He suggests that local drug dealers in his neighborhood were viewed by the youth as sources of support and hope rather than just bad role models, given the lack of other visible avenues for success.

“So we always had, you know, the local drug dealers wasn't looked upon to us as uh some bad role model to us. They was the guys in the neighborhood that was, you know, taking care of families that really had it and giving us the hope cuz that was the only way we saw like real money or success.”