The eastside of Indianapolis is loved by few and hated by many. An area where the sun doesn't shine often. You become numb to the rainy days and makeshift memorials that frequent the neighborhoods just like liquor stores.

Some of the residents are predictable, they usually stick to the same routines day in and day out, they become comfortable with a mediocre lifestyle, and they fear the unknown. Now, let me be clear; this description isn't meant to bash the city where I am from, but you don’t realize the effects of what's going on around you, until you venture out and seek higher.

Some eastsiders are known to hang with the same group of people on their respective corners until the wee hours of the morning. Nobody is known by their government names and everybody has an alias. It’s the usual location for a homicide and the percentage is small for those who make it out. Yes, there are good days but sometimes in the hood, the bad experiences are so catastrophic that they outweigh the good ones. This war zone that I speak of is responsible for what you see today. That cloud can make or break you, it’s all about what you envision and the legacy you want to leave behind.

Damon Franklin, also known as 2uce Betta, is a product of the eastside of Indianapolis (42nd and Emerson). What's the difference between 2uce and the others? He simply decided to change his forecast.