you and, but back in the same world that got
33:37
you into that world of prison, it's tough.
33:41
I mean, the willpower And for to what you have to have to step
33:47
through all that. Yeah, because it's I mean it's
33:50
it's a psychological thing when you when you go back to a bad
33:53
environment. Yeah.
33:54
It's like that's what your brain, your brain remembers them
33:58
patterns. Right?
33:59
So it's writing. Yeah, so you go back to that and
34:02
that's all, you know comforting. Yeah, it is and so it's like, So
34:07
you get out and then it out, I'll try to stay clean for like
34:10
a month and I'm doing everything.
34:12
I'm supposed to be doing, and then I remember one night
34:15
hanging out with this girl, and I'm trying to sleep with her,
34:17
you know. I've been locked up 6 years, you
34:19
know, I'm trying to get laid. So and then like she, she's
34:24
like, she's digging me, she's liking me, but then she rejects
34:26
me, right? So I don't like me.
34:28
I'm just, I'm gonna drink a couple beers, you know, try to
34:30
lighten the mood and that's where like my addiction and
34:33
start ending for. I know, it just starts going.
34:36
On it started going again. After that you know just like
34:39
for I know it. I'm shooting heroin again and
34:42
running from the cops and get locked back up.
34:45
What is that feel like because you know you get you get into
34:49
this world and you and the prison world and you get
34:53
yourself right? And you're feeling right?
34:57
You finally get released you're doing stuff with Ronnie
34:59
thinking. Hey man, I'm going to hit this
35:01
out here. You've got good stuff.
35:02
I mean, you right good stuff, you've got real talent.
35:06
But you fall into that and now they say Danny, you're going
35:10
back. Yeah.
35:12
So it's like it's like he for me it was like, man.
35:15
I had my hopes set so high that that I was, I was so convinced
35:20
that I was done with that life because here I am in prison, you
35:23
know? And I'm saying no to drugs and
35:26
you made the hard break in prison which unites all right.
35:28
I don't know where else to go, right?
35:29
You're just your candy drugs if I want to.
35:32
Like they're all around me. Like I have easy access to them,
35:34
right? Exactly what it's like.
35:36
Like I don't want to do that. So like in my mind I was like
35:39
this is it? I finally got it licked, you
35:40
know, but I could say this I wasn't fully working my, you
35:46
know, my 12-step program I was I had a really solid connection
35:51
with God my higher power so I don't think that was the case
35:56
but it was like that you know that first step and aan A's is a
36:00
mitten that you're powerless over your addiction that your
36:02
life has become unmanageable right Looking Back Now.
36:06
It's like I didn't I didn't have that set in stone, I guess, you
36:09
know because if I did I wouldn't use, I wouldn't drink that night
36:13
so and I want to put myself in a high risk situation.
36:17
So yes, environment plays a lot into it.
36:21
Yeah, I mean a lot of people say people places and things.
36:23
Yeah, those things, those three things.
36:26
Yeah. You almost have to break
36:27
yourself into weird. I want to be where I want to go,
36:29
and then you have to find mentors said, are where you want
36:33
to be and who you want to be in it, as people can.
36:35
Hopefully, Lee holds people places and things, you know, you
36:38
hear that a lot. So when I started drinking it
36:42
was like, it, just crushed my spirit because it was like, how
36:45
did I even get to this again? Yeah.
36:46
Like how I was done with this? And here, I'm Rafael down now.
36:51
I fell down. And honestly at that point I
36:52
didn't want to get back up. Yeah.
36:54
You know I got comfortable in my addiction again you know and
36:58
then me and Ronnie our relationship God distant, you
37:00
know and basically left everything on him to, you know,
37:05
he kept going, thank God, you know.
37:08
But it was like yeah. And then for I know it you're
37:10
back in here, I am getting okay. So when you want to take a break
37:15
to right there because I want to recognize our other show sponsor
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because I want to get back into one.
37:19
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37:24
how you planned on getting yourself out?
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Because what you've done? Since you've been out, is what I
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38:32
Danny so yeah. So let's get into.
38:35
So you go back in. What's your, what's in your
38:39
mind? What are you thinking?
