Real Rap: How to avoid the trap Part II

If you are a leader you should use the influence you have over your peers/homies to start a club or youth group. Your group can be for recreation, study group, or a support group where everyone helps each other with their problems.

• Choose constructive outlets for your talents/skills
  Can you draw? How about play music? Maybe you're a rapper or poet. If not, what would you like to do? Take time to discover and sharpen your talents. Find places where you can express your abilities-If you are an artist you can check out the Art Institute of Philadelphia and Mural Arts Program of Philadelphia. Rappers and poets should check out the back of magazines such as: XXL®, Vibe®, Source®, or Rolling Stone®. You can possibly start a business with your talents and make some money.
  
• Volunteer with a group performing services in your community.
  Get involved with the Big Brothers/Big Sisters organizations. You could be an assistant coach in a league, if you like sports. Maybe you could serve food at a shelter.

Real Rap: How to avoid the trap Part I

Secrets of the game....
Here are things you can begin to do to reduce your chances of becoming a juvenile lifer.

• Beware of who you hang out with

Are you around people who really care about your future? If your homies aren't encouraging you to achieve your goals in a positive way, then they aren't your homies. If your friends aren't trying to go where you're going, then how can you walk together? To find out who you really are, you need to get out of your boys shadow.

• Get help through counseling or mentoring for your issues such as anger, depression, family problems, and violence, etc.

The only way to get help for your anger is to recognize that it is a problem. (Read James's story on how anger affected his life.) Find someone you can talk to and really open up with them about your problems. It might even be a psychologist.

• Find alternatives to violence.

Try to talk with people to resolve your "beefs." You may find out that you have a lot in common with your so-called enemies.

Mural Arts project reaches out to community

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/local/10699382.html

Balloon reads: Man, I got so many issues I don't know what to do. HELP

How to Play the Game booklet

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