From Imprisonment to Inspiration: The Delano Savage Story

What if the power to rise above adversity lied in a single conversation? That's what unlocked the future for Delano Savage, our guest, who turned a decade-long imprisonment into a testament of perseverance. Delano sheds light on his transformative journey, sharing how a simple piece of advice led him to pen down his experiences and publish a book.

Not one to shy away from the raw realities of life, Delano brings us on a ride through his reintegration into society post-prison. He explores the challenges of this process, including navigating the parole system . But, it's not all uphill. With the support of his community Delano found a job and started to rebuild his life. He shares how the power of communication and relationship-building helped him create opportunities, even in the most unlikely places.

Yet, it's not just his story that Delano is proud of, but also the legacy he's building through his family. He reflects on the importance of teaching from experience and instilling the value of hard work in his kids. To cap it off, we introduce our new podcast, "Lockdown to Legacy," a platform where we continue to discuss the American prison and criminal justice system's underbelly. Join us as we turn stories of adversity into narratives of resilience, one conversation at a time.

You can find more of Delano Savage at these links:
-Facebook Video
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid033s7V6UZMgBoZhrpVy8vSZnLtJBFGNi3iRmqRByLzwJUrRdtwxQ7ZjCACScJRVkUAl&id=100021641979437

-Interview
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1811038715738533&id=100004972664501

-Link to Delano's book on Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/More-Life-Delano-Savage-ebook/dp/B092LGFF73/ref=nav_signin?crid=3QYQ9WVG46TLC&keywords=delano+savage&qid=1695343984&sprefix=delano+savage%2Caps%2C99&sr=8-1

Transcript

Remie: 0:19

Welcome to Lockdown the Legacy stories from the inside out. I'm your host, remy Jones.

DJ: 0:25

And I'm co-host Debbie Jones. We are a husband and wife team here to bring you the real life stories, experiences and questions around the American criminal justice system. We do advise discretion with this podcast. I think we should put that out there first and foremost. Yes, we are going to talk about experiences that happen inside the prison system, outside of prison systems. We will use language that might be offensive, but we intend to keep it real. And if that's not for you, we totally understand, but please do what's best for your listening ears.

Remie: 0:56

Oh, we're about to keep it real, son. Our goal of this podcast is to share the inside realities of the American prison and criminal justice system, from pre-charges all the way to post-release, from the voices of those who've experienced it firsthand, including me.

DJ: 1:12

That's right, let's get into it All right.

Remie: 1:30

So let's start off. Man, you go ahead and introduce yourself whatever names you want to go by and then, if you're comfortable, give a brief rundown of how long you was in prison, what the charges was. You ain't got to say it if you want to, yeah.

Savage: 1:50

Oh well, my name is Delano Savage. I did ten years for Hagervita robbery. In the kidnapping I wasn't going to say I wasn't in the right frame of mind, but I was kind of not in the right frame of mind. I wanted to hit a quick lick, real quick. You know it was sweet. I decided to do it with someone. I'm not even going to blame them. I decided to do it with someone and it didn't fall right, which has led me to my sentence.

Remie: 2:21

Got you, got you. That's usually how it goes. You know I was in the same boat. Yeah, so you know. Me and Savage was locked up together in Ohio and grafting for about what Like three years together.

Savage: 2:37

Yeah, I did like three. I was in a noble for a few years too, so okay.

Remie: 2:45

Well, savage is a good dude though, so you know, I just wanted to reach out to. I know you was doing some good stuff, man. First and foremost, when you told me that you wrote a book, I was like, oh shit, because it's some people that told me that I should. And I was thinking like man, I can't write no book, I ain't no writer. What type of shit, you know. But now I'm really considering it, man, especially like you told me you wrote a book and I read that like yo, this is possible. You worked at yourself.

Savage: 3:16

I did, I wrote it. I actually wrote a lot of it when you was right across from me, oh, in the joint, that's for sure. Yeah, you was right across from me and I was. I was finishing up Before I met you. I was, in fact, I finished it by the time I met you. I had to type it up and I was, you know, looking for publishers and, you know, sending and talking to people. But, yeah, basically finished it up while you was, you know, not too far from me.

Remie: 3:40

So how hard was that process to like find a publisher and get it like legitimized, you know.