38:40
I'm back. What's, what do you, what's in
38:44
your world of thought I'm screwed?
38:47
Yeah, here are, you know, rhyme again your arm again and Not
38:50
only here, I am again. I got 11 felonies racked up in
38:54
two different states. Yeah, and I just I'm like, do I
39:00
do? Yeah, I've already been to
39:02
prison. Numerous times.
39:04
I just did a, you know, six-year stretch and it's just like, man,
39:08
they're going to they're going to nail Me to the Cross for
39:10
this. Yeah.
39:10
There's, there's no getting out of this and I remember, just
39:14
talking to God and like, you know, thinking about my destiny,
39:19
because I've had a lot of Visions about the music in the
39:21
ministry that I'm involved with, and it's just like, You know,
39:25
even you know how we got the name link, boys?
39:27
I don't know if Ronnie it said it.
39:29
Did say they lead you through the darkness, is that part of
39:34
what it is? So one day and, you know, when
39:36
we're doing a Christian hip-hop in prison, I felt like the
39:40
spirit was just like open the dictionary.
39:42
And look at the first word, you see?
39:43
And I did, and the word link, boy, was right there and I read
39:47
it. And it said in 1600, say, would
39:48
hire guys to hold lamps industry tonight, just Shining Light to
39:51
help people, make help make a way home for people.
39:54
So that's awesome. I love.
39:55
That was I never knew that. Yeah.
39:57
Ronnie was tossed out like, it was like, it's a real thing.
40:00
It's like something when you hear such a great, you see,
40:03
something like that when you experience something like that
40:05
and then here, I am getting like Visions from God.
40:07
Like I'm seeing us on stage when you, when you get this it's like
40:12
can't nothing. Hold you back.
40:13
It's like, you know, like you're doing what God is calling you to
40:15
do so, but then I relapse and I I'm back in prison, I'm asking
40:21
God, I'm like, you know, I'm wrestling.
40:23
I'm like, How can, how can you show me all this stuff?
40:27
You know? And then here I am about to go
40:28
do a whole bunch of time like this thing on work I'm 30, 31
40:32
years old, I go do 10, 15 years, it's just over with, you know,
40:38
there's really nothing else, you know?
40:39
And I meant to ask you to Danny's you're going through all
40:42
this. I know your mom's connected with
40:45
you. Have you had any type of
40:48
connection with your kids in this time?
40:50
Period. That's that's go.
40:52
So they're they're off. And know.
40:55
So, yeah. So that now we're about to get,
40:57
you know, to some good stuff. So here I am sitting in prison
41:00
and I'm just like, I'm just shaking broken, I'm exhausted, I
41:06
feel hopeless, I don't want to try no more.
41:08
I just want to do the best I can with what I got in this life.
41:13
If it's if it's prisoned and then so be it then I'm gonna I'm
41:16
gonna I'm gonna be the best convict that I can be, you know
41:19
I'm saying? So But I'm still trying to get
41:24
my mind right. And I'm talking to God, I'm like
41:28
if what you had shown me for the link boys Division if that's it.
41:33
Lord then make a way you know and I wasn't it's not like I
41:36
will try to get out of like I I know I had to pay for my crimes,
41:42
right? Pay for my sake so it wasn't
41:43
like I was like begging God, get me out of it.
41:47
Like I was ready to accept whatever right consequences.
41:51
I just wanted something better but it was like Lord if this if
41:55
there's something different that you want me to do, make a way
41:57
because I can't, I don't I don't tired of seeing what you're
42:00
doing. I'm not seeing it.
42:02
So it was like right after that, my son who haven't talked to you
42:07
in 12 years, My niece gets a hold of them on Facebook reaches
42:13
out to him and I'm locked up. I'm in st.
42:15
Charles County jail right now. When this all happens.
42:19
And he wants to talk to me. Well, yeah, and I actually got
42:24
to talk to him and I wrote him a letter and kind of explaining
42:27
them, you know, stuff that happened.
42:31
But he wants to be involved in my life, you know?
42:34
And then man, that had to hit you hard.
