During the winter of 1976, in Newark New Jersey, a man child was born by the name of Hakeem Curry. This young man would find himself slowly becoming a true product of his environment. An environment where cash ruled everything around him. Raised under the guise of Islam, I found myself seeing the hypocrisy in everything except having money. I once believed that money and what it could do was the one truth that I could depend on when all else failed i.e, love, friendship and loyalty. Therefore I strived to maintain it. Yet others would use this as their means to have me convicted of Conspiracy distribute Cocaine and Heroine equating to two life sentences and sixty years. Over the past 11 years I realized that "man makes the money yet money can't make a man." I'm surrounded by guys who have accumulated allot of money engaging in everything under the sun, yet most of these men are not men amongst men. I find myself constantly counsel younger men who see my life as something they would like to experience all the while they feel that morality and integrity isn't a quality they need to take from me. The more and more I grow the more I realized that it is important and imperative that I share my story and perspective with the youth and teach them about character and the true value of being a man amongst men. Therefore I'm a real advocate for the Convict Soap Box and MENSTOP movement and my goal is to aid in it's grow and development by any way I can. I committed to teaching the youth that everything that glitters isn't gold. That their are more important things in life than money i.e, family, freedom and peace. I was once mislead and now I understand the importance of having proper role model and positives leader.