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Continue ReadingMonth: September 2021
Ed Note 26.35/36
Happy 25th Anniversary to the one and only, The Beat Within! What a benchmark! What an amazing journey! We have definitely learned plenty from those early days back in the 1990s, to where we are today, September 2021. We are humbled and full of gratitude for this trek we have been on. From the early days, when San Francisco, the mothership, was where we were birthed the magazine, as the youth shared their feelings on the death of Tupac Shakur, to where we are today in nearly 25 + sites. We are touched and very proud to be on this
Continue ReadingNew Beginning
by Mikey, Santa Clara My new beginning is a new relationship with my girl while living with her. That’s what’s going to be new, because we have met in person but we never lived with each other. Man, it’s crazy how you go from talking to each other to actually living with that person. Damn, I never thought that I would be living with my girl when I get out of this place. Man, it gets closer and closer to me actually getting out and moving to a new city to live with her. It’s going to be strange at
Continue ReadingTo Be a Grown Up
by Amar, Santa Clara I don’t consider myself a grown-up yet, even though I’m eighteen. I don’t think age makes you an adult, but being responsible does. Being able to handle money makes you responsible. Most kids don’t have the habits of saving or investing money, which builds self-responsibility and responsibility for your loved ones. When you have money saved and some invested in stocks, you are able to fend for yourself in situations like car problems, payments, and can help your loved ones if they need to be lent money. If you are broke, living check to check, you
Continue ReadingHappy 25th Anniversary, Beat!
Jesus, San Diego Happy 25th Anniversary, Beat. I am honored to be a part of this organization. I have been with this program for almost 20 months. If this program didn’t benefit me I would not contribute. I am grateful that this program has found me. I was in a very dark place and this program was my light. I have a hard time expressing my emotions vocally but I’m good on paper. I just want to say thank you. I appreciate The Beat and I’m not sure what I would do without it or where I’d be within!
Continue ReadingThe Future
by Junior, San Mateo I think it’s kind of bad to think of the future in my opinion, but I want to talk about the things I want later on in life. Once I am settled and have a good paying job, I would like to live in Los Angeles, CA., or in Miami, Florida. I would like to live in these two cities because of their environments. Both of these cities have a high amount of population. They both have beautiful beaches filled with many people especially the fine as females. If I were to live in one of
Continue ReadingThoughts On 2Pac and The Beat
by OT Welcome Beat Readers to The only magazine that keeps it one thousand with you and that’s because all of you make this even more special by keeping it one thousand with us, by sharing your stories, your truths and experiences. This is OT once again reporting live to you from the grand Land with the active volcanoes, yes sir, you guessed it, Nicaragua. I’m going to go ahead and get straight into my spiel because I’m actually anxious to dish it out what I’m about to say. In Fact, You guys are barely about to receive this topic.
Continue ReadingTupac Shakur & The Beat Within Legacy
by Mr. Lee, El Paso, Texas There’s a book I own about Tupac Shakur that I ordered back in 2007. It was the first of its kind I’d ever seen. I first noticed the book at a Hastings Books Music & Video retail store that has since been closed for many years. The book was about ten inches in length and 11 inches wide. It’s a solid block of a book, about two inches thick and is a lot heavier than most books. Along the spine of the book is the title in bold print with each letter capitalized like
Continue ReadingIf You Think
by James Dickson, CTF Central Soledad in Soledad, CA If you think defunding the police will in some sort of idiotic way change the color tone of our inner cities to a rose pink then you need your head examined. The police were here before you were born and will be here long after you die. Defunding the police makes as much sense as extracting the teeth from “your” family guard dog. If you think it’s okay to ignore an officer’s direct order when they attempt to pat you down for weapons but you choose to fight, wrestle and resist,
Continue ReadingSelf-Improvement
by Chad “Get Right” Fitzpatrick, Moose Lake, Minnesota In one of my other writings titled “opportunities” that I sent to The Beat Within, I talked about an Old School named R.M. (R.I.P) who on my 3rd day in prison as a 22 year old with a 24 year sentence to do, gave me a positive run down of how to do prison life and take advantage of all the opportunities available to us behind these walls. Which brings me to this quote that a teacher here at my facility I’m at said: “Self-improvement is not just checking off boxes or
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