<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0" xmlns:itunes="http://www.itunes.com/dtds/podcast-1.0.dtd" xmlns:googleplay="http://www.google.com/schemas/play-podcasts/1.0"><channel><title><![CDATA[Onyoplaylist]]></title><description><![CDATA[Nothing we ever felt was wasted ☔️]]></description><link>https://www.onyoplaylist.com</link><image><url>https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!iueG!,w_256,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff18aa5d8-46ee-4448-9b0d-d7bba220dc4c_828x828.png</url><title>Onyoplaylist</title><link>https://www.onyoplaylist.com</link></image><generator>Substack</generator><lastBuildDate>Sat, 11 Apr 2026 11:39:24 GMT</lastBuildDate><atom:link href="https://www.onyoplaylist.com/feed" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><copyright><![CDATA[Onyoplaylist]]></copyright><language><![CDATA[en]]></language><webMaster><![CDATA[Onelane@onyoplaylist.com]]></webMaster><itunes:owner><itunes:email><![CDATA[Onelane@onyoplaylist.com]]></itunes:email><itunes:name><![CDATA[Onyoplaylist]]></itunes:name></itunes:owner><itunes:author><![CDATA[Onyoplaylist]]></itunes:author><googleplay:owner><![CDATA[Onelane@onyoplaylist.com]]></googleplay:owner><googleplay:email><![CDATA[Onelane@onyoplaylist.com]]></googleplay:email><googleplay:author><![CDATA[Onyoplaylist]]></googleplay:author><itunes:block><![CDATA[Yes]]></itunes:block><item><title><![CDATA[Paid The Price ]]></title><description><![CDATA[For every lesson I ignored and every truth I tried to outrun. Now it feels like clarity, scars turned into direction. What did it take? I paid the price, Forreal.]]></description><link>https://www.onyoplaylist.com/p/paid-the-price</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.onyoplaylist.com/p/paid-the-price</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Onyoplaylist]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 09 Apr 2026 01:45:24 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!XKvJ!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff61565a6-9142-4a21-9b69-1cfe25e3f4a8_554x554.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>There&#8217;s a certain kind of silence that comes only after you&#8217;ve given everything.</p><div class="native-video-embed" data-component-name="VideoPlaceholder" data-attrs="{&quot;mediaUploadId&quot;:&quot;01fae6ee-fa06-4b00-8d81-7a88899975f4&quot;,&quot;duration&quot;:null}"></div><p>Not the silence you run from. Not the awkward quiet between two people who don&#8217;t know what to say. </p><p>I&#8217;m talking about the kind that settles in your chest.. after the listening stops, after the effort goes unnoticed, after you realize you were the only one keeping something alive. </p><p>That kind of silence don&#8217;t ask questions. </p><p><em>It answers them.</em></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!xRV0!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F43273b64-c8d2-4551-9aa9-57b237830bdd_735x733.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!xRV0!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F43273b64-c8d2-4551-9aa9-57b237830bdd_735x733.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!xRV0!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F43273b64-c8d2-4551-9aa9-57b237830bdd_735x733.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!xRV0!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F43273b64-c8d2-4551-9aa9-57b237830bdd_735x733.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!xRV0!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F43273b64-c8d2-4551-9aa9-57b237830bdd_735x733.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!xRV0!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F43273b64-c8d2-4551-9aa9-57b237830bdd_735x733.png" width="735" height="733" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/43273b64-c8d2-4551-9aa9-57b237830bdd_735x733.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:733,&quot;width&quot;:735,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:1005709,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://www.onyoplaylist.com/i/192690229?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F43273b64-c8d2-4551-9aa9-57b237830bdd_735x733.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!xRV0!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F43273b64-c8d2-4551-9aa9-57b237830bdd_735x733.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!xRV0!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F43273b64-c8d2-4551-9aa9-57b237830bdd_735x733.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!xRV0!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F43273b64-c8d2-4551-9aa9-57b237830bdd_735x733.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!xRV0!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F43273b64-c8d2-4551-9aa9-57b237830bdd_735x733.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a><figcaption class="image-caption">Couldn&#8217;t imagine where I am lately. They like.. &#8220;Tell me where you been&#8221; </figcaption></figure></div><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!XKvJ!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff61565a6-9142-4a21-9b69-1cfe25e3f4a8_554x554.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!XKvJ!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff61565a6-9142-4a21-9b69-1cfe25e3f4a8_554x554.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!XKvJ!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff61565a6-9142-4a21-9b69-1cfe25e3f4a8_554x554.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!XKvJ!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff61565a6-9142-4a21-9b69-1cfe25e3f4a8_554x554.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!XKvJ!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff61565a6-9142-4a21-9b69-1cfe25e3f4a8_554x554.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!XKvJ!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff61565a6-9142-4a21-9b69-1cfe25e3f4a8_554x554.png" width="554" height="554" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/f61565a6-9142-4a21-9b69-1cfe25e3f4a8_554x554.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:554,&quot;width&quot;:554,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:65249,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://www.onyoplaylist.com/i/192690229?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff61565a6-9142-4a21-9b69-1cfe25e3f4a8_554x554.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!XKvJ!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff61565a6-9142-4a21-9b69-1cfe25e3f4a8_554x554.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!XKvJ!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff61565a6-9142-4a21-9b69-1cfe25e3f4a8_554x554.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!XKvJ!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff61565a6-9142-4a21-9b69-1cfe25e3f4a8_554x554.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!XKvJ!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff61565a6-9142-4a21-9b69-1cfe25e3f4a8_554x554.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p>I gave love in full, got silence in return. Now the numbness don&#8217;t scare me. It&#8217;s <em>proof</em>.. I <strong>paid the price, </strong>Forreal.</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.onyoplaylist.com/p/paid-the-price?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://www.onyoplaylist.com/p/paid-the-price?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share"><span>Share</span></a></p><div><hr></div><p>You ever look around and realize you outgrew the version of yourself people still expect you to be? </p><p>That&#8217;s where it all started. </p><p>Not with heartbreak. Not with some frantic ending. But with a <em>quiet shift.</em></p><p><em>A feeling that what you were taught.. what you were shown.. what you accepted as &#8220;normal&#8221;.. wasn&#8217;t built for who you were becoming. </em></p><p>That realization? It doesn&#8217;t come peacefully. It comes with <em>resistance</em>. Doors don&#8217;t just close in your life. Sometimes you gotta slam em&#8217;. And not out of anger. Out of <em>necessity. </em>Out of knowing if you don&#8217;t make it final, you&#8217;ll go back.. back to conversations that shrink you. Back to dynamics that confuse you. Back to versions of yourself that no longer fit. </p><blockquote><p>Packed up my stuff. And it wasn&#8217;t just clothes ina&#8217; bag. It was beliefs. Expectations. Attachments. Old conversations I kept replaying like they were gonna change the ending.</p></blockquote><p><s>Spoiler: it&#8217;s always the same.</s></p><div class="pullquote"><p>Leaving the nest sounds poetic till&#8217; you really do it. Until you&#8217;re standing there with no blueprint, no guarantees. Except the one you create for yourself.