Without Omission

People think just because you get a taste of change, everything in yo life is supposed to instantly work itself out. People fail to realize that the money can sometimes cause most of the problems.

They think just because I'm August Alsina, I don't know the struggle. What they don't know is I've been through some shit.

My whole life has been fucked up. I lost my father at an age that was so young, I don't remember shit about him. My moms married a man who ain't shit and was addicted to the crack pipe, so you can only imagine what the household income went towards.

A lil bit after that, I lost my brother Melvin. We was as close as hell. I'm not gon say we ain't never fight or no shit like that, 'cause that would be a damn lie. Still, that's something all siblings do, so his death took a big toll on me.

My brother died in some drug bullshit. He was a hustler, and his hustling ways is what got him gunned down on August 31, 2010.

All the house income went to my step father and his addiction, so there was no money around the house. We struggled to make ends meet, and even though my moms know it all coulda been made better by her leaving that nigga, she refused to do it. That's why Mel started his hustle in the first place.

I would never blame Mel's death on my moms; God had plans for Mel, just not on this earth, but my moms did play some part in it.

I was in the business too, and even though I told myself I wasn't gon do that shit no mo' after Mel's death, that was the only type of income I had coming in.

I continued to work them streets and sling. When my moms found out, she kicked my ass to the curb talkin' bout, "I already lost one, I ain't tryna lose another"

I ain't see how her basically putting me out into the streets even mo' was supposed to stop me. Maybe her kicking me out had something to do with me and my step father constantly at each other's throats, but I respected her decision.

I still had some animosity towards her because she basically put another nigga before her kids, but hey, that's life.

After going months not knowing whether or not I was gon make it through the night, not knowing where I was gon lay my head at night, and sleeping in the back of corner stores, I decided to take up singing.

Singing wasn't just something that up and came to me. Hell, I couldn't sing fa' shit when I first started off, but people would tell me that my voice had the potential to go somewhere.

I practiced more and with time, I got better. I liked how people enjoyed my singing and all the good feedback I would get, so I started putting videos on YouTube.

I didn't do it to find fame, I just wanted other people to witness my talent, but soon after I was discovered by my manager.

Nobody would guess the shit I've been through. It's more to my story than you think, and here it is.. allow me to Testify... Without Omission.

_____________________________________