by Kristine Guevarra
Richmond, CA was ranked the 6th most dangerous city in all of the United States in 2010. But Lejon Butler says, "it's a regular town, not a bad place. People just make the wrong choices in the environment they're living in." Living in Richmond taught Lejon to appreciate everything in the present.
Lejon had his own challenges at home. Growing up, his biological father would tell him "you're not my child". It filled Lejon with resentment. He became increasingly hostile, school administrators put Lejon in anger management classes. "I learned to meditate. I learned that once I start to feel angry, I need to be in a room to cool off."
Lejon also found a father figure in his grandfather. "Poppy was the one who supported me; the one who I could talk to about girls. While he was in the hospital, I would go to church for him. Before he died, he told me that little stuff can be temporary".
The lessons from his grandfather and the anger management classes became the stepping stones to Lejon’s writing. "I'm not a rapper. I don't want to be called a rapper. I just like to write." It's his way of expressing who he is and how he feels. Lejon's emotions fill the air when performing – talking about his own experiences or a friend's journey. Writing his way out of his past and inspired by his grandfather's wisdom, Lejon will attend college this fall. He wants to study Psychiatry and Child Development.