Kenneth & Kay'Le
Kenneth, 26
Kay'Le, 5
"Growing up in the projects, I was coming up rough. Father locked up. We had it hard. My mother was my father. The projects raised me but I thank God I have a strong mother. At one point I was just in the streets, going through the same situations as my father. Trying to sell drugs. In and out of jail. Going down a bad road. Me having my daughter was like, aw man! Before, I was treating females bad. Once I finally had a baby girl my whole life changed for the better. It's a feeling that you can't really explain. You just gotta' experience it. It was like, the bad had to stop 'cause I got something to live for now. And being that it's a girl it's like a bigger responsibility. I knew a lot of young girls and women coming up without a father and they turned out making bad decisions. I refuse to let mine be in that type of situation so I'ma always be in her life. I told myself that no matter what the circumstance is, I'ma always be there. Always be positive around her and you know, work on me becoming a better man and figuring out whatever I gotta do."
"My experiences and the things I've seen are more motivation for me to stay in her life to try to be the greatest man I could be. Newark could chew you up and spit you out. So, she needs me to show her how a man should really love her and how she should be treated, which is like a queen. A lot of Black women are queens. That's who we come from, but without the right love in their lives, they go searching for the wrong one. The street love. And that's when you lose 'em. Prostitution, drugs, all types of negative stuff. It's already hard to make it in life, period. And we already ten steps back when we're just starting. As a man, I could prepare my daughter to become a queen and to never settle. Show her that it's a better and bigger life than what's going on around her."
"I want her to be a strong person. To be motivated to always do good. And being herself man, you know. Make her own decisions for her. That's how I always been. Never been a follower so I want her to be a leader and carry herself as a queen 'cause that's what she is. I want her to demand respect because that's how I carry myself - with respect. That's my princess right now, soon to be a queen. I'ma make sure she learns that. I'ma give her all my love so she ain't gon' need nobody else’s love."
"My biggest priority with her is quality, man. Quality over quantity. You got these parents that think money, money, money, you know. Money comes and goes. That time you put in with your kids...that lasts and feels like a lifetime...Just being there. Presence over presents, you know. Being there for her no matter the situation."
"I'm trying to teach her to not get caught up with the wrong crowd , the wrong people. I want her to just stay doing positive things. Trying to show her what to stay away from. My biggest fear is her getting caught up, meeting the wrong people, being in the wrong crowd. Your parents know right from wrong. They know what's good for you and what's not good for you. So that's what I try to be. Her guide. She gon' experience things. That's just part of growing up and being human but I'ma be in her corner when she falls, to pick her up and keep her positive, you know... But for the most part, I'ma hopefully mold her in a way that she won't have to handle negative situations and can keep it positive so she can make it out and do good for herself. Right now she's a model. She's a legit model and whatever we gotta' do to push her, we do it. I don't care about money and all that. I'll go broke to make sure she's good, feel me? I lived and did what I had to do. It's all about her."
"For the most part, she stays open to me. I hope that we continue our lil' relationship and she feels like she don't ever gotta' hide something from me...that I'm always that person she could come to about anything, you know? I love her unconditionally. I wanna' be her father, her friend, her everything. She's my world."
"That smile. I definitely remember going to Disney World for her birthday. Her telling me 'I love you daddy,' is the best feeling. Priceless stuff...that feeling. Just seeing her smile, man. Her telling me she loves me. It's motivation to continue to be great. To keep going. Everyday I just try to be the best father I could be to her, and I'm assuming she understands that cause she tells me she loves me. Kids know the real love."
"Honestly, I want her to play ball but, it's her life. Her choice. If she decides to take up after me and play ball I'ma be in her corner. I'ma teach her and work her out and do everything I gotta' do. But if she wants to continue this modeling stuff which is working out for her, then I'ma be in that corner too. I'm at every show. Photoshoots, I'm there. Whatever, she needs, yo. I don't really care what she does as long as it's positive and she's successful. I'm trying to set her up to succeed at the highest level she can. I want her to get the best resources, you know."
"Me having my daughter was probably the best thing that ever happened to me. She don't even know that, you feel me? That's why I praise her and thank her, like she don't even know! I coulda' still been out here. I coulda' been either locked up or dead, chasing that street life and all that wild stuff but it's like that all came to a halt. It's over for that. I got something to live for."