#flydude

I had a conversation with my friend, Zukile, the other day. He asked me, “Cardo why don’t you dress like these other rappers, I looked at myself, my vans all torn up and shit, my jeans fade, my hair all messy. Then I thought to myself,” Wait, I’ve always been like this”. I was never a “fly dude” in terms of the way I dressed or looked, But I’ve always been a “fly dude” in  terms of my personality.

Okay, let’s look at it this way, first of all ndikhulele ekasi (I grew up in the township) and this is one of the aspects that kept me grounded in life, as an artist and as an individual. For instance most of my hood friends while growing up perceived me as fortunate because I had a bigger home and most toys than them, but when I went to school and looked at my friends form the burbs.. I was at the bottom of the food chain homey. I guess this proves J Cole’s line correct, “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure” from the song titled “You Got It”.

I’ve never had a pair of Jordan's. My first pair of Nike shoes I had in grade 7, to me it never felt like I had them at a later stage or whatever, I just never had the perception that a pair of Nikeys would make me a better person in life. In that matter, I only had my first Nike jacket in 2015... wait.. Yeah 2015! and my Adidas jacket in 2014.

Okay, this was not about Nike or Adidas or Michael Jordan.. It’s just to show that I never had the mentality that wearing or having materialistic things would make me better person, artist or a “fly dude” in that matter.

I don’t care, I just don’t... Because look, I cant now all of a sudden because I’m getting a little bit of recognition change the way I dress, or look at life, I wont allow social status to get in my way and change me. I can tell you about a lot of rappers I know that are really good, but because they don’t have a pair of sneakers or gold chains, they don’t believe in themselves, and that’s bull!

You are a “fly dude” in your own unique way, whether it’s the vibes you bring when you around people, or whatever it is that makes you unique.