</p></div><p>Arguments happened.. not the kind when you&#8217;re trying to win. The kind where something <em>deeper</em> is trying to break free. <em>Voices raised, tension thick, words flying that probably lingered longer than they should&#8217;ve.</em></p><p>But looking back? That wasn&#8217;t <em>destruction. </em>That was <em>release.</em> </p><p>That was everything in me rejecting what no longer aligned. Sometimes the only way out.. is through friction. They&#8217;ll call it rebellion. They&#8217;ll call it disrespect. But they don&#8217;t understand. Of course they don&#8217;t. </p><p><s>Won&#8217;t be surprised if they never do.</s></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!u_nB!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2760bb5e-3314-4962-8f67-cf0d81c6ea32_736x736.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!u_nB!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2760bb5e-3314-4962-8f67-cf0d81c6ea32_736x736.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!u_nB!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2760bb5e-3314-4962-8f67-cf0d81c6ea32_736x736.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!u_nB!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2760bb5e-3314-4962-8f67-cf0d81c6ea32_736x736.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!u_nB!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2760bb5e-3314-4962-8f67-cf0d81c6ea32_736x736.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!u_nB!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2760bb5e-3314-4962-8f67-cf0d81c6ea32_736x736.png" width="736" height="736" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/2760bb5e-3314-4962-8f67-cf0d81c6ea32_736x736.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:736,&quot;width&quot;:736,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:1062569,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://www.onyoplaylist.com/i/192690229?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2760bb5e-3314-4962-8f67-cf0d81c6ea32_736x736.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!u_nB!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2760bb5e-3314-4962-8f67-cf0d81c6ea32_736x736.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!u_nB!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2760bb5e-3314-4962-8f67-cf0d81c6ea32_736x736.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!u_nB!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2760bb5e-3314-4962-8f67-cf0d81c6ea32_736x736.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!u_nB!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2760bb5e-3314-4962-8f67-cf0d81c6ea32_736x736.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.onyoplaylist.com/p/paid-the-price?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://www.onyoplaylist.com/p/paid-the-price?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share"><span>Share</span></a></p><div><hr></div><p>There&#8217;s a <em>difference</em> between rebelling against people and responding to your <em>spirit</em>. I wasn&#8217;t trying to go against anything. I was trying to go <em>toward</em> something. </p><p><em>Something I couldn&#8217;t fully explain yet. New York nights played a role in that. </em></p><p>Walking with thoughts louder than traffic, watching strangers move like they already decided who they were, realizing no one&#8217;s gonna stop and ask &#8220;Are you ok?&#8221; <strong>No</strong> <em>heroes</em>. <strong>No</strong> <em>saviors</em>. You either are or you figure out mid way.</p><blockquote><p><em>The city doesn&#8217;t slow down for your confusion. </em>It forces <em>clarity</em>. Either you find your <em>rhythm.</em> Or you start borrowing somebody else&#8217;s. And i&#8217;ve never been the type to wear somebody&#8217;s life like it fit me.</p></blockquote><p>I <em>tried</em> though. <em>Tried</em> to make it work. <em>Tried</em> to be understood. <em>Tried</em> to give people the benefit of the doubt like it was a monthly subscription. </p><p><s>And somehow I was the only one getting charged.</s></p><p>Then it hit me. I don&#8217;t have a <em>love</em> problem. I have a <em>misplacement</em> problem. Giving <em>premium</em> energy to people with <em>free trial</em> intentions. </p><p>That&#8217;ll humble you real quick. </p><blockquote><p>Because when you see clearly you can&#8217;t <em>pretend</em>. You can&#8217;t ignore the <em>imbalance</em>. You can&#8217;t un-feel when something is off. You can&#8217;t keep giving where it&#8217;s not being received.  </p></blockquote><p>So yea.. I gave love in full.</p><p>Not <em>halfway</em>. Not <em>strategically</em>. Not with <em>conditions. Fully.</em></p><p>And that&#8217;s why the silence hit different. Because it wasn&#8217;t <em>confusion. </em>It was<em> confirmation.</em></p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.onyoplaylist.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://www.onyoplaylist.com/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><div><hr></div><p>There&#8217;s a moment when it clicks. When you stop asking yourself.. &#8220;Why didn&#8217;t it work?&#8221; And start realizing: It worked exactly how it was supposed to.. to show you it wasn&#8217;t. </p><p>That&#8217;s the <em>price</em>. Not just the <em>pain</em>. But the <em>awareness</em> that comes after. </p><p><em><s>Numbness</s></em><s> gets a bad reputation. </s></p><p>People think it means you&#8217;re broken. But sometimes? It just means you&#8217;ve felt enough to stop <em>overextending</em> yourself. It means your soul got tired of volunteering for things that never signed up to meet you halfway. </p><p>I don&#8217;t chase <em>closure</em> anymore.</p><p><strong>Silence</strong> is <em>closure</em>. <strong>Distance</strong> is <em>closure. Energy shifting </em>is <em>closure. </em></p><p><em>Lack of accountability ?.. that&#8217;s poetry at this point.</em></p><div class="pullquote"><p><em>Construction</em> paper became the new norm. No more <em>composition</em> paper. No more writing within lines someone drew for me. No more raising my hand for permission to be myself in rooms that barely deserved my presence. </p></div><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.onyoplaylist.com/p/paid-the-price?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://www.onyoplaylist.com/p/paid-the-price?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share"><span>Share</span></a></p><p>Now? </p><p>It&#8217;s <strong>cut</strong>, <strong>shape</strong>, <strong>build</strong>.</p><p>Create something from nothing. </p><p><strong>Messy</strong>. <strong>Colorful</strong>. <strong>Real</strong>.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!oEht!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F641ba026-0fcc-491e-9965-db2ac2c1af2e_736x920.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!oEht!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F641ba026-0fcc-491e-9965-db2ac2c1af2e_736x920.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!oEht!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F641ba026-0fcc-491e-9965-db2ac2c1af2e_736x920.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!oEht!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F641ba026-0fcc-491e-9965-db2ac2c1af2e_736x920.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!oEht!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F641ba026-0fcc-491e-9965-db2ac2c1af2e_736x920.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!oEht!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F641ba026-0fcc-491e-9965-db2ac2c1af2e_736x920.jpeg" width="736" height="920" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/641ba026-0fcc-491e-9965-db2ac2c1af2e_736x920.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:920,&quot;width&quot;:736,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:214275,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://www.onyoplaylist.com/i/192690229?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F641ba026-0fcc-491e-9965-db2ac2c1af2e_736x920.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!oEht!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F641ba026-0fcc-491e-9965-db2ac2c1af2e_736x920.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!oEht!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F641ba026-0fcc-491e-9965-db2ac2c1af2e_736x920.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!oEht!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F641ba026-0fcc-491e-9965-db2ac2c1af2e_736x920.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!oEht!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F641ba026-0fcc-491e-9965-db2ac2c1af2e_736x920.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p><strong>Mine.</strong></p><p>That&#8217;s what transition really is.