This evenin' I took the opportunity to reflect on some of me' family history. My name hasn't been 'dat prominent on these streets for too long, though there is an extended history there, for those who ever want to look into it, they would find a family tree scattered across the country.

Personally I've always taken interest in the names we make for ourselves and the reputation we hope they carry. Be they your Gotti's, Scalise's or Luciano's, there are bloodlines on our streets who put great effort inta' what people think, know and expect from their names. How do we come to regard these ever changin' designations? Do we pay those familiar to us greater attention? The issue I 'tink we have is that there is an assumption that a rose by any other name smells as sweet, or rancid, as the case may be. 

My hope is ta' break that impression and be different, where possible. 

Through Louis, Sammy and Christian, we've gradually built a reputation, with the kin achievin' greater heights in this life than their predecessor. I don't want to say 'dat as a lineage we've peaked, as that would be a little presumptuous and boastful of me. At the same time I don't want to assume' dat I'm meant for bigger and greater 'tings. Do I want to accomplish something great? Certainly. Do I want to land meself' into the shoes of me' father or grandfather? No, most definitely not. Mainly because they are dead. I also don't want to be in tha' same positions that 'dey held. 

What about you? Do you have any hopes for tha' expectations of your name? 

Uhh, they describe, who I am?

They are my attributes and skills, and what I'm associated with.

Romance is leaning against a light post admiring a beautiful woman.... his chest heaving as he exhales hot passionate breath into the crisp air.  His excited breaths turn to sighs as TabithaGato enters his line of vision, dulling his view and mood with her trademark blandness.  She stands directly in front of the lovely lady Romance was admiring... like an eclipse darkening an otherwise sunny day.  He pitied her..... her tired dress, her unsightly mid-section, her matted hair..... no man would ever desire her, would ever want to hold her in his arms, would ever place his mouth on her...

No man except Romance of course, hero to all women, lonely or otherwise.  He approaches TabithaGato and places a hand on her her blackened sooty knee, most likely soiled from some menial cleaning chore she was tasked with back at her HQ.  As he let his hand slowly make its way up her dress, he uses his other hand to hold a finger to her chapped lips, silencing the shrillness of her voice.... he speaks ever so softly to her....

"People put far too much stock into their own names..... take their bloodlines far too seriously, assuming others do as well.  I have always admired the lineages that reinvent themselves generation after generation... not relying or advertising their ancestry... making a new name and legacy for themselves rather than just pretending to.  My influences have been those who dare to do or be something a little different or unconventional.  Sadly most of these family trees are no longer around, although there are still indeed some I am happy to see.  I believe it keeps things from getting stale.  But that is enough words for now........ it is time to make a woman of you..."

Romance closes his eyes and pretends he is embracing an attractive woman as his tongue slithers around and then inside TabithaGato's ear like an eel.....

"Mista Reaper you seem to have missed tha' question, or maybe just didn't listen to the end.

"How do you feel about tha' expectations already assumed of you because of your lineage?" 

As Romance was tear.. taking TabithaGato apart, presumably for an inspection of her back, IbrahimAlHulandi listened closely to what Kuku- said. After he finished he replied

It must be lovely to have the same type of character as your ancestors, Kuku-. As for me, I can't say my ancestors have been similar. Of course, there are similarities to their styles and on how they behave in this world, but the differences were always there. There have been crowd-observing men, volatile women, trigger-happy gunmen, utter failures and pacifistic talkative helpful people in my bloodline.

When I came to this world, I don't think anybody had any expectations from me. And believe me, I made those expectations come true.

Tenley stood quietly by herself. She had listened and thought about some of the things that were said. Her mind raced around with the ancestors of her past and the line she came from. They often didn't have a name that stuck with each of her kin but they were well enough known to some.

"Expectations? Hmm. I want to say yes and no. There are things that I hope to keep doing that my ancestors did, and there are things I certainly wouldn't want to. I believe my expectations for myself are best kept to myself. Once it's out there, you can't take it back. I will always be a work in progress for as long as I live. Adapting where I need to whether it be in actions, expectations and sometimes (very rarely) in standards that I hold myself and everyone else to."

"That's quite a position ta' put yourself in, Mista Hulandi, do you ever want others ta' expect more of you? Do you think you will ever expect more of yourself?" 

Smiling to Tenley, she tips her head in greeting and listens. 

"Very modest an' insightful comments, Miss Tenley. What do you realistically see though in the expectations of you held by others? Improvement? Change? Or some who just never care to adjust their opinions?" 

Tenley used one of her rare smiles on Tabitha. She had often enjoyed their discussions and held a fair amount of respect for the young lady. She took a moment to really think about her reply and shrugged.

"Honestly, Miss Gato, if I am being realistic I think there is a split opinion there. Some will never care to adjust their opinions while I am sure there is an expectation that I do well and improve by others. My family line has not had the best of reputations in our community by the masses. Many would rather stick with the negatives then admit there are positives in my line.

When it comes down to it though if I put too much stock in what others think of me then I am allowing them a certain power over me. But if I continue to hold myself to my own expectations and grow from there, there are endless possibilities and I would not be stifled by those that cannot adjust their opinions to the now, rather than of the past."

This is a question I always wondered as a child, why name me  JoeKing? I mean... No one in the family has ever been named that.

Or so I thought...

When I asked my father, he told me that I was named after his grandfather, someone who made an incredible fortune and lost it all on a matter of days.

So why name me after someone who was a failure in life? I asked, and my father told me something I will never forget:

"To remind you FOREVER to not follow his path. I have worked hard all my life to give you, my only son, a better life. Once you grow up my only wish is that you become a successful man, and that doesn't mean just making money. See, he was good at making money, and even better at blowing it. DON'T become like that, see in this life the hard part isn't becoming rich, instead it is staying rich. But money isn't everything, you also need many other things to make you a successful person. I will guide you to get there until my time to part has come... Until then-"

So many good memories went through Joe's head that he almost felt tears coming out of his eyes. Losing his father was a devastating moment in his life, he was left in this world all alone. But that did nothing less than motivate him to be even better, and after working so hard, he had come the furthest anyone in his bloodline ever did. Now JoeKing also had a son, still too little to understand anything, but he had great plans for his future, as his parents did for him.

But yeah - He continued -  That's where my name comes from.

After a brief pause, JoeKing took a pre-rolled joint out of his pocket made with marijuana he got earlier that day. This was the perfect time to get high, he always loved to hear people's stories.