42:36
It did. And it's like way.
42:38
Yeah, I'm excited to hear from but at the same time it's like
42:42
here I am in jail. You know I got to get, how do I
42:45
get out of this? You know and then I got a public
42:49
defender because I got no money. I don't have no money for a good
42:52
lawyer, you know I'm saying. So she comes to me and she's
42:56
like, I can get you a year-long drug treatment.
42:58
Those are Correctional Center. Wow.
43:00
Wow. She's like but the catch is you
43:03
have to take a 15-year back up and I'm like dang you want to
43:08
explain that how that works? Yeah.
43:11
So it's like okay, you go do a year in his Treatment Center.
43:14
You get out, but if you mess up your probation, they're going to
43:16
sentence you to 15 years. Yeah.
43:18
And that's actually the probation that I'm on right now.
43:20
I got a 5-year sentence 15-year back up and going through all
43:25
this like in and out back and forth.
43:27
I'm like there's no way I'm going to walk.
43:28
I've never been able to walk down papers A year, let alone
43:31
five. Yeah.
43:32
You know, so, but at the same time, my son's back on my lot of
43:37
all this, right. The good stuff.
43:38
Yeah. I like I want to be out an SI
43:43
Man, was it sounds like a Lifeline to me?
43:46
Yeah. And it's like good for this,
43:48
public defender. Yeah, and I'm like, Lord.
43:50
Is this? What's her name?
43:52
You remember. We'll look her up there in the
43:56
show episode notes. I love it.
43:58
When you hear a good public defender story, man, I'm telling
44:01
you. She was really good.
44:02
I could definitely, definitely get her name.
44:05
I just can't think about that matter.
44:06
I call this pain will put it in episode notes, so it's like,
44:11
here it is. Like here's an opportunity.
44:13
I don't have to do too long. I can do enough time to get
44:15
clean. Get my mind right, get
44:18
refocused, my sons coming back in my life, you know, and it's
44:21
just like Ronnie starts, you know?
44:24
Know me and Ronnie are talking again now because I'm locked up
44:27
and he's in a way he's relieved because he knows I'm not going
44:29
to die and my addiction, you know, even though it was like a,
44:34
you know, I was like, I abandoned him, you know, it was
44:36
just a situation. So we had a distant relationship
44:39
at first, but, and then like I start getting a lot of help and
44:43
support in there and then I go to the rehab, I'm doing
44:47
everything, I'm supposed to be doing in there, and What are the
44:52
people like your with their? So yeah.
44:55
So this rehab center was actually a couple A few years
44:59
ago, it was probably one of the best as far as an Institutional
45:03
is until you mentioned it. I didn't even know about, I
45:05
didn't know we had something like that in Missouri covid.
45:08
So, covid hits, right? This is, this is right when
45:12
covid hits. I get locked up.
45:14
It was right after our like a little too weak lockdown for
45:16
everyone and it changes the whole atmosphere inside the drug
45:22
trade. Terrible time to get locked out,
45:23
it changes the whole atmosphere inside the drug treatment.
45:25
So it's a year-long drug treatment, but courts.
45:28
Shut down and they're not sentencing people to this drug
45:31
treatment. They have to keep it open
45:33
because it's the states, right? So what does the state their
45:36
best thinking? Is what they do?
45:38
They send these level five, guys are getting dirty drops, violent
45:42
offenders to their gang bangers, to this year-long drug
45:45
treatment, man. These guys in here are got
45:48
anywhere from five to fifty year back up.
45:51
Wow, if they don't make this, if they don't complete this drug
45:53
treatment, they have to go do all that time.
45:56
So now there are mixed So this nice drug treatment center where
46:00
you're getting help? It's like a prison yard but
46:03
worst sure. Because now you got you know you
46:05
got. You got guys running around
46:07
layers. Yeah I like wow, was there?
46:09
There was there was two gang fights, like big ones, there was
46:12
a ride in the prison. Yeah there was stabbings there.
46:16
People got beat with locks. Wow.
46:18
And it's like man, I'm tiptoeing around all this and thank God.
46:22
I you know, I got on my side and it's like man.