Savage: 3:48

Well, it was probably. Well, I will say. The thing is, I sat on it Like I had it, and one of my homeboys from Cleveland man, fuck the J Blaze you probably know him too. He was with his brother. His brother was in there, but that's the name, the name you know in social media, fuck the J Blaze. He, you know. I was talking to him and he kept saying bro, what should, what should you do with that book? What are you doing? You know?

Savage: 4:09

So, from 2017 to probably like pandemic, right before the pandemic, I sat on it and something told me to go ahead and publish it. Like, like, man, what else are you doing? Go ahead and publish it. So the process is probably about a year, about a year, a little bit over a year, but I had to keep a like, ask some questions and press them to. You know, get things right, cause I didn't hear from them for a few months and I was wondering what was going on. The public company is called Exliberus XL, ibris and they I mean, they got me together. You know, they got a good promotion. You know what I'm saying. I had a website, you had to pay for the website after a certain amount of time and they got me in a newspaper but I'd never seen the newspaper. But they gave me cars, flyers, stuff like that. That's what was good for the money.

Remie: 5:03

Okay, I'm so sad I did it like, did it work out it you know how much, how much you selling out.

Savage: 5:10

Well, I kind of look at it like cause I promoted it. You know, like I said, I'm out in the streets with it, I'm posting on social media and all of that and, like I said, it was a little bit of you know, help promotion with them. But I also look at it like if, like how fast our attention span is nowadays with social media, like if you're not in there face constantly, you're going to get forgotten. So I did good on that. You know, when I was buying them cause I actually was buying them myself, they give me a certain amount when I first got them and then I would, you know, I would buy more.

Savage: 5:41

So when I was out moving, it didn't say nothing. I mean to sell 60 books at a time. You know, I got like 60 at a time, like 30, 30 to 40 soft and like 20 to 30 hardbacks and I would sell them like it was nothing. You know I'm, I was in Cleveland selling them, I was in Akron selling them, I was in Young Sound selling them, I was in Baltimore selling them, like I was moving, you know. But like advertising, like you need to, like I said, you got to no-transcript. They are attention, that's what you gotta do, okay.

Remie: 6:12

I mean, hey, I appreciate it though, because, like you know, it's either two types of people. When you get in a venue like this, a forum like this, it's either people that be like it ain't nearly as hard as they say, or it's people that be like bro, it's just so hard out here, man, you don't understand. So I appreciate the real like yeah, you know, it's kind of hard, you gotta keep at it, but it's possible, because that's my whole way of thinking. Like I always say, like we had the same mentality in the streets when people said we couldn't do it, we was like man, fuck that. So you gotta have that same fucking mentality Get out there and get it, you know.

Savage: 6:55

Yeah, I know what I was saying, man. I was just like, if you was in a street selling whatever you were selling, why can't you sell t-shirts like that?

Remie: 7:03

Yeah. So I mean, that's what I'm trying to do, man. I started this and basically I've been learning as I go. You know, trial by fire, bump in my head, tweak this here, change that here, and you know I'm trying to learn from everybody, man. So I figured like, hey, if I'm gonna write a book, let me hear what the experience was like. I've been looking at this whole Amazon self-publishing thing too, trying to see if that's a route I could take.

Savage: 7:33

My second book. My friend was telling me that, but I don't know who, because I did a lot of research before I did it, because I was thinking about self-publishing too. But self-publishing, like you, don't get as much promotion as you think because, like you can type my name up on I'm in Target, I'm in Walmart, I'm in, I'm on Amazon. Like you type my name up and you can buy my book in any of those venues, you know. But when you're self-promoting, you're not. I mean, you're self-publishing you're not gonna get that kind of, you're not gonna get put in those kind of venues and you might not get the kind of promotion that you're looking for with self-publishing. All right, well that's what's up.

Remie: 8:09

That's something to think about too, because I was just thinking like you know, amazon Candles, stuff like that, shoot the link out on social media friends, family, word of mouth but I guess you're right, man. So you got out. After 10 years, you got out what 2017?

Savage: 8:31

Yeah, I got out August 2017.

Remie: 8:34

All right. So what was that? Like the adjustment period? Man Like, was it hard? Was it distractions?

