A few months ago, I decided that I was going to open a hyper-local blog in the neighborhood called Above96th.com, which would be dedicated to the neighborhoods of Harlem, Washington Heights, and Inwood.

In my eyes, the site would fill a void because it would mainly consist of video content on the personalities, places, and landmarks of these historic neighborhoods. It would also be all original content. But after thinking extensively about the site, I came to a conclusion – I would be opening it for all the wrong reasons. So I had to sit down and really re-examine if this was for me.

Somewhere in these last 2 years in Washington Heights and Inwood I became friends with a lot of talented individuals. I also noticed that all these people were (or trying) doing different things just like I was in the neighborhood. I have my Brunch and Supper Club and Washington Heights/Inwood Radio Show. Others have their own things launching soon or already have stuff in motion. But as this neighborhood has gained notoriety, I’ve seen a lot of egos swell, a lot of projects launch to spite another, and saw people in an endless race to do something just to say that “they” did it. Not to say that I don’t have an ego because I do, but I feel like I was infected by those who are more in it for personal reasons than the betterment of the barrios we call home.

So why was I opening the site? You guessed it, my own personal ego. And there’s nothing wrong with that, but when its not attached to a pure passion for something, that’s a problem.

This past summer, I went around and told everyone I could that I would open this site and I will, but when I’m ready. I feel like I gave them a feeling that I don’t go through with things. That’s fine. People can think what they want. But I rather launch a project with passion than launch one without it. Because when the former isn’t there, the latter cannot be accomplished.

I also had to take into consideration the work that it takes and the lack of help I’ll receive. I never want my site to be straight aggregation. I want it to have its own feel. I want people to come to it because it will be original. But if I have work, a ticket business, this blog, and other miscelleanous projects to attend to in my life, how can I really say ill do it “on my own?” How can I really ask people to help me when they have their own responsibilities? How can I hold people to deadlines when there are no finances being exchanged?

I’ve seen the same happen at other local sites. A bunch of writers listed who don’t contribute a thing. Not because they don’t love the site, but because they don’t have the time/energy nor are being paid. And while those sites still run, they run off passion, not ego in my opinion. While I have plenty of friends who would help me without a dime, I know that you can’t always depend on everybody when they don’t feel an “obligation” to do something.

So now, the battle inside of me is one of figuring out how to sustain a site (if I had to do it on my own), and figuring out if I have the passion to do all that work for this particular project on my own.

In final, Above96th.com will stay as a locked domain. I will do something with it in the future, but certainly not now.

Some rappers become famous without even having love for rap. Some rappers who love rap don’t ever become famous. I don’t need the fame. But if it comes with a project that I produce, I want the love for the project to show through the fame. Without it, I couldn’t live with myself.

That’s why this project isn’t being thrown in the trash can, just being put on the shelf for now.

Until next time…

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