The Mask: A Matter of Respect

Confidence is never a guarantee with me; I'm shy, I'm timid, I doubt myself... but I get the job done regardless. Respect, however... respect is something else entirely.

Do I get respect? Yeah. Because I respect myself. If nobody in the world respects what I do, I respect what I do. And that in itself demands respect.

I also get respect because I give respect. No matter how I feel about what somebody does, I respect what they do; it's their right to do it and to do it well. That generates mutual respect; they might not know diddly about what I do, but the fact that I give them respect leaves them honor-bound to respect me.

But this is the ultimate thing with me and respect: I could give a f--at finger if I get respect or not. Generally, people don't like that because they like to feel that their opinions and inputs are what determine your course of action; mainly so they can take credit for your successes. Not so: I am an independent entity, and outside contributions, well-intentioned or otherwise, will ultimately neither facilitate nor hinder what I'm here for or what I'm about. This attitude too garners respect.

If you want to know real respect, this is what you need to do (metaphorically, because if you do this for real you'll prolly get arrested). Do NOT look for credit; do NOT look for glory; do NOT look for respect. Wake up in the morning, look yourself in the mirror. And take the advice of Chris Rock: just say "f#ck you". Realize that it's not about you. Whatever you do shouldn't be about you; it should be about what or who you represent. And after that, then you put on your proverbial mask: your ski mask, your ninja mask, your bandit mask, your desperado mask, your brown bag mask; whatever your mask is that makes you into nothingness, put it on.

Then, you just go do what you do. Whatever your gift, talent, ability, contribution, you just go out and you lay it down. And that's all you gotta do; 'doesn't matter when or how people decide to use you, place you, rate you... when your times comes just do it and, like Busta says, "do it to death". And when you finish, you dip. And what then? You let your work speak for you and, more importantly, you let it speak for who/what you represent.

Your first and only priority should always be doing a good job that meets your own standards and the standards of what you rep; everybody else's interpretation/appreciation shouldn't even cross your mind. When somebody shakes my hand or pats me on the back or gets in my face, that's all well and good; in my mind I'm saying, "I got no time for this; what's next..."

And this is what respect takes the form of: whether they resepct me or not, they respect what I do, so when next they need someone to carry out the same thing, they hit me up. It's a job, not a show, feel me? Put on the mask, do ya damage, disappear, leave the city in ashes. They won't forget.

Respect? Real respect is the respect you have for whatever/whoever you represent as you do what you do. For me, I do what I do firstly for God, secondly out of love for the people. If the people applaud me, cool; if not, cool--- children don't always like medicine, but they need that. But if I get to the other side, and GOD doesn't applaud me... If GOD doesn't say "well done"...

It's simple priorities. "Life in a vaccuum": you doing you as if you're the only one there. Put ya head down and just grind; cuz, when it's all said and done, you'll find that His respect is the only respect you ever needed and it's the only respect you couldn't do without.

Wear the Mask My Ninja B-J