Savage: 8:45

Well, the first couple of months it was like, not even the first couple of months, I'm not even gonna say that the first couple of weeks, like it was hard adjusting to the being, you know, in public I'm not even alive. Like it was. I was getting anxiety, like just being in Walmart, like the first time on the Walmart I had to leave out. Like the first time on the Walmart I was going in there, you know about some beaters and socks and stuff like that and I couldn't, you know, complete my face. That's something. That's anxiety I had about being in a public space like that. So that was kind of you know, new to me back then. It was kind of weird.

Remie: 9:22

I've actually heard guys talk about that man Not on the show, but guys I keep in touch with that have said like the anxiety just really got to them, man and not. I think about it like even myself. I used to go out to eat and always had to have the back to the wall facing the door.

Savage: 9:40

you know that's right, I don't know what that was, but it was like my you know, I don't think about me is I didn't hang with. Well, I didn't, I'm not going to say I didn't hang with him, but a lot of people that I did roll up with. For the ones you know that did you don't give the ghost or the prison away. You know things like that. Like when they went they didn't come back, like my one friend. He's in prison for murder, tent murder. He's not getting out, he's in prison right now.

Savage: 10:15

Another friend got killed, like a long time ago. Another friend got killed when I was locked up and another friend was older, like he'd only wanted to do my time with me and like, besides that, like all my other friends don't know what it's like. Like I was arguing on the first couple months I'm arguing with one of my friends about, like he didn't understand, not like I needed it, but he didn't understand how much it helps to get pictures and money when you locked up. So that was an argument the first couple months when I came home. But they just threw me in the mix Like as soon as I came home.

Savage: 10:53

Like I'm, I'm in, I'm in a bar three times a week. So I wouldn't know. I need time to get adjusted Like that. One time I'm with the Walmart and that happened. I stayed away probably for two days and then I'm in the bar when my homeboy was kicking it. It was weird like the first couple of times.

Savage: 11:10

But and that man I was, I was all right, I was. I was like man, shit, we want out again this Monday. I wish I was on Thursday, all right Friday. This Saturday we hear like I jumped right back in the night, right back in the mix. But I jumped in the mix Like so how long that lasts? Well, probably not as much. But I I still kick it Like not as much, cause I don't live with around that anymore, which is a good thing, I mean, cause my life probably wouldn't be as healthy as I am if I was still going over that. But I don't live you know where my friends live anymore. I live out of state now. So yeah, that's a little different. The way I met right now is so Just not in the kicking place. It's a good thing for me, but yeah, basically it's not in the kicking place, so I don't kick it as much.

Remie: 11:58

I mean. But that's all right though, because now you get to picking shoes like the amount you want to do, you know where you want to do it at, as opposed to just like being right there and being available for the first thing that come by. You know.

Savage: 12:13

Absolutely. And, like I said, I wouldn't be as healthy as I was if I was to, you know, kicking on my. I love them to death. You know what I mean. But yeah all that drinking every day and going out and getting them off of the spaces and all that, like it's cool to an extent, you know.

Remie: 12:31

You know it's weird. Like so I had this, I don't know, it's kind of weird, I don't even know how to explain it, but like, once I moved out of the hood, man, a lot of stuff that I used to do kind of change. Like I don't even go and buy a bottle, no more. Like I think the whole five years I've been home I don't buy one bottle of Hennessy, one bottle of Cavassier, Like I don't even. Like I think I got one bottle like I don't know syrup, but for real, like I drink mead now, which is weird. I ain't never knew nothing about it before, but like that's the thing I drink is it's like honey wine, you know.

Savage: 13:12

Is that honey wine?

Remie: 13:13

Yeah, it's wine made from honey instead of grapes. It's strong as fuck too.

Savage: 13:18

I gotta look that up.

Remie: 13:19

So it's a place down here in Columbus, man, and I fuck with heavy, I shout them out all the time. It's called Brother's Drake. You can hop on the internet, join a club, they'll ship it to you and everything. But it's a mead club and they come out with like different flavors and stuff every few months. Like it's dope. They got a couple spots. I go hang out at all the time. Man, good people, my birthday came around. They blessed me with some stuff Like they legit. But if you would have asked me before I got out or right after I got out, like if I was going to be sipping mead on the back porch with my neighbors, like I'd have been like fuck, no, what's that you know? But like I don't really go out too much. If I do, it's like a get together. You know, one of my family or something I ain't been to, not man clubs and stuff. I've been out. I live a boring ass life. I ain't even going to front, but I appreciate it.