46:25
That's so you got guys in there that are on man.
46:28
Methamphetamine, they're up for two weeks and they got 25 years
46:32
ago due back at prison. So they're sitting in his drug
46:34
treatment for a year and it's a wide-open facility.
46:38
Yeah. So they get to be outside all
46:40
day versus the level five where they just came from.
46:42
If they're lucky to get out for an hour.
46:44
So to them it's like heaven, you know, they're outside hanging
46:47
out on the yard all day, You got a guy in there up for two weeks
46:51
and he starts thinking, everybody's out.
46:53
Everybody's telling all them. You know, paranoid kicks in.
46:56
Yeah, you don't know what this guy's thinking.
46:58
So you're coming at Ya thinking you're a snitch, you know, you
47:02
how'd you get this, you know, how did you get this sentence
47:04
with probation? You know, so it's like, that's a
47:07
scary thing because this guy comes at me.
47:11
I got to defend myself, you know.
47:13
But if I do, I get in a fight, I get kicked out.
47:16
Yeah, and I got to go do a 15-year backyard stunts.
47:18
Yeah. So it was He crazy.
47:20
Like it was, it sounds like a lot, but sitting in there I was
47:24
like me, I had, I'm done with this.
47:26
I don't want to live this life. This is not what I want to be.
47:28
No more. Yeah, this is not so Ronnie had.
47:31
Let me Pro to his house when I got out, which was a, it was a
47:35
big help in my recovery, any such a big deal.
47:38
I didn't know, I didn't realize that part of your story because
47:41
I think those little things like that are such big things, Danny
47:46
that, you know, being able to get out instead of back into the
47:50
wrong area. Now you're at Ronnies house and
47:53
you can start taking some steps at field normalized of where you
47:56
want to be, what you want to do, how you want to connect.
47:59
Yeah. Because like I didn't even know
48:00
what normal was in society. Yeah, my normal wasn't normal.
48:03
It's all I had to learn that even though I found a way to not
48:07
do drugs in prison and never really found the way to not do
48:10
drugs outside. Because I mean in this world has
48:13
fast-paced world that we live in there's way more.
48:15
Stresses. Oh yeah.
48:16
Way more responsibilities. Exactly.
48:18
And they can jump drive. Back into it could quickly Drive
48:21
someone to go use, he's acting so yes.
48:25
Going to Ronnies having a different vironment like was key
48:29
to my recovery, you know? And I think it's well let's talk
48:31
through that because I mean you've had some really good
48:34
stuff happen and really a short amount of time of really putting
48:39
in the work that is created your own success.
48:46
What else happened since that time you got released out there
48:49
at Ronnies He's and and you enter back into this crazy, fast
48:53
world. Yes.
48:54
Oh, The knowledge that my dad had given me as far as like
49:00
working for myself - the scammin right.
49:04
The good stuff, the good stuff. I cut the fat out of that, right
49:07
out of that steak. So I was like, I'm, I can run my
49:10
own business, I can do this, so I started my own business, my
49:13
own LLC Pro Contracting. So became my own boss and it's
49:19
been, it's been really successful.
49:21
I've been out a little over a year and I mean, it's booming
49:25
business is booming. Stayed busy Monday.
49:27
What all do you do tree trimming tree removal home repairs.
49:31
Power-washing driveway. Seal coating.
49:33
Yeah. So I do a little bit, everything
49:35
and then even do like some subcontract work.
49:38
So I built up a connection of people that like, I got
49:41
electrician. Now that, you know, I can kind
49:42
of sub work to him or I mean that's and then in your music,
49:47
so lead us into that. So yeah, hit the ground running
49:50
with that too. And that was, you know, all
49:53
glory to God and Ronnie because Ronnie was out.
49:56
While I'm locked up. You know, going through what I'm
49:58
going through, he still, he still building working the
50:01
foundations of the music. Yeah, a lot of stuff that, you
50:05
know, being an artist. You don't really understand
50:07
like, how much stuff really goes behind as far as if you're being
50:11
an independent artist business to itself.