</p><p>Not just leaving people. Leaving <em>frameworks</em>. Leaving the idea that love is supposed to feel like proving something. Leaving the habit of over-explaining to people who already decided not to understand you. </p><p>You ever realize the rules you were following were never meant for you? </p><p>The way you <em>love</em>, <em>think</em>, and <em>feel</em>..</p><p>Was always too <em>expansive</em> for small <em>containers</em>?</p><p><s>That&#8217;s when everything changes.</s></p><p>Not necessarily overnight. But <em>permanently</em>. Landing on my feet wasn&#8217;t <em>luck</em> it was <em>alignment</em>. </p><p><em>It was trusting that even without a clear path.. I wouldn&#8217;t fall apart. Because I&#8217;ve survived worse than uncertainty. </em></p><p>There&#8217;s a version of me that would&#8217;ve stayed. </p><p>Stayed longer than necessary. Explained myself one more time. Gave one more chance. Waited for understanding that was never coming. Prolly&#8217; drafted a paragraph or wrote a hook, deleted it, rewrote it, added &#8220;lol&#8221; or a chuckle to keep it light..</p><p>Yea&#8217;</p><p>I know him well. </p><p>But that version of me? </p><p>He <strong>paid</strong> already.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!CRzf!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fdbb29e4f-2d71-4b4b-b1ca-5039f2cb4ac6_735x731.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!CRzf!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fdbb29e4f-2d71-4b4b-b1ca-5039f2cb4ac6_735x731.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!CRzf!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fdbb29e4f-2d71-4b4b-b1ca-5039f2cb4ac6_735x731.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!CRzf!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fdbb29e4f-2d71-4b4b-b1ca-5039f2cb4ac6_735x731.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!CRzf!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fdbb29e4f-2d71-4b4b-b1ca-5039f2cb4ac6_735x731.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!CRzf!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fdbb29e4f-2d71-4b4b-b1ca-5039f2cb4ac6_735x731.jpeg" width="735" height="731" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/dbb29e4f-2d71-4b4b-b1ca-5039f2cb4ac6_735x731.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:731,&quot;width&quot;:735,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:86701,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://www.onyoplaylist.com/i/192690229?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fdbb29e4f-2d71-4b4b-b1ca-5039f2cb4ac6_735x731.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!CRzf!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fdbb29e4f-2d71-4b4b-b1ca-5039f2cb4ac6_735x731.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!CRzf!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fdbb29e4f-2d71-4b4b-b1ca-5039f2cb4ac6_735x731.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!CRzf!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fdbb29e4f-2d71-4b4b-b1ca-5039f2cb4ac6_735x731.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!CRzf!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fdbb29e4f-2d71-4b4b-b1ca-5039f2cb4ac6_735x731.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p><s>And I&#8217;m not about to keep tipping the same bill .</s></p><p>That&#8217;s the real <em>shift.</em></p><p><em>You stop repeating lessons. And it&#8217;s not bitter.. </em></p><p>That&#8217;s the <em>important</em> part. This ain&#8217;t resentment. This is <strong>clarity.</strong></p><p>I <strong>don&#8217;t</strong> regret loving deeply. I <strong>don&#8217;t</strong> regret showing up fully. I <strong>don&#8217;t</strong> regret believing in something that didn&#8217;t last. Because it <em>revealed</em> something about me.</p><p>Somethin&#8217; <strong>solid</strong>. Somethin&#8217; <strong>unshakeable</strong>.</p><blockquote><p>I&#8217;m not someone who loves halfway.. and I&#8217;m not someone who stays where that isn&#8217;t valued. That&#8217;s the <em>balance. </em>That&#8217;s<em> </em>the<em> growth. </em></p></blockquote><p>Spring approaching feels different when you&#8217;ve changed internally.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!eP-K!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe87b90fd-9407-4a94-a83c-4aa688b11b11_828x1792.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!eP-K!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe87b90fd-9407-4a94-a83c-4aa688b11b11_828x1792.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!eP-K!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe87b90fd-9407-4a94-a83c-4aa688b11b11_828x1792.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!eP-K!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe87b90fd-9407-4a94-a83c-4aa688b11b11_828x1792.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!eP-K!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe87b90fd-9407-4a94-a83c-4aa688b11b11_828x1792.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!eP-K!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe87b90fd-9407-4a94-a83c-4aa688b11b11_828x1792.png" width="828" height="1792" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/e87b90fd-9407-4a94-a83c-4aa688b11b11_828x1792.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1792,&quot;width&quot;:828,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:963680,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://www.onyoplaylist.com/i/192690229?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe87b90fd-9407-4a94-a83c-4aa688b11b11_828x1792.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!eP-K!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe87b90fd-9407-4a94-a83c-4aa688b11b11_828x1792.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!eP-K!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe87b90fd-9407-4a94-a83c-4aa688b11b11_828x1792.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!eP-K!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe87b90fd-9407-4a94-a83c-4aa688b11b11_828x1792.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!eP-K!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe87b90fd-9407-4a94-a83c-4aa688b11b11_828x1792.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a><figcaption class="image-caption">&#8220;Cause&#8217; you don&#8217;t know the scars I carry, all the pain and the trauma I buried, just know the crown gets heavy&#8221; I felt that!</figcaption></figure></div><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!yc64!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F90f02cd1-e2e1-400a-b09f-21af92bfca17_602x970.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!yc64!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F90f02cd1-e2e1-400a-b09f-21af92bfca17_602x970.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!yc64!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F90f02cd1-e2e1-400a-b09f-21af92bfca17_602x970.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!yc64!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F90f02cd1-e2e1-400a-b09f-21af92bfca17_602x970.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!yc64!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F90f02cd1-e2e1-400a-b09f-21af92bfca17_602x970.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!yc64!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F90f02cd1-e2e1-400a-b09f-21af92bfca17_602x970.png" width="602" height="970" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/90f02cd1-e2e1-400a-b09f-21af92bfca17_602x970.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:970,&quot;width&quot;:602,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:1067483,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://www.onyoplaylist.com/i/192690229?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F90f02cd1-e2e1-400a-b09f-21af92bfca17_602x970.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!yc64!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F90f02cd1-e2e1-400a-b09f-21af92bfca17_602x970.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!yc64!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F90f02cd1-e2e1-400a-b09f-21af92bfca17_602x970.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!yc64!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F90f02cd1-e2e1-400a-b09f-21af92bfca17_602x970.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!yc64!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F90f02cd1-e2e1-400a-b09f-21af92bfca17_602x970.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.onyoplaylist.