Savage: 14:17

I thought it matter and they appreciate your time, man. Your time is valuable.

Remie: 14:22

And I just be trying to, you know, help other people because I noticed when I was in the joint man, when I went in there to the case manager's office, when I was getting closer going home, and they gave me that resource packet and it was like, oh, these, these are the places that I hire a felon. And I got to looking up these places like, bro, you ain't, I ain't about to go home, work for no motherfucking $9 an hour. Man, y'all got me fucked up Like. But they was genuine, they was really trying to help Like. You know you, you stayed out of trouble in here, you know you can go home and be low risk on security, you know, and you can get a job. And I was like I'm not working for no motherfucking $9 an hour.

Savage: 15:05

Thanks, bro, what's your name? Like people look at it and that's. That's as good as it is, that's the mentality that people have, but as good as you didn't take, you know, the other route. You know, because a lot of people don't want to be like, well, I got to start, I'm not about to start, you know, from the bottom up again, I wanted, I want to keep up with the Jones is no pun intended, you know, but I want to keep up with the Jones, you know, and they end up getting in the pack, you know, or the end of hearing about something. It sounds sweet and I'm going to hit this liquor stand, the third, like in nine o'clock to you. Sometimes you get a run, sometimes it worked. You didn't mean to whistle hard in the starters from the ground back up. Yeah, man, yeah.

Remie: 15:45

I noticed, though, like um, getting in right, even when you on that run, especially when you on that run, I can't sleep at night, bro. I think everybody out to give me Um, and if you ever get the chance to talk to my wife, man, she can back me up on this. Like she not from the hood, she don't know nothing about it, but when we got here, I was like stop leaving my window open at night and like stop leaving this stuff sitting on the seat. She was like bro, it's not that big of a deal. I'm like yes, I'm the dude that was looking for the lick, I know it's a big deal.

Savage: 16:22

Yeah.

Remie: 16:24

Yeah, so like my neighbors was freaking out, man, it was somebody around here checking car doors uh, last week and they was all freaking out about it. I'm like shit happened and it was come cut your catalytic converter off, check your car doors, be gone. You don't even know.

Savage: 16:41

Yeah, I was just talking to my buddy yesterday Like how, like converters, that's them, they ain't gonna never change. But everybody, like everybody, ain't going to get up and go mentality.

Remie: 16:54

Yeah, so how? How was it relocating back to back to Baltimore, man, Like was you on supervision when you got up?

Savage: 17:04

I was. I was standing the day before for them to be like, oh, all right, we're going to approve. Like cause I was, uh, they didn't. Man, I didn't. When I say I didn't get nothing, like I didn't get, no, uh, cci, I think in the halfway house nothing and took them into the last day, the day before for them to approve that I could take my PRC back home.

Savage: 17:28

And it was so crazy. Like when I was going to see the parole officers, they was like, like why are you here? Like you did all your time. I'm like, yeah, and you got parole. I'm like, yeah, I'm like that's how they is. Like, well, get a job, keep a job, don't piss dirty. Like you know, when you start going good, they change your parole officers. You know what I'm saying. Like I had three different parole officers Cause they like I stopped smoking a long time ago.

Savage: 17:53

I'm beside the drugs. That was the only drug I ever did, so I'd never gave a fuck about a pissed ass. You know what I'm saying. But one good thing no, not a good thing, it's a good thing, but one thing that you need, man. I don't care what nobody say man, you need that. Support man, if they're not going to support you while you went there and they're going to support you while when you come home, accepted Cause that's what I got when I came home and I got man I had. When I say the village supported me, yeah, like my homeboy had a job for me waiting on me when I came home.

Savage: 18:24

I'm arrogant as I don't know what I'm about to do. The judge, like you said, it wasn't, you know, for that little bit of money. It was full of a little bit of money, but not no $9. It was awesome. I'm not to do that shit. You know what I mean. Just like that, arrogant, not knowing. I mean I'm looking for jobs at the time but at the same time I had, you know, I got people that love me man, I ain't a shitball man. So I got people that love me.

