Tim Patterson

Our experiences were different growing up in Mount Vernon. I was born in Mount Vernon, so I'm kind of part of the fabric there, the family fabric, the friend fabric. My parents know different parents in the town, grew up with different people in the town. I was a lot more associated with Mount Vernon than Sean was.

Our experiences were different growing up in Mount Vernon. I was born in Mount Vernon, so I'm kind of part of the fabric there, the family fabric, the friend fabric. My parents know different parents in the town, grew up with different people in the town. I was a lot more associated with Mount Vernon than Sean was.

Sean was a transplant from Harlem to Mount Vernon, basically because his mom and dad had bigger plans for him than just Harlem. They wanted him to grow up in the suburbs. They wanted him to have a better shot at life. So naturally, the house was built in Mount Vernon, and that's where he grew up.

Sean was a transplant from Harlem to Mount Vernon, basically because his mom and dad had bigger plans for him than just Harlem. They wanted him to grow up in the suburbs. They wanted him to have a better shot at life. So naturally, the house was built in Mount Vernon, and that's where he grew up.

So Sean never really had the friends or the people or the camaraderie that I had in Mount Vernon because he didn't grow there. He was kind of looked at as an outcast. He was different. He drove around in a Cadillac. He wore all these beautiful clothes. It was just a different kid. And kids from Mount Vernon didn't understand that in the beginning, you know, the jealousy.

So Sean never really had the friends or the people or the camaraderie that I had in Mount Vernon because he didn't grow there. He was kind of looked at as an outcast. He was different. He drove around in a Cadillac. He wore all these beautiful clothes. It was just a different kid. And kids from Mount Vernon didn't understand that in the beginning, you know, the jealousy.

Why does he have what I don't have type of thing? And Sean dealt with a lot of that as a child, a lot of that adversity, a lot of that bullying and a lot of that just being better than people, having more than people. He had no say in the matter. It's just how he was brought into the world, you know.

Why does he have what I don't have type of thing? And Sean dealt with a lot of that as a child, a lot of that adversity, a lot of that bullying and a lot of that just being better than people, having more than people. He had no say in the matter. It's just how he was brought into the world, you know.

Yeah. You know, he had it rough, man. He had it rough around the block. Mind you, we're in the suburbs. So this isn't like we're in the ghetto or in the hood, but we're in the suburbs. It's me and him on a block of all white kids, basically. Italian kids, Jewish kids. And during that time in America, that was the early 70s.

Yeah. You know, he had it rough, man. He had it rough around the block. Mind you, we're in the suburbs. So this isn't like we're in the ghetto or in the hood, but we're in the suburbs. It's me and him on a block of all white kids, basically. Italian kids, Jewish kids. And during that time in America, that was the early 70s.

So us being on a street with all suburban kids, all white kids, it was not easy for him, number one. Sean's from Harlem. The white man doesn't treat the black man really good in Harlem. So you come to the suburbs, How do I interact with the white man? You're my oppressor. And that was his teachings. So his association with that side was minimal.

So us being on a street with all suburban kids, all white kids, it was not easy for him, number one. Sean's from Harlem. The white man doesn't treat the black man really good in Harlem. So you come to the suburbs, How do I interact with the white man? You're my oppressor. And that was his teachings. So his association with that side was minimal.

The black kids that were spread out in the neighborhood tended to pick on him. because he just wasn't tough enough at the time. So this is how we became pretty tight. He would start to go wherever I'd go. You know, I'm coming from the other side of town, so I got a little more grit on me. I'm coming over here to the suburbs where these kids don't really know it yet.

The black kids that were spread out in the neighborhood tended to pick on him. because he just wasn't tough enough at the time. So this is how we became pretty tight. He would start to go wherever I'd go. You know, I'm coming from the other side of town, so I got a little more grit on me. I'm coming over here to the suburbs where these kids don't really know it yet.

So I was kind of like the guy on the block. And Sean was my little bro. Everywhere I went, he was there. The kids wouldn't pick on him as much, but he still had to go through it. And it was messed up because me and a few other people had to fight for him a lot, had to defend him until he was able to defend himself. Why am I able to say, okay, I defended him? Well, I had a dad in the house.

So I was kind of like the guy on the block. And Sean was my little bro. Everywhere I went, he was there. The kids wouldn't pick on him as much, but he still had to go through it. And it was messed up because me and a few other people had to fight for him a lot, had to defend him until he was able to defend himself. Why am I able to say, okay, I defended him? Well, I had a dad in the house.

My dad instilled some things in me that let me know there's only but so far people can go with you. Win, lose, or draw. And these might have been some of the things Sean could have gotten as a child had he had a father.

My dad instilled some things in me that let me know there's only but so far people can go with you. Win, lose, or draw. And these might have been some of the things Sean could have gotten as a child had he had a father.

So we were introduced to hip hop back in the early 80s. I had a cousin, an older cousin, who was an emcee. Back in those days, rappers were called emcees.

So we were introduced to hip hop back in the early 80s. I had a cousin, an older cousin, who was an emcee. Back in those days, rappers were called emcees.