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://www.onyoplaylist.com/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><div><hr></div><p>It&#8217;s not just the weather. </p><p>It&#8217;s me. I&#8217;m lighter. Less attached to what was weighing me down. More <em>open</em>.. but more <em>discerning</em>. Still <em>soulful</em>. Just not <em>naive</em>. That part <strong>expired</strong>. </p><p><s>Respectfully. </s></p><p>And spiritually? This was necessary. </p><div class="pullquote"><p>Every <strong>misalignment</strong>. Every <strong>disappointment</strong>. Every moment that was <strong>overlooked</strong>. It wasn&#8217;t punishment. It was <strong>redirection</strong>. Toward <strong>yourself</strong>.</p></div><p>That&#8217;s why I can say it now without hesitation: </p><p>I packed up my stuff, Forreal. Left the nest. Slammed doors that needed to be closed. Walked away from what couldn&#8217;t come with me. </p><p><s>Landed on my feet.</s></p><p><strong>Not</strong> because it was easy. But because it was <em>necessary</em>. </p><p>And yea&#8217;..</p><p>Maybe I lost people. Maybe I lost time. Maybe I even lost parts of myself I thought I needed. But what I gained? <strong>Clarity. Standards. Peace</strong> that doesn&#8217;t require permission.</p><p>So when the silence comes now.. </p><p>I don&#8217;t question it. I <em>recognize</em> it. It&#8217;s not <em>emptiness</em>. It&#8217;s <em>space</em>. Space I fought for. Space I <em>earned</em>. Space that <em>cost</em> me something big time. And if you&#8217;ve ever been there, you already know..</p><p>I <strong>paid the price</strong>, Forreal.</p><div class="native-video-embed" data-component-name="VideoPlaceholder" data-attrs="{&quot;mediaUploadId&quot;:&quot;1d2d2fb7-4c2d-4957-b5c1-6ba437240d2e&quot;,&quot;duration&quot;:null}"></div><p>- <strong>The Mack</strong> Himself</p><p><strong>UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN </strong></p><p>#ONELANE #STREETLOVE</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Street Ronin]]></title><description><![CDATA[By Faarouq Christian]]></description><link>https://www.onyoplaylist.com/p/street-ronin</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.onyoplaylist.com/p/street-ronin</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Onyoplaylist]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 31 Mar 2026 18:30:10 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!LelN!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F688b6f2b-1ad6-48ca-a00b-2523d021bd9c_5447x8171.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!LelN!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F688b6f2b-1ad6-48ca-a00b-2523d021bd9c_5447x8171.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!LelN!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F688b6f2b-1ad6-48ca-a00b-2523d021bd9c_5447x8171.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!LelN!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F688b6f2b-1ad6-48ca-a00b-2523d021bd9c_5447x8171.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!LelN!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F688b6f2b-1ad6-48ca-a00b-2523d021bd9c_5447x8171.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!LelN!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F688b6f2b-1ad6-48ca-a00b-2523d021bd9c_5447x8171.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!LelN!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F688b6f2b-1ad6-48ca-a00b-2523d021bd9c_5447x8171.jpeg" width="1456" height="2184" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/688b6f2b-1ad6-48ca-a00b-2523d021bd9c_5447x8171.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:2184,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:3760017,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://www.onyoplaylist.com/i/190047031?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F688b6f2b-1ad6-48ca-a00b-2523d021bd9c_5447x8171.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!LelN!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F688b6f2b-1ad6-48ca-a00b-2523d021bd9c_5447x8171.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!LelN!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F688b6f2b-1ad6-48ca-a00b-2523d021bd9c_5447x8171.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!LelN!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F688b6f2b-1ad6-48ca-a00b-2523d021bd9c_5447x8171.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!LelN!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F688b6f2b-1ad6-48ca-a00b-2523d021bd9c_5447x8171.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p>Most people have heard the story before. Not in detail, not from the inside. But just enough to recognize the word when it floats by in conversation like a myth drifting through the air. </p><p>This image usually arrives pre-packaged, a wandering samurai somewhere in old Japan. Loose robes. Sandals. A sword resting at his side. Quiet wind moving through bamboo trees. </p><div><hr></div><p>A man without a master. </p><p>A man without a home.</p><div class="pullquote"><p>A man moving through the world guided by his own discipline. That&#8217;s the version people know when they hear the word <strong>Ronin</strong>. But here&#8217;s the interesting part..</p><p>Most people have only heard of that figure. They&#8217;ve never actually seen him. </p><p>And they definitely wouldn&#8217;t expect him to look like someone born and raised in the hood, wearing sneakers on cracked city pavement somewhere in the western hemisphere. Yet the <em>spirit</em> is the same.</p></div><h2>The truth is..</h2><p><em>Archetypes</em> travel. They don&#8217;t stay locked in one place or one century. </p><p>They <strong>move</strong>.</p><p>They <strong>evolve</strong>. </p><p>They find <strong>new</strong> bodies.</p><p>New <strong>streets</strong>. </p><p>New <strong>music</strong>.</p><p>New <strong>languages</strong>.</p><p>And sometimes they show up in places nobody thought to look.</p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.onyoplaylist.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">This publication is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. <em>It&#8217;s worth it &lt;3</em></p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><div><hr></div><p>Out here, the bamboo forests have been replaced by apartment buildings. The wind that used to move through tall grass whistles through subway tunnels.  </p><p>And the wandering warrior? </p><p>He got headphones in, probably playing <em>R&amp;B</em> music, still walking, still observing, still disciplined, still alone, but <strong>not</strong> lonely. That&#8217;s the<em> street ronin</em>.</p><p>He doesn&#8217;t carry a sword, not because he can&#8217;t handle one. But because his weapon is awareness.</p><p>He <em>studies</em> energy.</p><p>He <em>studies</em> people.</p><p>He <em>studies</em> the invisible movements happening beneath conversations, beneath gestures, beneath the quiet shifts in atmosphere when someone enters a room.  </p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.onyoplaylist.com/p/street-ronin?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://www.onyoplaylist.com/p/street-ronin?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share"><span>Share</span></a></p><blockquote><p>Where others react, he reads. Where others rush, he watches. </p><p>Years of walking through city blocks teach a man things no classroom ever could. </p></blockquote><p>How to recognize tension before it becomes conflict. </p><p><strong>How to feel</strong> when someone&#8217;s words don&#8217;t match their actions.</p><p><strong>How to stay</strong> calm in environments where chaos is the norm. </p><p>That kind of <strong>awareness</strong> becomes its own discipline. </p><p>And <em>discipline</em>, over time, becomes <strong>mastery</strong>. </p><div><hr></div><p>Which brings us to another word people think they understand.. <strong>Kung-Fu.</strong></p><p>When most people hear the phrase<strong> Kung-Fu, </strong>they immediately picture fighting. Fast punches, flying kicks. Movies full of dramatic  training sequences. But honestly, that&#8217;s just the surface image people were handed. </p><blockquote><p>What many never stop to look up is what the phrase actually points to. <strong>Kung-Fu</strong> Isn&#8217;t just about combat. At its root, it speaks about <strong>mastery</strong> <em>earned</em> through <em>time</em>, <em>patience</em>, and <em>devotion</em>.</p></blockquote><p>Any craft practiced with discipline long enough can become <strong>kung-fu. </strong></p><p><strong>Cooking.</strong></p><p><strong>Writing.</strong></p><p><strong>Music.</strong></p><p>Even the art of carrying yourself through the world with quiet presence.</p><p><strong>Mastery</strong> of movement. <strong>Mastery</strong> of mind. <strong>Mastery</strong> of self. </p><div><hr></div><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!shVv!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1b284faf-666b-4448-a579-101872d94baa_736x910.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!shVv!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1b284faf-666b-4448-a579-101872d94baa_736x910.