Phone Call (3)

This is a transcription of a phone call from SPM I received last weekend; he’s hoping to be able to do another next weekend, so if you think of any questions for him please leave them below.

Do you think it’s possible that you’ll be released before your sentence is up?

Let me tell you something. Laziness is a killer, man. It is a killer. When I got locked up in 2002, I didn’t really reach my assigned unit until 2003. I told my wife in that year, “Baby, don’t worry about a thing. There is nothing on this earth that can hold me anywhere. This prison situation that I’m in right now is like an ant. It’s nothing. I’ll step on it and crush it like it’s nothing. I will get myself out of here.”

The reason I told her that is that I knew everything that went on in my case, behind closed doors, about this family, I knew the back story behind everything and I still do. But it takes work, it takes grinding, it takes research,. And then it takes writing it all out again, and over again, probably 6 or 7 times until everything is beautiful. And then, once you put that out and show people in black and white how an innocent man can find himself on a bus, chained to a guy who just missed getting the death penalty, to show them how that happens, it shakes up the whole world. I have so many people behind this thing, it’ll shake the system so bad and I knew that I had the mind, the writing skills, the talent, because not everybody is articulate. Not everybody’s able to spread it out like I know I can. Not everybody has the support and the fans that I do. I knew that God had given me the gift the show the facts, but there are a lot of other people who are armed with the same material who are not articulate enough to get it out, who don’t have the support system that I do.

That was 13, 14 years ago. And guess what? I‘m still sitting on my ass, playing chess and eating Cheetos. I haven’t put in the work. I am not worried about getting the hell out of here, and I don’t know why. I know that if I sat down for 4 hours a day and put in the work I would have a book, I would have a screenplay, and god knows what else. If you like anything I do give the praise to God, I’m not going to sit here and say I’m not gifted. But yeah, I’m more afraid of the fact of why I’m not doing what needs to be done.

A question that a lot of fans have is, do you think you’ll be out before your theoretical parole date in 2024?

Most definitely. I definitely think my new schedule is going to allow me to finish the book that I want to write on the facts of my case, and the treatment for the documentary that I’m working on; I really want to just write profound books and I think it’s going to bring the attention to my case that I think I need; and I mean books beyond the facts of my case, books that I’ve planned, that I have outlines for, that address the problems that our youth are having with crime and drugs and gangs. I just gotta work, that’s all there is too it.

Jonathan O. says, “Los, did you like the overall outcome of The S.O.N? We know you said once that you didn't like some parts of it, having to do with the mixing. I believe the final product was/is phenomenal. Some thoughts of yours if possible.”

I think that my brother and Pain spent a lot of time, well, I know they spent a lot of time, and a  lot of money, puzzling that thing together at one of the best studios in Houston. I’m thankful for that, but they did not follow some very key instructions that I had given them, and some of the wrong vocal tracks were used. On a lot of songs I sound too dull, a little too bland. That’s because on some songs, they used the main vocal as the backup vocal, and the backup vocal as the main vocal. You do the backup vocal a little more laid back, so it doesn’t have the energy and the charisma of the main vocal.

I do plan to remix it, and probably people are going to be like, “I liked the original better.” That’s because the first thing you hear is what you always end up liking, but I still, for my own conscience, I have to remix about four songs. But as for the other 13, I think they were great. I think I could have done a better if I would have mixed them, but that’s just because I believe I’m the best in the world at what I do. But I think they did a good job.

Ricky S. asked “Who catches your eye in the Houston rap scene?”

Well, Ricky, I mostly listen to a station called The Boom which plays old school rap because I’m not that impressed with the new stuff. So, I don’t really know all the new guys that are coming out of Houston, but I still have all my H-town favorites like Scarface, K-rino, Grimm, guys like that from the old school. So yeah, I really haven’t heard nothing from anybody new. I guess I could start listening to 97.9 and see if they play any H-town stuff, but I don’t know of a station in that plays predominately H-town music and we don’t have mp3 players, or CD players, or anything like that in prison; I have to listen to the radio. I guess I could listen to it over the phone, but I’m too busy for that. I’m sorry I couldn’t really answer your question.

I can’t find the name of this person, but someone asked about Lord Loco’s Melody; did you ‘Roll a little forest’, or ‘Wrote a little chorus’ for the ones who went before us?

            What? I never rode a little horse. Ha ha, no; it’s definitely ‘wrote a little chorus’.

Is your investigator looking into the internet rumors of Jane Doe’s recantation?

