Investing in youth with experience of the criminal justice system | Elijah Smith | TEDxYouth@Sydney

Transcriber: Mauryan Bugganna Reviewer: Sadia Noor Joya So tell me a little bit about why you joined Mounty Yarns. Um, pretty much Mounty Yarns is a group led by older boys and girls. And one of the older boys brought me down because he knew I had a story to share. Cool. And Elijah's about to sing a song for us today. And thats part of the music program

with the Mounty Yarns. Can you tell us a little bit about that program and about the song you're about to sing? Um, the music program, its held on a Monday with a producer of Paper Toys, and its funded by Just Reinvest. I just pretty much went down there, gave me something to do. Came up the streets and my story. My song is about just growing up

in Madurah. My story, what Ive been through, what I do. Cool. Well, let's give Elijah a huge round of applause and hear it. (Applause) Woo! I was starving on that block, watching him hold his face I was waiting on my fate, thinking when is I'm watching the eight? I was deep in the streets. I took the leap. Learning how to creep. Our nerdy shit was weak,

too many catch the beat. I always land on my feet. I stand on my own. I'm always alone. I'm in the zone. The tap on my phone that got me on a drone. My names well known. The Bloomberg lost. I'll give you a fright. If I'm in a whip, I'm taking flight. If my foot, then I'm out of sight. Just like Fox on a Friday night.

I'm always ready to ride. This shit makes my mom cry. She knows her son. He's hurting such a servant earning. I stay observing a quiet. I'm learning if I'm in the whip by merging the stray, she gets disturbed by me. My brothers are looking to cope to stay alert. This cop is on patrol for the shit we stole my pocket stash. Well, continue on. Nothing Bottomley's

pussies need to learn to roll. If I got a call, just go start a rental. Everything I do is confidential. If you get done. These are the straight fundamentals. The straight shit takes a tone moment to the one more instrumental. Learn a lot from this game. Got no one to blame. Everything about my claim got no shame. Put my mom on a plane for all that

much. I'll put her through pain. Get off that train. Use my brain so shit wont be the same. On the block, like a lowlife with a tool. My tax cover my tracks. Cause these jacks are on my back. Up in the trap flipping packs, trying to make a stack. Im no stress when Im in no black. Cause she knows I know were working Ill never look

back. Born and I serving, oh, this is all we know. If we got beef, then have a go. If you're not from here, then we're letting the blow cops on a chase. That bird is low. Walk out screaming. Fuck you throw a party with my bird. We're causing havoc. We're putting on the shirt. Lately I've been stressed. Finding out how to express everything I touch turns

to a mess. Hope this rapture is excess. This is me flexing, not confessing. Please don't come arresting, keeping them guessing. Laughter stressing. Lawyers sick defending. Learn a lot from this game going on. No blame. Everything I done, I claim a shame. Put my mom on a plane for all the nuts. Im putting off that train. Use my brain so shit wouldnt be the same. Be the

same. Thank you. Appreciate it. (Applause)