Early Life and Criminal Beginnings

• 💡 Mendeecees grew up in Harlem during the crack epidemic, where many parents fell victim to drugs, forcing children to "figure it out" on their own.
• 🎯 At just six years old, he was introduced to drug dealing by an associate of an aunt, which quickly became a normal way of life and a means to feed his family.
• 🧠 He lacked a positive male role model, as his mother was often absent due to her own struggles, leaving him to be "groomed" into the hustler lifestyle.

Life of Crime and Consequences

• ⚠️ Mendeecees recounts putting his own mother up as collateral for a drug deal, a decision he now views with horror.
• ⛓️ He served a five-year prison sentence for conspiracy to move kilos from New York to Rochester, taking a plea deal to avoid a potentially longer sentence.
• 💥 He survived being shot twice and stabbed 13 times, experiencing home invasions and attempted kidnappings that fueled paranoia and trust issues.
• 💔 The near-kidnapping of his son was a turning point, making him realize the need to change his life for his children.

Redemption and Rebuilding

• 🚀 After prison, Mendeecees faced challenges re-establishing himself financially due to his criminal record, with banks hesitant to accept his money.
• 🏡 He found success in real estate, viewing it as a way to turn nothing into something, and has since closed multi-million dollar deals and owns a block in Atlanta.
• 🎤 He is pursuing a career in entertainment, aiming to produce TV shows and identify new talent, seeing real money in casting.
• 💍 Mendeecees emphasizes the importance of family, marrying his wife Yandy in Dubai and making promises to see the world and be present for his children.

Reflections on Lifestyle and Society

• 📺 He has mixed feelings about shows like BMF and Snowfall, recognizing their entertainment value but also the dangerous reality they depict, especially for impressionable youth.
• 💰 Mendeecees believes that money and power can be dangerous, leading successful Black men to become targets of the government, and that media can twist narratives to secure convictions.
• 🗣️ He advocates for mentorship and support systems to help individuals, particularly young men, avoid or overcome the cycle of incarceration.
• 🤝 He encourages giving back and supporting others, viewing selfishness as a trait to avoid, and believes in the power of community and shared success.

Prison Experience and Lessons Learned

• 🎓 Mendeecees took advantage of his prison time to complete programs, earn his GED, and reflect on his past decisions, viewing it as a form of "college."
• ⛓️ He observed the prison system as a business that warehouses people for cheap labor and noted the difficulty of re-entry without a support system.
• 🚶‍♂️ He advises against carrying guns, as they can lead to unnecessary violence, and emphasizes that true strength lies in making better choices, not in being tough.
• ✈️ A promise made in prison was to see the world, which he has since fulfilled, traveling extensively after his release.