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!shVv!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1b284faf-666b-4448-a579-101872d94baa_736x910.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!shVv!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1b284faf-666b-4448-a579-101872d94baa_736x910.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!shVv!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1b284faf-666b-4448-a579-101872d94baa_736x910.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!shVv!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1b284faf-666b-4448-a579-101872d94baa_736x910.png" width="736" height="910" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/1b284faf-666b-4448-a579-101872d94baa_736x910.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:910,&quot;width&quot;:736,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:709973,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://www.onyoplaylist.com/i/190047031?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1b284faf-666b-4448-a579-101872d94baa_736x910.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!shVv!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1b284faf-666b-4448-a579-101872d94baa_736x910.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!shVv!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1b284faf-666b-4448-a579-101872d94baa_736x910.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!shVv!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1b284faf-666b-4448-a579-101872d94baa_736x910.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!shVv!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1b284faf-666b-4448-a579-101872d94baa_736x910.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p>The <em>street ronin</em> understands that. Not just from reading a book.</p><p>But from living. </p><p>Because growing up in the hood as a <em>lone-star </em>ain&#8217;t come with no manual. No monastery, no mountain temple, just real life, real pressure, real consequences. The kind of environment where awareness becomes survival, and survival slowly shapes character. </p><p>You learn to move carefully.</p><p>You learn to listen more than you speak.</p><p> You learn that reputation travels faster than footsteps. </p><p>And somewhere along the way, if you&#8217;re paying attention, you start realizing something strange. </p><p>You&#8217;re <em>training</em>. Everyday. Without calling it that.</p><div class="pullquote"><p>The long walks at night after everyone else has gone home. The quiet thinking sessions while music plays through your headphones. The moments when you decide not to react to something that would have pulled the old version of you into conflict.</p></div><p>That&#8217;s <em>discipline</em> forming. That&#8217;s <em>emotional control</em> sharpening. That&#8217;s <strong>mastery</strong> slowly building itself beneath the surface. <strong>Kung-Fu. </strong>But of course not the version people think about.</p><p>And just like the old stories of wandering samurai, the <em>street ronin</em> eventually reaches a moment something shifts. </p><p>A point where he stops trying to prove himself. Stops seeking approval. Stops waiting for someone to give him permission to walk his own path. He just.. moves. Not aggressively, not rebelliously, just naturally. Like someone who finally understands his role in the world. </p><blockquote><p>Because a <em>ronin </em>was never really a lost man. That&#8217;s just how the story usually gets simplified. In reality, he was more complicated. A man who once belonged to a structure but now walks independently. A man who carries discipline, honor, and loyalty but no longer under someone else&#8217;s command.</p></blockquote><p>His code comes from <strong>within</strong>, his direction comes from <strong>within</strong>, his responsibility comes from <strong>within</strong>. Thats <em>sovereignty</em>. Carrying that same energy through city blocks instead of mountain roads. Wearing sneakers instead of Sandals. A cap instead of armor. </p><p>But the posture is familiar if you know what to look for. <strong>Calm</strong>. <strong>Observant</strong>. <strong>Unhurried</strong>. Moving through crowded places the way water moves through rocks. <strong>Effortless</strong>. <strong>Unbothered</strong>. <strong>Unclaimed</strong>.</p><div><hr></div><h2>Music helps too..</h2><p>Late-night <strong>R&amp;B</strong> floating through headphones while walking under streetlights. Something about that smooth, reflective, emotional without being weak cadence that just works for me. Every-time, whenever, wherever.</p><p>It fits the rhythm of someone who thinks deeply but <strong>still</strong> keeps moving forward.</p><blockquote><p>The <em>street ronin</em> isn&#8217;t bitter about the world. He&#8217;s <strong>reflective</strong>. He studies his experiences the way a <em>craftsman</em> studies raw material. Turning pain into wisdom. Turning mistakes into refinement. Turning solitude into clarity. </p></blockquote><p>Solitude becomes important not the kind that comes from rejection. But the kind that comes from independence. Because when you stop chasing constant validation, your senses get sharper. </p><p>You notice things people miss. </p><p>You see pattern.</p><p>You feel shifts in energy long before others realized something changed. </p><p>That <strong>awareness</strong> becomes <em>power</em>.</p><p><em>Quiet power</em>.</p><div><hr></div><p>That&#8217;s why the <em>street ronin</em> doesn&#8217;t move loudly. </p><p>No need for announcements. No need for theatrics. His presence speaks for itself. People feel it even when they can&#8217;t quite explain why.</p><p>There&#8217;s a calmness there.</p><p>A self-possession.</p><p>The type of energy that comes from someone who has already <strong>faced</strong> his own fears and come out the other side.</p><p>That&#8217;s the real journey. Not fighting enemies. Not chasing glory. By mastering yourself. Mastering your reactions. Mastering your direction. Mastering your spirit. <strong>Kung-fu.</strong></p><div><hr></div><h2>It&#8217;s understood..</h2><p>from my perspective that many don&#8217;t think of it that way. They stick with the images they were first shown. <strong>Martial arts</strong> in <em>temple courtyards</em>.</p><p>But the deeper meanings of these ideas were never meant to stay frozen in one place. The <strong>travel</strong>. They <strong>adapt</strong>. </p><p>They appear wherever <strong>discipline</strong>, <strong>reflection</strong>, and <strong>independence</strong> take root.</p><p>Even on cracked sidewalks beneath city lights.</p><div><hr></div><p>So somewhere out there tonight, a young man might be walking home through a quiet neighborhood..</p><p>Headphones playing something smooth, thinking about life. Thinking about the next move. Thinking of the kind of man he wants to become. He might not know the word for it Yet. But he&#8217;s training..</p><p>Every step <strong>refining</strong> his awareness. Every experience sharpening his understanding. Every moment <em>shaping</em> the <strong>discipline</strong> that will guide his <strong>future</strong>. </p><p><strong>Kung-Fu.</strong></p><div><hr></div><p>Years later, when he finally looks back at the path he&#8217;s walked, he might realize something. </p><p>He wasn&#8217;t just <strong>wondering</strong>. </p><p>He was <strong>evolving</strong>.</p><p>Becoming something older than the city itself. </p><p>Something timeless that has appeared in many forms across <strong>cultures</strong> and <strong>centuries</strong>. </p><p>A man only answering to his own code, defined by solitude instead of defeated by it. Moving forward with quiet confidence.</p><div><hr></div><h2>New Age Street Ronin</h2><p>Born in the hood. Walking the western hemisphere in sneakers instead of sandals. </p><p><em>R&amp;B music</em> humming through the night air. </p><p>Still disciplined, still reflective, still sovereign. Always moving forward. </p><p>Triple OG.</p><p>#ONELANE #STREETLOVE</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Di4o!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6b9f3bbb-8fae-4be4-9033-009d7c141f0c_3500x2500.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Di4o!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6b9f3bbb-8fae-4be4-9033-009d7c141f0c_3500x2500.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Di4o!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6b9f3bbb-8fae-4be4-9033-009d7c141f0c_3500x2500.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Di4o!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6b9f3bbb-8fae-4be4-9033-009d7c141f0c_3500x2500.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Di4o!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6b9f3bbb-8fae-4be4-9033-009d7c141f0c_3500x2500.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Di4o!