Where There's Smoke

"Where There's Smoke" is a raw, unapologetic, gritty, and poetic depiction of growing up in the hood while looking for a better life.

Where There's Smoke – is Donald Goines meets Curtis Mayfield mixed with a healthy dose of Marvin Gaye and sprinkled with Tupac & DMX. This raw, unapologetic, and gritty poetic depiction of the harsh pain, hopelessness, and constant challenges faced with growing up in the hood, my hood, Wilbur Section on the East Side of Trenton and running in these streets. All of this, while looking for a way out, a better life. This AIN'T for the faint of heart as it gets real, REAL FAST. Some of the language is harsh. The reality is harsh as real-life situations are poetically painted in truth's brutal and vivid color illustrating that: • pain is inevitable • tomorrow is never promised • not everyone makes it out this life alive • not everyone that starts with you, finishes with you • not everyone with you, is really wit' you • mistakes have consequences, sometimes fatal • everyone is loyal... until they betray you • take care of you and yours first • never give up on yourself • sometimes you have to stand alone and fight • you can lie to the world, you can't lie to yourself • you can make through the storm • questions of, "Why?" are sometimes only answered in the loudness that silence speaks

Demetrius tha Poet is a native of Wilbur Section, the most notorious neighborhood in Trenton, New Jersey. He was the product of a short-lived marriage and was raised in a single parent household by his mother. Demetrius has been writing poetry and rap lyrics since the early eighties. He grew up under the heavy influence of hip hop culture, which is evident in his literary works. Demetrius is a spoken word poet, graffiti artist, bachatero, snowboarder, competitive shooter, and avid traveler. From the corner to the corner office, he's done it all - dabbling in the streets, joining the Air Force, driving trucks, and holding various Director and Vice President positions with multiple Wall Street institutions. Demetrius is the father to five children and resides in Bayonne, NJ with the love of his life, his wife Liz.