“My fault, Yoshi,” Jah said. “I had to see my man, and I ain’t wanna be on this block like that dirty. Jumpouts all up and down this shit. What you doing over here?”

“Gotta go check my grandmother.”

“Word, I ain’t know you had family on this block.”

“There’s a lot you don’t know about me.” She gave him a seductive wink.

Jah moved closer, invading her space. “Then you need to let a nigga find out.”

“Cut it out, Jah.” She pushed him back to a comfortable distance. “What am I supposed to do with your young ass?”

He smirked, as if he had been waiting for her to ask that very question. “Let me show you how a real man treats a lady.”

Yoshi sucked her teeth. “Oh, so you’re a real man?”

“Let me tell you something, Yoshi,” Jah said, becoming serious. “I might be young, but I’m a young dude with purpose. I’m gonna blow up or throw up out here, ma. Think on that one and get back with me.” Jah winked at her and hotfooted it down the block.

Yoshi waited until he was a good distance away to smile. Yoshi had spent more time around Paul because he was Rhonda’s baby daddy and closer to her age, but she had known Jah since forever. She watched him grow from a bad-ass li’l nigga on the block to a young cat on the come-up. Jah was known as a nigga who was down to do whatever. It didn’t matter if it was slinging stones or hitting a nigga up, if there was paper involved, he was with it.

“Thug-ass nigga,” Yoshi said, and laughed before heading into the building.

Jah hit the block feeling like he was on top of the world. The sun was shining and he had a hundred sack of Sour Diesel stuffed in his sock. When his man from uptown had called and told him he had come up on some Diesel, Jah wasted no time coming to see him. A lot of cats claimed to have the rare buds, but only a few had the real deal. His man was one of those few.