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6b9f3bbb-8fae-4be4-9033-009d7c141f0c_3500x2500.jpeg" width="1456" height="1040" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/6b9f3bbb-8fae-4be4-9033-009d7c141f0c_3500x2500.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1040,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:2128535,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://www.onyoplaylist.com/i/190047031?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6b9f3bbb-8fae-4be4-9033-009d7c141f0c_3500x2500.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Di4o!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6b9f3bbb-8fae-4be4-9033-009d7c141f0c_3500x2500.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Di4o!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6b9f3bbb-8fae-4be4-9033-009d7c141f0c_3500x2500.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Di4o!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6b9f3bbb-8fae-4be4-9033-009d7c141f0c_3500x2500.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Di4o!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6b9f3bbb-8fae-4be4-9033-009d7c141f0c_3500x2500.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p><strong>UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN </strong></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Spark]]></title><description><![CDATA[A preview of The Velvet Hour ONYOPLAYIST&#8217;s nightlife column. Highlighting the thrill in the pursuit.]]></description><link>https://www.onyoplaylist.com/p/the-spark</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.onyoplaylist.com/p/the-spark</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Onyoplaylist]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sun, 29 Mar 2026 01:37:21 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!gaTz!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa73b7ad9-1053-4231-b28b-84ff6b653093_1080x1350.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="native-video-embed" data-component-name="VideoPlaceholder" data-attrs="{&quot;mediaUploadId&quot;:&quot;c11f3163-ff36-4242-8baa-529dc1d8b02b&quot;,&quot;duration&quot;:null}"></div><p>The real approach doesn&#8217;t chase. It arrives.. </p><p>And leaves with something simple: Number or IG &#129325;</p><p>The Velvet Hour <strong>ONYOPLAYLIST&#8217;s</strong> <em>Nightlife Column</em></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!gaTz!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa73b7ad9-1053-4231-b28b-84ff6b653093_1080x1350.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!gaTz!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa73b7ad9-1053-4231-b28b-84ff6b653093_1080x1350.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!gaTz!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa73b7ad9-1053-4231-b28b-84ff6b653093_1080x1350.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!gaTz!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa73b7ad9-1053-4231-b28b-84ff6b653093_1080x1350.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!gaTz!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa73b7ad9-1053-4231-b28b-84ff6b653093_1080x1350.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!gaTz!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa73b7ad9-1053-4231-b28b-84ff6b653093_1080x1350.jpeg" width="1080" height="1350" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/a73b7ad9-1053-4231-b28b-84ff6b653093_1080x1350.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1350,&quot;width&quot;:1080,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:195392,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://www.onyoplaylist.com/i/192472247?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa73b7ad9-1053-4231-b28b-84ff6b653093_1080x1350.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!gaTz!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa73b7ad9-1053-4231-b28b-84ff6b653093_1080x1350.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!gaTz!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa73b7ad9-1053-4231-b28b-84ff6b653093_1080x1350.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!gaTz!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa73b7ad9-1053-4231-b28b-84ff6b653093_1080x1350.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!gaTz!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa73b7ad9-1053-4231-b28b-84ff6b653093_1080x1350.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p><em>Devoted to those who enjoy the science behind the beginning of connection.</em></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!PtAl!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fcb1a9142-4601-47d8-ad64-536b64e5619e_1080x1350.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!PtAl!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fcb1a9142-4601-47d8-ad64-536b64e5619e_1080x1350.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!PtAl!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fcb1a9142-4601-47d8-ad64-536b64e5619e_1080x1350.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!PtAl!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fcb1a9142-4601-47d8-ad64-536b64e5619e_1080x1350.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!PtAl!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fcb1a9142-4601-47d8-ad64-536b64e5619e_1080x1350.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!PtAl!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fcb1a9142-4601-47d8-ad64-536b64e5619e_1080x1350.jpeg" width="1080" height="1350" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/cb1a9142-4601-47d8-ad64-536b64e5619e_1080x1350.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1350,&quot;width&quot;:1080,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:133731,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://www.onyoplaylist.com/i/192472247?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fcb1a9142-4601-47d8-ad64-536b64e5619e_1080x1350.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!PtAl!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fcb1a9142-4601-47d8-ad64-536b64e5619e_1080x1350.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!PtAl!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fcb1a9142-4601-47d8-ad64-536b64e5619e_1080x1350.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!PtAl!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fcb1a9142-4601-47d8-ad64-536b64e5619e_1080x1350.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!PtAl!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fcb1a9142-4601-47d8-ad64-536b64e5619e_1080x1350.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p><strong><a href="https://open.substack.com/pub/onyoplaylist/p/the-velvet-hour-a-gentlemans-guide?utm_source=direct&amp;r=7u0pbn&amp;utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&amp;utm_medium=web">OUT NOW</a> &#127863; (&#8592; </strong><em><strong>LINK</strong></em><strong>) | CONFIDENTIAL</strong><em> </em></p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.onyoplaylist.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://www.onyoplaylist.com/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><p><em>Subscribe to join the inner circle and receive your ticket for entry &#127903;&#65039;</em></p><p><em><strong>UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN</strong></em></p><p><em>#ONELANE #STREETLOVE</em></p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.onyoplaylist.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">This Substack is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support this column, you must become a paid subscriber &lt;3.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Velvet Hour: A Gentleman’s Guide to Nightlife, Nerves, and the Art of the Approach]]></title><description><![CDATA[By Faarouq Christian]]></description><link>https://www.onyoplaylist.com/p/the-velvet-hour-a-gentlemans-guide</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.onyoplaylist.com/p/the-velvet-hour-a-gentlemans-guide</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Onyoplaylist]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sun, 29 Mar 2026 00:45:44 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jGGx!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F47e0ccf3-d1c8-42cd-b1c9-09d6c3710061_2554x3403.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Nightlife has always had two versions.</p><p>The one people talk about the next day.. the blurry version of quick summaries and half remembered details. </p><p><em>Then there&#8217;s the real version. </em></p><p>The one that happens between <em>songs</em>. Between <em>glances</em>. Between the moment someone notices someone else and the moment they decide whether <em>courage</em> will show up <strong>tonight</strong>.