Dopamine - A Vivid Dream

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At the end of the hip hop classic 8 Mile, trailer trash lead character B-Rabbit, played by Eminem, wins the movies final freestyle battle by exposing arch nemesis Papa Docs (or Clarence as his doting parents called him) middle class roots. An attack on his cred regardless of his skills after all Papa Doc was reigning champ - as a rapper. A knockout blow that left 8 Miles villain, who had concealed his comparatively affluent upbringing, unable to respond. But it couldnt have been an easy road for Clarence either. Building a reputation, despite your background, is challenging no matter which side of the street you walk on. Something 21 year old rap hotshot Millz knows all about. When I first moved down to the (inner city) Bleecker neighbourhood in Toronto I was only seventeen, but straightaway I had to learn how to box. Remembers Millz aka Brampton born Ryan Jamaal Brooks, whose upbringing which he has never hidden immediately became an issue for some local Bleeckers residents. Id tell them where I was from and theyd look at me differently, like I thought I was better or something. I had a couple problems and got into fights with people down there who felt like I didnt belong. But I got to integrate into that situation. It changed me. With studio time on tap back at his local school in the burbs, just west of Toronto, Millz had already been honing his craft as a producer, rapper and songwriter. But when the time came, he knew he had to leave to get to the next level. I was in a group called Lights Out, we had all acc to the studio but our image was tacky. Im not tryin to hurt feelings, but all they wanted to do was covers and act like everyone else. I needed to branch off and do my own thing. Im more of an original. Encouraged by family and friends, Millz (so named after the amount of loonies Canadian dollars Brooks is aspiring to earn, i.e. millions plural) left for the centre of Canadas largest city

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