Clarence was born in Mobile, AL on a lazy Sunday afternoon in 1955. His mother Maybelle, ever the homemaker, spent her days keeping Clarence out of trouble during his teenage years. Clarence’s father, a decorated World War II veteren and wiley fella, was never quite the role model that his son needed. Nevertheless ole Clarence surely followed in his father’s footsteps to the war, but this time it was Vietnam.

When Clarence returned to Alabama from the war it was not quite the welcome wagon that he expected. Most American’s did not support the Vietnam war; hell in the south they were still fighting the civil war. The world had flipped upside down. Hippies were protesting, women were becoming more liberal with their bodies, and Clarence needed a fresh start. Clarence thought to himself where can I go and blend in? The Big Apple! Yes! Manhattan is where I’ll get my start. Purchasing a bus ticket in Mobile for a Greyhound to the big city, Clarence was on his way.
Manhattan was a beast Clarence just wasn’t ready for so he sought out a neighborhood more within his financial means. The subway ride across the river to the Bronx was an experience all on its own, for Clarence had never seen a subway car let alone navigated four different trains. When Clarence came up stairs at the Sedgwick Ave/W 172 St station his entire world was shook. Music was playing. A hydrant was open and kids were running through the water. He was home. This was July 1973. What Clarence didn’t know was he was about to witness the birth of Hip Hop...