Today is Josh 'Freeze' Reed birthday. I was going to post this video I have where he’s talking about life over a pretty view of his yard, but I felt like you all needed to see him. Maybe I did too, even though I see the placard from his life celebration in my kitchen so many times a day.
Sometimes we just need to be reminded.
I was always in awe of Freeze. His courage was second to none. He dressed so much better than me and he was so much better with people than I was. And he loved this rap shit more than me in ways I am still unable to.
I used to love our arguments.
Plans for shows, how we would handle this thing or that. Set lists. Is #JayZ really the greatest? Our different approaches, perspectives, and personalities clashed over little things that seemed like such a big deal at the time.
It’s fun to look back on those moments and laugh, it always makes me smile. It meant the world to me that we both cared enough to argue.
If you know me you know: I don’t argue.
But that was Freeze’s way, he would make you meet him wherever he was at, even if it somehow meant taking you there.
I credit him when people ask me how I’ve kept all this up after all these years. He once told me:
“I’m gonna do this my way, you’re gonna do it your way….Your way is going to work, it’s just going to take forever.”
One of the things I value most though is that Freeze showed me what loyalty is.
It’s one of the things he stood for.
Loyalty isn’t just not talking shit about someone behind their back when everyone else is, or holding it down when you see something that is suspect. And it’s more than just showing up for someone’s show or helping connect a few plays.
It’s pushing someone every chance you get to be the person you believe they can be.
And like a true friendship, it’s a gift that lasts more than a lifetime. Which is why us lucky people who knew him will always say: