We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Gabriel Patterson a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Gabriel, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What did your parents do right and how has that impacted you in your life and career?

My parents affirmed on me. My dad would always say, “Push the pencil, not the shovel.” He worked construction all his life. He wanted me to be a scholar and build with words. I don’t think becoming an an emcee and author is what he had in mind but the affirmation was right. The affirmation became what it needed to be. I try to bless affirmations on my kids too. It’s a way of guiding the spirit.

Most importantly, my mom wasn’t afraid to affirm the conscious Hip Hop I listened to as an adolescent. She affirmed timeless principles of peace, love, unity, justice, and sovereignty. Even when she didn’t understand it–and she comprehended a lot–she allowed me my own path, and reminded me when I strayed from principles. I will always be grateful for that. It sounds commonplace now, because Hip Hop is the dominant urban culture on the Earth, but back then, it was a radical thing for our parents to embrace.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

I am an emcee, author, blogger, and interviewer. I don’t believe in labeling art because it’s all expression. In the end, one expression leads to the other and vice versa, they’re all connected, just like people.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

I had to unlearn the fallacies of “Writer’s Block” and time. There is no such thing as “Writer’s Block,” believing in such a thing gives away your power. The same goes for time. Telling yourself you don’t have time is detrimental to your craft. Even if it’s one bar or sentence a day, that keeps your consistency strong. I wrote a lot of Reminding Me of Mo in casino parking lots before and after work. You have to create time, not waste it.

Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

Not necessarily resources, but I wish I was more vocal about my art. Artists with other skills, whether they be film or recording, are always willing to work on their craft, I should have asked more people to collaborate. That said, I’m being more vocal and doing it now. There are some wonderful collaborations that I’m working on now with very knowledgeable individuals.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://gabepatterson77.medium.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gabepatterson77/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabriel-patterson-8980b4184
• Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/gabepatterson77
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@gabepatterson7750

Image Credits
Lawrence Whitten IV