@ Golgotha with Rusty 8.1.12

XZ: A real true Emperor of our people, what's up, man?

RS: What's up, Wally? Wanna do some push ups? Tell me something good, man.

XZ: You know Piankhi, right?

RS: Yeah, I was next door to him before, how's he doing?

XZ: Aawh man, he's been working on like a mini-magazine, like unda-ground style, feel me, I can't wait for you to check it out, in fact that's the reason I tried to get out here today, so I can holler at you.

(Xzyzst explains The Papyrus Collective, Write or Die zine project)

RS: That's cool, he's smart, tell 'em I said what's up, man, I've been trying to come out to Yard 5 but these police comin' at me real foul.

XZ: Everybody already knows how the Babylon is doing shit around here, because they wasn't ready for our generation to come up here so they have no idea what to do with us, and now that they know you can't be broken, we hope they just put you with the rest of us because that's what they've been doing lately.

RS: I hope so because they got this all fucked up, man.

XZ: Let the people know where you was born.

RS: Cambodia, we migrated to Chicago, but since it was too cold, my family moved to Long Beach, California.

XZ: Too cold?

RS: Yeah man, it was the first time in my life I had ever seen snow, I thought the world was coming to an end.
(both lolz)

XZ: What tha hell?

RS: That's the first thing that popped in my mind because I never seen no shit like that before, but the sponsors of our migration showed us it was only ice and we could eat it and make a snowman, they was like "You wanna make a snowman?" Those was some cool ass people because even though it was funny, they helped us in a lot of different ways to make the transition from our life in our village at home to the way people live in the USA.

XZ: Damn, man, just a thought, when I first met you, you was hella young.

RS: I was 20 years old.

XZ: And you're still hella young, I'm just saying, you been through a gang of shit in such a short period here in the USA, speak on it, immigration.

RS: You see, America is a beautiful place but the words don't match the actions, that's what's good about Obama because he just passed that immigration bill...

XZ: Real talk.

RS: You don't even know the half, look, after 9/11 they was rounding my people up and deporting us back to Cambodia and other parts of Asia.

XZ: What tha? I ain't never heard that before, that's racist, foul, dog.

RS: Man, I didn't even know what racism was before I came here.

XZ: What?

RS: I always thought we was all the same, I never was taught about blacks was slaves and...

XZ: Wait, homie... what about the Jewish shit that happen to them?

RS: No, in my country all we had was a transistor radio, we didn't... Man, we played as kids in the jungle, swimming in real lakes and...

XZ: Oh my God, you was free, that's crazy...

RS: So when we got to Long Beach, we didn't know that the only thing some people saw when they seen us was that Vietnam War, people seen us as enemies because a lot of people in the hoods and barrios lost uncles and family members in the Vietnam War and we are Asian, so we got treated fucked up and was shot at and shit, so my people stuck together, that's how a lot of shit got started.

XZ: Over foolz being ignorant and racist at the same time, so not only are you feeling discrimination from the streets but also now y'all got the Bush administration trippin' over 9/11 and, oh hell no.

RS: Try to get the article out of Vibe magazine titled "American Export" because it explains a lot of things, not all, but it's okay.

XZ: I'm going to do my best to find it, no doubt. God damn, Rusty, I hope Obama keeps his word as well because people don't realize how that 9/11 situation created more fear, man, look, they always try to get rid of what they fear, I don't see Obama as being scared of shit, so let's see how the future plays out, man, I hate scary ass racists.

RS: I told Piankhi some shit already. You already know I don't even talk to a lot of people around here because it's so much snitchin' and bullshit that, this place is crazy.

XZ: I've been knowing you a long ass time and you never look sad, or bothered by shit, would you be interested in speaking to youth about your experience because let's keep it real, it ain't no way in hell I can go through this shit and not holla at the youth, man, my daughter is in juvenile detention as we speak so it's like...

RS: I ain't going to lie, but maybe if I was out and talking one on one.

XZ: Why wait until you get out?

RS: I can't see myself talking to them in front of these cops, and you and Piankhi are good with words, y'all know how to make good points.

XZ: Are you selling yourself real short? And I think all of the imperfections make shit real.

RS: I hope you can respect that I'm not a public speaker and... for right now. (shaking his head no)

XZ: I do, and let me say this tho, we are demanding that they walk the incarcerated youth through death row for the first time in California history to show them that death row just ain't for super slasher dudes and child molesters, that it's an entire new generation up here accused of "street level" crimes, feel me, and man, this shit is just fucked up. I respect that tho, it's all gravy.

RS: I have been thinking about it, man, so I spend a lot of time getting at my younger family members in letters on a personal level.

XZ: In a nutshell, if you was in front of our next generation, what would you say?

RS: I know one thing, to be a success in this country, you got to get an education, I mean, that was what my family always stood on and it's what keeps my people together in spite of everything else.

XZ: There's an African saying, "It takes a village to raise a child".

RS: Yeah, I heard that.

XZ: Name one thing that you always wanted that you didn't get from the village of America.

RS: Basketball. (smiling)

XZ: Man, what? Can you play? And shit, Long Beach got major basketball history, I don't understand.

RS: I was going out for it, but the coaches told me I was too short.

XZ: Now see, man, that's fucked up.

RS: Outside of Yao Ming, Jeremy Lin and the few other Asian ballers, you don't see a lot of us, but we play like everybody else. I was like, fuck it, after those coaches was all... Anyway, we liked to go to the community center.

XZ: So if you would've been put on, in spite of your height, do you think you would've been on death row?

RS: You see, that's one of the real reasons why I can't see myself telling kids don't do this and don't do that, because you never know what can happen, especially growing up in hostile environments and under hostile conditions, I ain't trying to lie to other people's kids, so to answer your question, I'd have to say I don't know because I feel like anywhere is dangerous for kids when they are being told no because they are too short and shit like that, so those community places are good, but the people, man, I don't know.

XZ: Before we put this in the zine, I'll send you a copy of it for your approval, maybe some youngster will read this and connect, that's what this is about, just exposing people to not just what we are, but who we are up here on death row.

RS: Alright, tell Piankhi I said I send mine and don't forget to try to find that Vibe magazine article, I want it.

XZ: Know this, we all had you in high esteem because you done stood your ground against these babylons long after they done broke hella muthafuckaz. As it was said @ Golgotha over 2000 years ago, take me with you when you come into your kingdom, new generation rising!

RS: Come out again next yard, alright?

XZ: Ayyiiight!

The end!