MisundErstood
You cant blame my past no more
I come from the trenches
some said ill never be a superstar
but I know i’m different
a lot of people doubt me
because my situation
but don’t understand what i’ve been through
or what i’m going through
just off that
they don’t want to listen to what I got to say
because they look and see another person from the hood
but what they don’t know
is that we are all able to learn
and be smart
and go somewhere in life
we just don’t get enough support
or options
but if you take time out your day
and go sit with someone from the hood
we really got a lot of knowledge
we just get left out
because we not what they want
they want the rich people
but they get mad
and slam us with football numbers
but don’t wanna give us any help
they put the guns drugs on the street
them blame us instead of helping us
and see how smart we really are
we could be the next person to do something big
instead they want to leave us out
like we are nothing
don’t give us job opportunists
or places for the kids
so they don’t fall into the streets
they just don’t understand
the pain we go through

Misunderstood by Diovanni F.

40 DAys & 40 NiGhTs
Rain can be beauty,
but rain can also bring pain
pain comes with a definition that will never be filled..
From crying kids to being stabbed in the leg,
but pain can also be in the mind
taunting you
and making you feel like a mime
Memories flood the mind
just like rain floods the gate,
The gate to memory lane
can also be the gate to monsoons of Rain
Pain comes and goes
but never your woes
when rain floods the brain
we think of days without pain,
The sunny days with laughter
that can turn into a not so happily ever after
…....After
that’s a funny thing,
when will that come?
Because believe me
all I feel is pain,
While sitting here watching this rain.

40 day and 40 nights by Dhalia B.

A waLk THaT DoEsn’t StoP
Walking can mean different things like
A physical walk like “walking the dog”
Or
A mental walk through this thing we call life
The physical walk is easy for some of us
But
Some of us, we take the mental walk through life
At the end of the night I take a mental walk of each day
And everyday comes back with something new
A different anxiety
A different thing to worry about
Another headache
But when I lay down at night, and think about my day
I’m sitting on a bed screwed to the floor
So when I take a walk
It doesn’t end
It just starts over

A walk that doesn't stop By Dahlia B.

FREEDOM
My family
I need them
sitting in a cell
waiting on freedom
constantly fighting demons
can’t wait till the day
I’m leaving
locked up for no reason
wanna change
but in the deep end.

Freedom By Cassius M.

FREEDOM
For my brothers that I lost
I feel the hurt, but its a lesson
live everyday like its my last
I can’t be held down by depression
I just sit back and roll a wood
cause it helps with all the stressing
I thank God for first day outs
cause some aint never coming home
I would Facetime Jhonny everyday
if heaven had a phone
got so deep up in these streets
that it wasn’t safe for me at home
I try to write bout how I feel
but it just turns
Into
a
poem

Freedom by Marquese H.

Part of MY story
Kamyjah is a smart,
funny,
and sweet person.
She cares about her love ones.
She love to make people laugh
and loves to read people.
She dislikes the police
and how they handle things
she dislikes unloyal people
Her goals are to get out of jail
and get a job
focus on her family
and make make money...
When she was in middle school
she was stuck between playing ball
and hanging outside 3with her friends
Well when she made up her mind
she ended up hanging with the guys outside
and ended up going to an alternative school
She was trying to go back to regular school
and trying to get her grades up
and play ball again
but nun of that went well
she gave up
because problems at home
plus she wasn’t focused on school
she was focused on her homies
and outside
She ended up going to jail
because of something out of her control.
Now some people calls her a bad person
and a murderer
But thats not the real her.
Only the people that knows the real her
knows that
shes funny,
cool
smooth
kind of laid back,
and
smart.

Part of my story Kamyjah

Reno by Serenity

Trust No One

Byron J (Buka Man)

Trust No One is a deeply reflective project by Byron J, also known as Buka Man, created during his time in creative writing and audio production workshops with Stomping Grounds Literary Arts Initiative. The album marks a powerful shift in his artistry—from music driven by expectation and survival toward songs rooted in honesty, growth, and purpose.

Across these tracks, Buka Man explores trust, loyalty, isolation, and self-awareness, drawing from lived experience and hard-earned insight. While much of his earlier work leaned toward trap aesthetics, Trust No One reveals a more intentional voice—one willing to slow down, reflect, and speak truthfully about the world around him and the choices he faces within it.

The process of recording himself and shaping his own sound gave Byron the freedom to create music that was personal rather than performative. Each song stands as a checkpoint in his development—not just as an artist, but as a young man learning how to navigate relationships, community pressures, and his own evolving sense of self.

Trust No One is not about closing yourself off from the world; it’s about discernment, resilience, and learning when to guard your heart and when to speak your truth. This album captures a moment of transformation—proof that reflection can be just as powerful as ambition, and that growth can be heard in every bar.

01 Over Pain - Byron J.

01 Personal - Byron J.

01 Stay With Me - Byron J.

Hearts Do Not “Brake” Even

Antwon S. (Li Twan)

Hearts Do Not “Brake” is an emotionally grounded and intentional project by Antwon S, known artistically as Li Twon, created during his participation in writing and audio production workshops with Stomping Grounds Literary Arts Initiative. The album captures a period of healing, discipline, and creative pride, where music became both an outlet and a form of self-respect.

Throughout the project, Li Twon reflects on resilience, growth, and emotional control, using music as a way to process experience rather than escape it. His songs speak to navigating pressure, learning restraint, and choosing clarity over chaos. Even the title itself signals intention: hearts may bend, endure, and ache, but they do not break.

A defining part of Antwon’s process was his commitment to recording independently and refining his work with care. He took pride not only in how his songs sounded, but in how they were made correcting himself in real time, holding himself accountable to clean lyrics, and staying true to the message he wanted to send. That discipline is audible throughout the project.

Hearts Do Not “Brake” represents more than a collection of songs; it documents a shift in mindset. Each track reflects Antwon’s growing confidence as an artist and his willingness to be vulnerable, thoughtful, and intentional. Created in a space that encouraged independence and reflection, this album stands as a testament to creative growth, emotional maturity, and the power of believing in your own process.

01 Reason - Li Twon

01 Anemic - Li Twon

01 All Love - Li Twon

01 Triple Dare - Li Twon

01 Boogie Man - Li Twon

Stomping Grounds Literary Arts Initiative (SGLAI) is a creative platform founded by artist Elgin Bokari Smith, dedicated to empowering young voices through writing, music, and art. Focused on uplifting at-risk and incarcerated youth, SGLAI offers mentorship, workshops, and performances, fostering resilience, self-expression, and personal growth. Through our community programs, we use the power of storytelling and the arts to inspire change and healing.

Stomping Grounds Literary Arts Initiative

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