50:13
It is, you got to start a business and it's just it's a
50:16
lot of technicalities and he was able to figure a lot of that
50:19
out. So when I got out, he was able
50:20
to teach me, boom, like we're all for doing Ministry events.
50:24
I remember my first week out. We went to Church to do a an
50:28
event, a youth event. I wasn't even out a week.
50:30
Wow, that's why I like already set up ready to go.
50:33
So and it was it was just awesome.
50:34
So it was like, even I like I strayed from the path.
50:37
It was like, God had catapulted me right back into my destiny
50:41
and what's the situation with your kids now?
50:44
So yeah, it's great. Like, I'm talking to my son and
50:48
my daughter, I got all her. They my son 17.
50:51
My daughter's 14? Yeah, they're back in your life.
50:56
Her back in my life not like fully fully but we're talking
50:59
about social media is and building that connection that
51:02
relationship. Yeah and actually just had a
51:05
newborn baby too. So well another daughter so yeah
51:09
you got a lot of good stuff. Let's listen to some of your
51:11
music here. Let's I want to play the I want
51:14
to play the song, that's on the radio right now.
51:18
So this this song is actually released under my solo artist
51:21
name. So it's not released on our link
51:23
boys. It's released owner my name its
51:25
3D but The song's, called rescue, rescue, me, trim Palais,
51:29
and it's actually on radio right now.
51:34
I'm playing it's playing through your computer.
51:37
I don't hear it through the headphones.
51:41
Okay hold on. I'm going to its needs to be
51:46
connected to the Wi-Fi. So yeah I'll just kind of.
51:49
Yeah. Why don't you give me a little
51:50
background on a wire connected and stuff?
51:53
Yeah. So what's cool about this album
51:55
transparent that I just released almost every single song on that
52:00
album was actually wrote in prison, which is very cool,
52:03
which was another way that God had made because Ronnie was able
52:07
to send me burn CDs with beets on it inside the prison.
52:10
And I'm I'm in a prison performing shows in there and
52:15
able to write music. So, like all these songs I
52:18
actually wrote in prison. So this was a song that I
52:21
started in prison and I had like the chorus and my verse was
52:26
done. And then I had started reaching
52:29
out to different artists, to try to connect to build my
52:32
connection. And this guy Polly was already
52:35
on the radio. Reached out to him on social
52:37
medias. I sent him the song, he wrote
52:41
his verse change, the course around a little bit to kind of
52:45
give a like his own flavor to it.
52:47
We had send it to the radio and they love it.
52:50
So let's give it a listen. All right.
52:58
Please answer me when I call speak everything on my song.
53:01
Leave anytime that I fall reach, deep down and keep me out of
53:04
Milo's. Beat me when I need help.
53:06
Bring peace when I can't go. Manny's monsters all around me.
53:09
Keep on telling me, I'm drowning, but I know it's just
53:12
me doubting in my faith when I felt oddly, where you rescue Me
53:16
and give me back my destiny because with you.
53:18
I'm the best of me without you. I'm a mess of see this much on
53:20
me. I wear, but I'm controlled by
53:22
the squared. Now if I sent my hair dyed, I'm
53:24
on my knees. Please shoot me now because I've
53:26
been going through some things. Convicted by my foolish ways
53:29
tell the truth. I'm on my way and don't
53:45
It's good stuff, man. Thanks, good stuff and I'm proud
53:48
of you. I mean because you know, we
53:52
talked about this Danny because, you know, Trying to get right,
53:58
trying to find your ways is never clean easy, you know, it's
54:03
messy and you have to crawl a little bit and get dirty and
54:08
step back up and you get knocked down and then you got to figure
54:11
out, do I want to just be down or do I have a reason to get up?
54:14
And, you know, the cool thing about your story is that
54:18
somewhere along the way you actually just could have given
54:20
up, I mean, you could be not here with us, you know, through
54:24
and there's There's there's something, you know, the
54:27
happened to you. That just said, man, I don't
54:30
like what this isn't anymore. I'm not living in this
54:32
neighborhood anymore. I'm getting out and that takes a
54:35
lot. But I think the message of that
54:38
is that you can you can if you set yourself in the right
54:42
mindset and and look for people who are going to help you get
54:46
there because you got all the talent, I mean, you get your
54:49
smart, it's just it's just not falling into that ugly.
