Remembering Shakir Stewart

Re: I Lost A Friend

From Kenny Burns
I remember getting a call from my cousin who was attending Morehouse College telling me about this yearly event called “Freaknic” and that I needed to come down to experience it.

Since I had gotten in some trouble and lost my basketball scholarship earlier that year, I thought this was the perfect chance for me to get out of DC and see another way of life.

I mean I had heard about the Black College Experience and saw the Spike Lee movies, but I wanted to see it for myself…

Upon my arrival I was greated by my two cousins (Leo & Damon) and this guy from Oakland Ca, Shakir Stewart.

From that moment our journey and friendship began…

I moved back down that fall and the rest is history!

Being young, you think that you want the money and the fame. You work hard, so you think the reward will be fullfilling. You put the time and energy into your work and these UN-LOYAL, FAKE ASS ARTIST/EXECUTIVES that could give a f*ck about YOU! To have what in the end?? MONEY?? You think that sh*t makes you happy!?

WELL AFTER SEEING WHAT HAPPENED TO MY MAN (A Man’s Man) CONFIRMS, WHAT A SOUL-LESS BUSINESS/WORLD THIS IS!

People would ALWAYS ask me, KB, why would leave Mariah Carey when you traveled the world in private planes and recorded in Capri Italy? You where VP of Roc-a-fella Records, mentored Kanye West and had a clothing line with Roc-a-wear, what are you thinking?

My answer was ALWAYS, when I felt like I could become something I wasn’t, I had to bust a move!

When you comprise who you are, that is selling your Soul! You have at that moment, given up ALL control.

The Man I knew was a Man’s Man and wouldn’t have taken his own life!

LiVe LiFe and LoVe Hard!

Shake, You will be missed.
2620-4-LiFE

Shakir,

There are so many of us left here now, wishing we would’ve let you know how much we loved you, thinking that we should’ve told you how influential you’d been on our careers, and wondering what we could’ve done to help save your life.

We should have thought of this sooner.

It doesn’t matter now that you have hundreds of friends and colleagues that would have done anything for you (personally, professionally or both), because our attention focuses on you too little and too late. I’m sorry that I didn’t let you know that I am a friend of yours who would never have judged you, always would have supported you, and would have set the earth on fire to save you from yourself.

Who am I? I’m nobody but someone whose life you touched. I’m someone who is sincerely saddened at the thought of your final act overshadowing the phenomenal contribution you made to the lives of more people than you knew.

Damn, Shake.

Please rest easy.

Love,
Kelly.