Savage: 18:43

Like, soon as I walk out the gate now my sister's throwing me a cell phone. Figure out how to work that. All right. A bag of clothes, fresh shit, you know. Then there you go. You know I get around people hitting my net in clothes. Come on, we're about to go in to this body. Get you a couple fists. This is this, this, this like plow me with a bad thing but Plow me with girls alcohol. I had a Village man to look out for me, man, but once I sat back and thought about it, like why wouldn't I take the job? You know, my whole boy is the super box. It was a telemarketing job like I. I never did tell them all down on my life, remy man, and when I tell you I was good at it, just like I told you like if you saw dope man, you can sell a t-shirt and I never did tell them all down on my life and I'm talking to these people on the phone, I'm selling what I need, we need to be sold. So I actually was good at it.

Remie: 19:38

Yeah, you know, when I was in a, when I was in graph time and I went to Ashley University and I took a sales course and this old dude man, the professor, changed my whole life for real. And I way I can't even remember his name, I wish I could. But I just got to talking with him and he was like man, if, if you, uh, if you could sell in the streets, you should be in sales, because sales is the biggest industry in the whole world. You know. He's like it's two things that you can never, ever get away from, and that sales and transportation. And so I told him I was in like the Diesel mechanics program, and he was like while you in there, I heard they got a CDL program like learn how to drive them, because if you know how to fix them and you know how to drive them, you can sell them. You'll be like indispensable. He is like man, all the same qualities that it take to be successful in the streets. It's what's gonna make you successful as a salesman and you will make so much money. And when it come to moving up in the company, it always is the case that sells people go further. So I was like damn.

Remie: 20:48

I started thinking about it and he made a lot of sense. Like I don't care if you in the medical field, somebody selling that medical you know, supplies services. He was like if you work in a factory, he's like would you rather be to do that? Put the the tires on the car? Would you rather be to do to sell the contract for good year tires to be put on every four car that come off the line? Yeah, that's a good analogy. I was like, damn this, he really got me man.

Remie: 21:20

So I started thinking big like I gotta go home. That's why I was selling cars. I was I gotta go home and get my feet wet on this selling and For real, like if you wanted them, people that can go home and had a huge support system. Because you don't need no degree to sell cars, you don't need no experience, you could literally just walking there. But y'all want a job and they give you a shot. You know.

Remie: 21:42

So when you go in there and you like already know half the people in the city, it ain't nothing for me to be like ayo, you need a car, come on over, come see me, and people would just show up over the strength just because they know you. Then they'd be telling people like, oh a go fuck with Savage, a go fuck with sad man, he over there at such a such Like I was leaving my business cars in the gas pumps and stuff. When I, every time I go to the gas station I just leave a business card in the car reader for real like and People like because I wouldn't know piece of shit cars salesman. And people be coming right back like, hey, my wife need a car, my mother-in-law need a car. You know, I was like hell once. Once I started getting that you know referral I was like, oh shit, this was up. But it was a bad time, man, that cove. It was a bad time to be a good person selling cars because the people behind the scenes Was trying to rip motherfuckers heads off.

Savage: 22:36

I never thought to sell cars. Always I don't know too many people to buy brand I mean even newer used cars, you know, you know. You know Like most people have car notes, like a lot of people go with a used car dealerships because they, you know, get better rates and things like that. So I never thought to be a car salesman.

Remie: 22:53

I was a used car salesman. It was a big dealership but I was a used car salesman and some of my salesman was like the shit I never thought would happen. Like I sold a Corvette to a cop you know and I'm sitting here talking to him about like how I done been in some trouble and shit and he like, oh, I mean that's what's up, man, but like I'm glad to see you on your feet, change your life. Blah, blah, blah and uh boom, he buy my fucking Corvette Grand Sport from me, put 50 grand down and traded in his old Corvette. Man I made like four grand on the sale. Well, I was like this is what it's all about, talking to people.

Savage: 23:33

I Don't say never put him in like that, but it kind of is.

Remie: 23:36

Bro, I don't sell more cars not talking about cars than I did about talking about cars. Getting there old man like yeah, I used to coach football down in Virginia Beach Like hell, yeah, you know, I'm from down here around, such as oh yeah, help me, I like you. Yeah, I want this For real man.

Savage: 23:58

I always been a person that could talk talk to my, you know, so I could probably do that. You never thought about it.