54:54
That ugly stuff and getting just keep eating out of the good
54:57
stuff and fill it up on that. So it's cool, it's a great
55:01
store. I'm glad we were able to do
55:02
this. I want to ask you though, add
55:05
all the stuff that you've been through, because you've kind of,
55:07
you've been through so many different layers of fighting it
55:12
getting it and making it. What do you think your biggest?
55:15
Takeaway through all this? Don't give up.
55:18
Don't give up. Don't lose.
55:19
Hope any any Pathway to success? You're going to make mistakes.
55:23
Yeah. Phil, as part of its part of
55:26
becoming successful. Yeah, you know, and don't be
55:30
afraid to try different things. You know, don't be afraid to
55:33
step out of your comfort zone. Sometimes, that's what it takes.
55:39
You got to retrain your thoughts, you know.
55:41
So your biggest battle is going to be the mind.
55:44
So, yeah, we talked about on this show, you know, everybody
55:48
builds up prisons in their own mind.
55:49
Yeah. Question is, how do you break
55:51
those down? Because it's such a hard thing
55:54
To, you know, get to how do you get, how do you get to that
55:57
point where the scary stuff we call this nightmare success, the
56:01
scary stuff is you got to go walk through around over under
56:06
the stuff that scares you. The stuff that makes you
56:08
nervous. The stuff that might be your own
56:10
nightmare to get to that other side of where you want to be.
56:13
And your thing was, is it man, I got so much good stuff over
56:16
here. I got kids, I've got, I got the
56:18
town of music. I know how to build a business
56:21
of my own. You just had to get there.
56:23
Yeah. And that's I think the so yeah,
56:26
it's a. So I've been a little over a
56:28
year, I own a business. I've released two albums working
56:34
on a third. I think about where they find
56:36
you Danny on here because I just found you on Spotify under 3D.
56:40
I'm assuming you're also under link boys.
56:43
Yes, a link. Boys is the group which is me
56:45
and Ronnie which is a his rap name is is j7j 73d.
56:50
And then you can go to go to YouTube and see all the cool.
56:54
Videos because you guys got some cool videos.
56:56
Already linked. Boys are three darlink boys.
56:59
Yeah, you look up, either one of them, 3D on all my social
57:02
medias. Do real 3D, you know, Instagram
57:05
Facebook is 3D Tick. Tock is 3D link boys.
57:09
So yeah, I'll check him out a little Google.
57:13
Search is a, it's the real stuff to when you see, when you see
57:16
Danny on these, I mean he's his set up and the way they filmed
57:20
these, it's it's powerful, it's good.
57:24
Really good. I showed it to my wife for the
57:26
next. Wow, you can enter you that guy
57:28
a nice. I am not a rapper, and I don't
57:32
sing, but I did write a book. It's called nightmare.
57:34
Success. Check it out.
57:37
It's at Amazon Barnes & Noble Walmart.
57:41
They don't have it to him to order it.
57:44
Love all the back and forth in the support.
57:46
I get on the social media comments, if you got a chance, I
57:51
know it's a hassle, but an apple.
57:54
Views. If you can go it just puts the
57:56
show on steroids for promotion. It's pretty easy.
58:00
Just go to my page on Apple. Scroll down.
58:03
See reviews are hit. Write a review.
58:05
Boom, don't even have to say much, just write a review.
58:07
Follow me with the bail on Spotify, hit the checkmark on
58:12
Apple. Listen, everywhere else,
58:14
happened music? Or Amazon music, wherever you,
58:16
get your podcast. Check me out.
58:19
I'm Brent, casting.com. That's where everything's going
58:21
on. Leave me a message, as I Used to
58:24
say to my people when I was writing my e-mails back and
58:27
forth, Leavenworth, stay strong. I'll do the same Danny Mitchell.
58:31
Thanks so much for coming over today and sharing your store.
58:33
It's good stuff. Really good stuff.
58:36
Now I measure success in and out.
58:37
Thanks for being here today, folks.