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jGGx!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F47e0ccf3-d1c8-42cd-b1c9-09d6c3710061_2554x3403.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jGGx!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F47e0ccf3-d1c8-42cd-b1c9-09d6c3710061_2554x3403.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jGGx!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F47e0ccf3-d1c8-42cd-b1c9-09d6c3710061_2554x3403.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jGGx!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F47e0ccf3-d1c8-42cd-b1c9-09d6c3710061_2554x3403.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jGGx!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F47e0ccf3-d1c8-42cd-b1c9-09d6c3710061_2554x3403.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jGGx!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F47e0ccf3-d1c8-42cd-b1c9-09d6c3710061_2554x3403.jpeg" width="1456" height="1940" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/47e0ccf3-d1c8-42cd-b1c9-09d6c3710061_2554x3403.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1940,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:948666,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://www.onyoplaylist.com/i/190796466?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F47e0ccf3-d1c8-42cd-b1c9-09d6c3710061_2554x3403.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jGGx!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F47e0ccf3-d1c8-42cd-b1c9-09d6c3710061_2554x3403.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jGGx!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F47e0ccf3-d1c8-42cd-b1c9-09d6c3710061_2554x3403.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jGGx!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F47e0ccf3-d1c8-42cd-b1c9-09d6c3710061_2554x3403.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jGGx!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F47e0ccf3-d1c8-42cd-b1c9-09d6c3710061_2554x3403.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p>The real version is <em>slower</em>. <em>Warmer</em>. Almost <em>cinematic</em>. And somewhere inside that moving room full of strangers exists a quiet figure people at times call, <strong>The Mack</strong>.</p><p>Now before you get carried away and start imagining a cartoon character in sunglasses indoors, let&#8217;s make something clear. </p><p><strong>The Mack</strong> isn&#8217;t loud.</p><p><strong>The Mack</strong> isn&#8217;t pushy.</p><p>And the <strong>Mack </strong>definitely isn&#8217;t running around the club like he&#8217;s late for a job interview. <strong>The Mack</strong> is calm. Because the <strong>Mack</strong> understands one important thing about nightlife: </p><p><em>The night is already doing most of the work.</em></p><p>Music<em> </em>is playing. Lights are low. People are dressed like the best versions of themselves. Nobody came outside just to stand on their phone in the corner<em>(if you&#8217;re at the right spot)</em>.</p><p>Everyone&#8217;s here for something. Fun, conversation, a spark, maybe a story worth remembering for tomorrow.</p><p>The <em>Mack</em> moves <em>with</em> that current. Not <em>against</em> it.</p><div><hr></div><h2>The Room<strong> </strong></h2><blockquote><p>Every<strong> </strong>nightlife scene has its rhythm. </p></blockquote><p>Maybe it&#8217;s a packed bar where the bartender is moving like an Olympic athlete. Maybe it&#8217;s a lounge with dim amber lights where the music sounds like it came out of someone&#8217;s velvet record collection.</p><p>Wherever it is, people are doing what humans have always done in rooms like this..</p><p>Looking.</p><p>Not in a creepy stalker surveillance way, in a <em>curious</em> way.</p><p>The same way someone glances across a <em>coffee shop</em> or a <em>train platform</em> and wonders briefly about the life behind someone&#8217;s eyes. </p><p>In nightlife, those glances last just a little longer.</p><p>And sometimes they come with a smile.</p><div><hr></div><h2>The Moment</h2><p>Now here&#8217;s where nerves arrive..</p><p>Even for people who&#8217;ve been outside for years.</p><p>There&#8217;s always that small moment when your mind says: </p><p><em>Should I go say hello?</em> </p><p>Funny how something so simple could feel like stepping on stage.</p>
      <p>
          <a href="https://www.onyoplaylist.com/p/the-velvet-hour-a-gentlemans-guide">
              Read more
          </a>
      </p>
   ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Rain Standard ]]></title><description><![CDATA[By Faarouq Christian]]></description><link>https://www.onyoplaylist.com/p/the-rain-standard</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.onyoplaylist.com/p/the-rain-standard</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Onyoplaylist]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sat, 21 Mar 2026 17:31:12 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!m-p_!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2b6f4988-d6aa-4001-bea2-58241c4fc12b_3006x4096.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!m-p_!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2b6f4988-d6aa-4001-bea2-58241c4fc12b_3006x4096.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!m-p_!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2b6f4988-d6aa-4001-bea2-58241c4fc12b_3006x4096.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!m-p_!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2b6f4988-d6aa-4001-bea2-58241c4fc12b_3006x4096.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!m-p_!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2b6f4988-d6aa-4001-bea2-58241c4fc12b_3006x4096.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!m-p_!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2b6f4988-d6aa-4001-bea2-58241c4fc12b_3006x4096.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!m-p_!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2b6f4988-d6aa-4001-bea2-58241c4fc12b_3006x4096.jpeg" width="1456" height="1984" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/2b6f4988-d6aa-4001-bea2-58241c4fc12b_3006x4096.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1984,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:1187754,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://www.onyoplaylist.com/i/190311759?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2b6f4988-d6aa-4001-bea2-58241c4fc12b_3006x4096.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!m-p_!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2b6f4988-d6aa-4001-bea2-58241c4fc12b_3006x4096.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!m-p_!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2b6f4988-d6aa-4001-bea2-58241c4fc12b_3006x4096.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!m-p_!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2b6f4988-d6aa-4001-bea2-58241c4fc12b_3006x4096.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!m-p_!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2b6f4988-d6aa-4001-bea2-58241c4fc12b_3006x4096.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p>Rain <em>reveals</em> people. </p><p>Not in dramatic ways.</p><p>Not in thunderclaps that shake buildings or lightning bolts that split the sky like a divine announcement.</p><p>No.</p><p>Rain <em>reveals</em> people in the <em>subtle</em> moments.</p><p>In the tiny inconveniences that interrupt their <em>rhythm</em>.</p><p>The first drop hits the pavement and suddenly the entire city behaves like someone pulled the fire alarm in a museum.</p><p>Umbrellas explode open.</p><p>People start power-walking like the sky personally offended them.</p><p>Taxi drivers lean harder on their horns as if sound alone might push the clouds away.</p><p>The <em>storm</em> hasn&#8217;t even begun yet.</p><p>But <em>panic</em> has already started.</p><p>That&#8217;s the funny thing about rain. It&#8217;s never really the rain that bothers people.</p><p>It&#8217;s the loss of control.</p><div class="pullquote"><p>See, sunshine lets people pretend they run the day. Schedules feel precise. Plans feel stable. Everyone moves like they&#8217;re the author of the story. But rain interrupts the <em><strong>illusion</strong></em>. It reminds the city that nature still edits the <em>script</em>.</p></div><p>Sidewalks darken.</p><p>Streetlights stretch across wet pavement like long golden brushstrokes.</p><p>Every passing car turns puddles into small explosions of silver.</p><p>The atmosphere changes.</p><p>The noise of the city softens into something deeper.</p><p>Tires hum instead of scream.</p><p>Music leaking from car windows sounds heavier.</p><p>Voices lower as if the rain itself requested quiet.</p><p>And somewhere in the middle of all that movement&#8230;</p><p>You&#8217;ll notice something different.</p><p>A <em>silhouette</em>.