Remie: 24:04

Hey man, it was this young dude. I know I don't I ain't gonna put his name out there because, dude, cool this hell, but I ain't cleared with him. But uh, I worked with him. He was like 25, right, and or he did was sell cars to instagram girls, like the whole day at work. He'd just be sitting around instagram just gaming chicks up and they'd be coming in looking like like full-fledged instagram models man. They'd be coming in asking for him and he had just walked over to him so informal, so like what you would kind of consider like unprofessional, but he like shit, what's up? Hey, come on over here. I got you and that motherfucking made forty thousand dollars in a month. Bro, 40 grand in a month.

Remie: 24:53

I was like this nigga got the sauce. You know he got the sauce. Man, that's my dude. And he was so cool about it, like he wasn't One of them young dudes that's gonna go out and Buy a crazy car, crazy clothes. You know he was so humble about it. He was like man, last year I was sleeping on a nigga couch, so I ain't trippin.

Savage: 25:19

Somebody gave me a game just like dude, but you Amen sell cars and it worked, huh.

Remie: 25:25

Yeah. So that's why, like I said, I'll be trying to um Do like some mentor and loose mentor and stuff, like Anybody I can talk to, especially if I was locked up with him like man and dude. It's a million industries you can get in. What a felon that ain't nobody telling you about. You know if you could sell dope, you sell cars, you could. You know if you can go ahead and trap it out and wear the same clothes for my fucking a week while you selling dope, like hopping this truck and hustle these different lows?

Remie: 25:57

Yeah, cause I'm telling you right now, man, first time I did taxes, bro, I ain't never filed taxes before in my life before I got out of prison. Yeah, when I filed taxes I was like, oh shit, I'm making money, that's right, you know, like for real. And then you know I don't know shit. So the next year I filed taxes I was like I owe how much? Cause I fuck a fuck a refund. They was like, yeah, you owe something. I was like, oh, I need to have somebody do my taxes from now on. Tell me what I need to be putting away. Cause I was like I ain't claiming nothing, give me all my money.

Savage: 26:35

Yeah, you ain't know.

Remie: 26:37

Man, they definitely. They took me up top, bro. They took me up top. I was mad. It took a while to bounce back from it. I ain't go front.

Savage: 26:47

Only one time, though, you give me once. Oh, okay, I know the game, yeah.

Remie: 26:51

I told the lady at the H&R blog. I was like man, this nigga ain't even my real uncle. He talking about I owe him some money. Uncle Sam talking about I owe him some money they ain't even my uncle, they ain't my mama's brother.

Savage: 27:04

I don't know dude.

Remie: 27:06

He just gonna pop up when he was at when I was in the struggle, you know.

Savage: 27:11

I like it. Yeah, still collecting. All for us then.

Remie: 27:16

Man. So that's what's up, man. So I was gonna ask, like you was talking about like how you had a bunch of support right. So, like, have you done anything to like pass that on, pass the game or the support on to somebody else?

Savage: 27:32

Well it's, I don't know if it's because, like, people don't like listening to anything like that man, but it's. I give to strangers you know what I'm saying Even if it's just donating, you know, groceries or something like that man. I donate groceries to shelters and things like that man. But far as, like, somebody close to me, people, they don't. They don't, I don't know, they don't listen. Like people don't want to listen to what you had to say, so I don't. I spit it one time and then I saw him, Like I talked to my.

Savage: 28:03

I got a whole bunch of nephews, like I talked to my nephews, but they want one of them on a second year college. You know what I'm saying. Another one's, in fact, you, on this third year college. One of them was on this third year college. One of them, like as soon as I never met him before, but one of them is just, he ought to change. He's not listening, he only listens to parents. I got two other nephews, but these, these nephews, you know, live in an upstate, so I don't see him so much. My nephew here, he, he, he kind of say it on a straight, to an extent, you know what I mean. He, you know, was of the rockers for a while, a second. He'd come back around every now and then he he all right. You know I help him out whenever he needed, but that'd be financially. You know what I'm saying? Like far as, like passing some game down, like don't nobody, everybody think they know how to do it. Everybody think they they had a blueprint.

Remie: 28:51

So you know what that's. That's legit, man. I started off just giving advice to people that I knew People. I was locked out with people in my family and like I told you with the CDL thing, like I offered to pay for new CDLs. Now one of them took the chance, you know, but one of them had told somebody else about it and that dude ended up calling me like yo hey, I got my temps, like can I ride in a truck with you? I was like damn, like that's what. It's always the person that don't know you. Cause I felt like the people that knew me was going to know firsthand the struggle from being so close to me, you know, and how you go from that struggle to some totally different, that it would be like inspiring, but it's always the stranger that be like ready to bite.