Of course we know that the transcripts show her, if not recanting, definitely changing vital facts that, if her second story were true, totally destroys the foundation of her first story. So, we know that for a fact. Juan Gotti said, I believe, said he saw something where she said that her mom made her say it or she said lied ,or that she said different things, I don’t know. I’ve heard people say that they saw that, that they were a witness to that. I can’t imagine it still being up there because someone would have mailed it to me, but…I’m having a little problem with my investigator. My brother was the one that hired him, and he got into a little trouble and is doing some time up north. He’ll be coming home in about a year; but because my brother was the one who paid the investigator I’m having a little problem now with him finishing up his work. Most importantly, providing me with the information on some vital questions we had him pursuing; he’s kind of holding out, so we’re in limbo.

Right now the big things he’s investigating I can’t really talk about, because I don’t want to give anybody the heads up on these pretty incredible things he’s investigating. I told him that people have told me that she’s spoken about recanting her story. Part of our strategy has been not approaching her or her family, but I think in the future that could change, as far as us sitting down with them and talking about the situation.  If it’s true then maybe that needs to change.

Jessica S. asked, “How is he doing? Hope he is doing great both mentally and physically.

Do you still go so hard in tha paint?”

That was really sweet of you, Jessica. I am feeling good both physically and mentally; it’s very funny that you say that because…and this is a true story: I am Super Mexican, which people don’t really believe when I say that, but it’s not something that I’m trying to boast about. When you said ‘go hard in tha paint’, that saying comes from people going hard in the paint on the basketball court. We are now in groups of eight, and there are about four people who play basketball out of those eight, and I’m the dominant player. Whenever all four of them don’t want to, I actually play two against one and I still win about two out of every three games playing two guys against one.  So, I am definitely still going hard in the paint, both literally and figuratively.

Dan L. said, “Ask him "what he thinks about all the kids going through the struggle he went through as a kid and what he has to say to them"”.

Well, I think that there is a very big purpose in their life, because whatever you go through in life you have to partner with God and overcome it; but God isn’t going to do everything, you have to figure out and think for yourself, with His help, and figure out how to overcome life’s obstacles. You can, overcome these struggles because if you couldn’t, God would have never allowed them to come into your life. It’s a really beautiful thing because those terrible situations in life, that the enemy meant to destroy you, you can overcome them and use them as your greatest weapons. You can use those very situations to help others, and actually backfire the plan of the destroyer, and save people from being destroyed. It’s a beautiful thing.

You just have to thank God for the good and the bad, because many times the bad is what can be used to make the greatest thing in the world.

Incandesio, how come you don’t ask me if I have any shout-outs?

Mr. Coy, do you have any shout-outs?

What a surprising question; what made you ask me that, Incandesio? You’re not typing this, are you? Ha ha!

Well, since you asked, I would like to give shout-outs to Pablo Time Nunez, who is planning to move to Houston at the end of the month and help out on some projects. To Carlos Martinez, founding father of the Day of Unity, who I spoke to the other day on the phone at the warehouse. He was there to pick up prizes for some contests he’s running with Mari Garay. And to Mari, for all her love and support. I did get your letter, Mari, and it was filled with so much brightness and positivity. Thank you for always being so encouraging.

Also, a shout-out to my boy Baby Bash, who I talk to two or three times a week; to Grimm, Filero ,and Shadow, letting them know I’m excited about the screen play for Aggravated that we’re going to work on, and about being a writer for that project. A shout out to DJ Paul, who has continued to show the Mexican love, a big shout out to my boy DJ Michael 5000 Watts, every time I turn around someone’s telling me they heard my music on DJ Watt’s Mix. I love you my brother, and thank you for all the incredible, playeristic shit that you do.

 A shout out to all my young rap artists, trying to come up in the game. A shout out to my sister Sylvia; my sister in law, Linda, and my brother Tudy who’s on lock. You guys make sure to send him some holiday cards like you always send me. Oh, and thank all the people who sent me birthday cards. Oh my god, that was incredible. Don’t tell nobody, but yesterday was my neighbor’s birthday, and I used one of you guy’s birthdays cards that you sent me. I made a little design out of your name and put my name under it like it was from me to him. I’m very sorry for that, so I won’t tell you whose card I used, but it made him very happy, so your card made two people very happy.

Also, a shout out to Scarface, and congratulations for his award that he just recently got. He deserves that award. I think it was from BET. I’m sorry, I hope that’s right. He is definitely an icon, and somebody that I’ve always admired and idolized.

A shout out to Juan Gotti who is free at last, frees at last, thank God Almighty, Juan Gotti is free at last. Also a shout to all my G’s on lock, and all my people, who can be called the player race. Last and most definitely least, to the haters who are the catalyst of our movement.