Savage: 29:41

I ain't mad. No, I ain't mad at all, I ain't mad at all, cause a lot of times not like I I got the blueprint but I say something and months later the person to come back and say the same thing, or they take the, they take somebody else's advice on what I told them and then go that route. So I, you know, I had a hearing that for so long I don't say anything bro.

Savage: 30:07

I ain't gonna say a lot to you man, you ain't gonna listen to me. Like I said, I ain't in the best position in life, I ain't got a blueprint, but like I kind of know a little bit, you know yeah.

Remie: 30:18

I like to put stuff in the analogies and I don't know everything. I feel like I'm relatively successful, especially coming from where I come from, but every day I'm in uncharted waters. Man, I don't know what the fuck I'm doing, but all the avenues that I already took, I be trying to just imagine like being on the slave plantation, like hey, listen, I know it's a hole in the fence over here, we can get gone. And I already went out there for about 10 miles. It ain't nobody and everybody, like man, the guy ain't going out there.

Savage: 30:52

You know and you look like that I be hapin' for 50 years doing that time.

Remie: 30:58

Ugh, this is exactly how it be. But then you fuckin' like that's how I feel. It's like, man, hey, I've been out here and I come from something totally different. I ain't got the blueprint, but I could show you how you can at least get to where I'm at and avoid some of the pitfalls that I made on the way. Yeah, so I mean really, I just try to teach from my experience. I don't try to claim nothing above and beyond. I ain't no guru, I ain't no expert, but I at least want you to know that it's possible, man.

Savage: 31:31

Thanks, and just like you said, I can teach you from my experience, and that's the major freeze right there. I'm trying to teach you from my experience. You know what I mean? Yeah.

Remie: 31:42

So, after all this, you know what your experience right. What's the one thing that you're most proud of since you come home, man?

Savage: 31:56

I'm proud I'm back with my family now. I'm proud that you know I'm raising three girls. One you know from a distance. You know they're graduating. They're in college, second year in college. The other one is in early college. You know what I'm saying and they know how to go out and get it. They've been one in head, three jobs. One head not at a time, but she worked two jobs but you know the other one. She's doing her second job. You know what I mean. They know what it's like to have their own by getting their own check at an early age. I'm glad that I helped instill that in them. You know, with the little bit of time, that I've been around them since they've been at the age they was when I came back home.

Remie: 32:39

That's dope, that's dope, that's dope. And I like that answer because it ain't. Most people think it's like you know, I wrote the book or I got the bag or whatever like that I got some money. But that's really what it's all about, because if you can put that in them and have that positive presence after being absent for so long, like that's a huge accomplishment.

Savage: 33:03

Like I said, I'm proud of that. And like, far as money, like I'm not bragging or nothing, man, but anybody that you can ask or know me like I've been getting money, like I ain't no, you know Ferrari, porsche, women driving a Type Duel man, but I've never been new to you know, to getting money.

Remie: 33:29

I say the thing that I'm proud of because it kind of changed man, because I was I ain't gonna lie I was blinded by this hustle. You know, when I first come home and I couldn't really see past it, I sacrificed everything to like get ahead. But you know, now I'm married, I got four kids, young kids, and the thing I'm most proud of is is, weirdly enough, it's not that I bought the house or that I got the job or I got money or anything. It's not even the podcast or anything like that, or my business.

Remie: 34:07

I started but they asked for volunteer parents at my son's school, my daughter's school, and then they was like oh, yeah, and we having this, you know the show and tell whatever, you come in and talk about your job and stuff. And they was like, is that something you'd be interested in? And I was like hell yeah, because they. Never in my life before could I ever be in a position to come into my kid's school and talk about my job in a good way. You know we was like I drive a minivan. I got an SUV, but I got a minivan too. I have my kids in there. I drove by my job like yeah, that's where I work. You know they was like amazed, like oh, that's your big truck, daddy, like yeah, and that right there is, like that made me super proud and my three year old, my five year old, looking me like oh shit, you know, and be proud.

Savage: 35:05

That's good, like that's good. Like you said, man, it's not a possession or anything like that, man, it's your kids, man, your kids being proud to know that their daddy is out here. You know, getting a check I couldn't get in the bag, man, but they know it's legit getting gotten, you know.

Remie: 35:26

And I gotta say, man, I'm proud of you, bro. I'm proud of you because I ain't never heard nothing about you getting in no trouble. Hit it back. You told me you wrote the book. I was like, oh shit, that's what's up. It's a couple other dudes out here that's doing good man. I tried to keep in touch with them, but I definitely wanted to give you your flowers. Man, I tell you personally, as somebody I didn't kick it with a period that I'm proud of you, bro.

Savage: 35:52

Hey, man, I appreciate it. Man, I really do. I do this. You know we did a long time, bro, we ain't doing no little, but I mean I did a little bit of time before this man. But like you just said, man, before we got on the phone call man, just seeing somebody go back and forth, back and forth, back and forth, man, I vow to myself man, man, let me out. Man, you won't see me, you won't see me. I'm not that type of person, man. It's going to be back and forth when I join.

Remie: 36:25

That's for dudes that do a year or two years. You get out and go back and forth. You think you can dodge the system, whatever, but you don't do. No, 10 years, you know, but like, I got them next time, like I'm cool man, I'm cool. I mean, I know a couple of people, man. I know somebody did 14 and went back, you know, but for the most part it's like bro. I remember too many times sitting on my rack talking to somebody about what I'm going to do when I get out, or walking the track looking at the cars driving by, talking about what I'm going to get. You know, like too many times I didn't hear people yelling on it on the phone with their big mom or something. And I'm like bro, I can't do that man. Yeah.

Savage: 37:13

You got to learn, man. That's one thing there. If you don't learn from your mistakes, so even not you got mistakes, yeah, You're crazy. Like that's the definition of crazy man. Keep doing the same thing, Think you're going to get a different outcome. Man, that's what's crazy man.

Remie: 37:32

Yeah, so I always try to end it with the same question, man, and I guess you kind of just answered it. But if you had just like a little one liner, you know one sentence or whatever, you know what kind of advice would you give somebody that's in that situation, coming home trying to do right? But you know it's going to be some struggles, you know.

Savage: 37:55

All I can say, man, is humble yourself, man, like nobody owes you anything. You got to humble yourself, man, because it's people out here that been messed up the whole time you was down, and no matter how long you was down. The second chance you come back and write your life. So humble yourself and know the blessings when they're coming your way.

Remie: 38:22

That's the facts, all right, man. Well, that's why I'm in the recording, because that's that's good, right there. Thank you, man.

Savage: 38:32

Thank you for doing this episode with me, man, sharing your experience, your blessings, man, your advice and I appreciate you know you're reaching out, man, and, just like you said, you're proud of me, man, and the same, go your way, man. You came home, you got married, you got your family, man, you were doing good and you know, as a civilian, paying taxes, and you know I'm proud of you too, man, I want you to do good things with this podcast now.

Remie: 38:56

Thank you, man. I try to make you make it right. Man. Do be proud of me, right Bad, I'm proud of that. Thanks everybody for tuning in. I want to thank you guys for supporting us this summer on this legacy series, and also I want to give a big shout out to Delano Savage man. I thank him for coming on talking about his book and kind of giving us a game, and big shout out to everybody else that has come on for the summer series episodes. I'm really proud of these guys, man. I'm really proud of everybody that's doing all this positive stuff, regardless of whether it's money making, like the impact that they have just by coming home.

Remie: 39:48

You know these guys got reputations. You know you don't get this type of you know sentence whatever without kind of being like a big deal. You don't know where you're from, know about you. So to go in and be kind of notorious and to come home and live a whole different life, like that in itself is a powerful impact on your surroundings, because the people that used to look up to you for all the wrong reasons can now look up to you for the right reasons. So shout out to them everybody, man, thank you. Thank you so much, and with that man. This is another episode in the books Peace.

DJ: 40:32

The Lockdown to Legacy podcast is proud to be a part of the Buzzsprout podcast community network. Lockdown to Legacy is recorded at Kohatch in their lovely audiophile room. Thanks for your scholarship. Audio engineering is done by our very own Remy Jones. You can reach us with any feedback, questions, comments or share the love by emailing stories at lockdown, the number two legacycom stories at lockdown to legacycom. You can reach out there too for a free sticker, and you can find us on Instagram and Twitter with the handle at lockdown to legacy and on Facebook at the lockdown to legacy podcast. Thanks for listening.