</p><p>Long coat.</p><p>Umbrella tilted forward.</p><p>Walking slowly.</p><p><strong>Not</strong> rushing.</p><p><strong>Not</strong> fighting the rain.</p><p>Just moving <strong>through</strong> it.</p><blockquote><p>Those are the <strong>smoothest</strong> ones. They don&#8217;t battle the storm. They move <strong>between</strong> it. You ever notice how some people somehow avoid getting soaked even when the rain is falling hard?</p></blockquote><p>It almost looks like the drops are negotiating with them.</p><p>A step here.</p><p>A shift there.</p><p>Umbrella angled just enough to redirect the water like a quiet architect of gravity.</p><p>There&#8217;s something <em>sensual</em> about that kind of movement.</p><p>Not <em>sensual</em> in the loud, attention-seeking way people usually imagine.</p><p>But the <strong>quiet</strong> kind. The <strong>mysterious</strong> kind.</p><p>The kind that makes you think twice without understanding why.</p><blockquote><p>Because <strong>smoothness</strong> under pressure is <strong>attractive</strong>. <strong>Grace</strong> during <strong>inconvenience</strong> is magnetic.</p></blockquote><p>And rain is the perfect test of that. See all rain to me is a storm. Light flurries, light drizzle, even hail, and sleet. It all <em>symbolizes</em> the onset of <strong>inconvenience</strong>.</p><p>Anybody can look confident when the sun is out. When the wind is calm.</p><div class="pullquote"><p>When the entire environment feels like it&#8217;s cooperating with their ambitions. Confidence in comfort is cheap. But elegance in a storm?That&#8217;s a rarer currency. That requires a certain standard. I call it <strong>The Rain Standard.</strong></p></div><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.onyoplaylist.com/p/the-rain-standard?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://www.onyoplaylist.com/p/the-rain-standard?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share"><span>Share</span></a></p><p>The ability to keep your rhythm even when the environment changes.</p><p>To maintain composure when things stop being convenient.</p><p>To move with intention instead of reaction. And New York City is one of the most fascinating places to observe this. </p><p>You got the <em>umbrella warriors</em>.</p><p>Two people walking toward each other, umbrellas colliding like clumsy sword fights on narrow sidewalks.</p><p>Nobody wants to tilt first.</p><p>So now both of them are engaged in a silent duel with polyester shields.</p><p>Then there&#8217;s the <strong>minimalist</strong>.</p><p>The person who refuses umbrellas entirely.</p><p>Just walking through the storm with <em>stubborn dignity.</em></p><p>Hair soaked.</p><p>Jacket defeated.</p><p>But the stride remains committed.</p><p>I respect that kind of stubbornness.</p><p>But the <strong>smoothest</strong> ones?</p><p>They&#8217;re <strong>different</strong>.</p><p>They&#8217;re <strong>not</strong> rushing.</p><p>They&#8217;re <strong>not</strong> resisting.</p><p>They&#8217;re <strong>adjusting</strong>.</p><p>Every movement feels intentional.</p><p>Umbrella angled just right.</p><p>Stride relaxed but <strong>purposeful</strong>.</p><p>Like the rain was expected all along.</p><p>Like they checked the forecast of life years ago and already packed the proper posture.</p><p>That&#8217;s <em>mystique</em>.</p><p><strong>Not</strong> loud confidence.</p><p><strong>Not</strong> performative toughness.</p><blockquote><p><em>Mystique</em> is calm control. It&#8217;s the quiet understanding that storms are part of the <strong>journey</strong>.</p></blockquote><p>And when you think about it&#8230;</p><div class="pullquote"><p>Life behaves exactly like rain. Most people spend their energy fighting conditions they can&#8217;t control. <strong>Complaining</strong> about the weather. <strong>Complaining</strong> about timing. <strong>Complaining</strong> about obstacles that were always going to appear eventually..</p></div><p>But the <strong>smooth</strong> ones?</p><p>They <strong>adapt</strong>.</p><p>They read the <strong>atmosphere</strong>.</p><p>They learn the rhythm of <strong>falling water</strong>.</p><p>Because rain <strong>doesn&#8217;t</strong> actually fall randomly.</p><p>It moves with <strong>currents</strong>.</p><p><strong>Angles</strong>.</p><p><strong>Wind</strong>.</p><p>And if you pay attention long enough you realize something fascinating. There are spaces <strong>between</strong> the drops. Tiny openings. Moments where the storm thins just enough to pass through. You <strong>don&#8217;t</strong> beat the rain. You navigate it. That&#8217;s the <em>secret</em>.</p><p>And it applies to more than weather.</p><p>Pressure.</p><p>Criticism.</p><p>Loneliness.</p><p>Uncertainty.</p><p>All of them behave like storms.</p><p>Heavy at first.</p><p>Chaotic.</p><p>Loud.</p><p>But within that chaos are openings.</p><p>Moments where the sharp-witted traveler slips through <strong>untouched</strong>.</p><p>The smoothest ones <strong>aren&#8217;t</strong> lucky.</p><p>They&#8217;re <strong>observant</strong>.</p><p>They read situations like <strong>sailors</strong> read wind.</p><p>They move <strong>with</strong> the environment instead of throwing themselves <strong>against</strong> it..</p><div><hr></div><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.onyoplaylist.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">This publication is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. <em>It&#8217;s worth it &lt;3</em></p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><div><hr></div><p>There&#8217;s something poetic about that.</p><p>Something almost cinematic.</p><p>Picture a city street at night..</p><p>Rain falling steady. <strong>Neon signs</strong> reflecting in the puddles like fractured galaxies.</p><p>Cars passing slowly. Music somewhere in the distance. And a figure walking calmly through the middle of it all. Umbrella open, long coat catching the wind, steps steady. Not hurried. Not bothered. </p><p>Just&#8230; present.</p><p><strong>Sensual</strong>, in the sense that every movement feels deliberate.</p><p><strong>Mystique</strong>, in the sense that you don&#8217;t know their story.</p><p>But you can tell they&#8217;ve walked through storms before, you can tell this isn&#8217;t their <strong>first</strong> rain.</p><p>Because people who have never faced storms behave loudly when the first one appears.</p><p>They <strong>panic</strong>.</p><p>They <strong>overreact</strong>.</p><p>They complain like the sky <strong>owes</strong> them clear weather.</p><div class="pullquote"><p>But the <strong>experienced</strong> traveler? They simply <strong>adjust</strong> their umbrella. And keep walking. That&#8217;s the essence of <strong>The Rain Standard.</strong></p></div><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!RhgS!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5f6f24d8-a5c8-4f1c-8491-d124af3e8b10_500x664.gif" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!RhgS!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5f6f24d8-a5c8-4f1c-8491-d124af3e8b10_500x664.gif 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!RhgS!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5f6f24d8-a5c8-4f1c-8491-d124af3e8b10_500x664.gif 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!RhgS!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5f6f24d8-a5c8-4f1c-8491-d124af3e8b10_500x664.gif 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!RhgS!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5f6f24d8-a5c8-4f1c-8491-d124af3e8b10_500x664.gif 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!RhgS!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5f6f24d8-a5c8-4f1c-8491-d124af3e8b10_500x664.gif" width="500" height="664" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/5f6f24d8-a5c8-4f1c-8491-d124af3e8b10_500x664.gif&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:664,&quot;width&quot;:500,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:850743,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/gif&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://www.onyoplaylist.com/i/190311759?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5f6f24d8-a5c8-4f1c-8491-d124af3e8b10_500x664.gif&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!RhgS!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5f6f24d8-a5c8-4f1c-8491-d124af3e8b10_500x664.gif 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!RhgS!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5f6f24d8-a5c8-4f1c-8491-d124af3e8b10_500x664.gif 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!RhgS!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5f6f24d8-a5c8-4f1c-8491-d124af3e8b10_500x664.gif 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!RhgS!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5f6f24d8-a5c8-4f1c-8491-d124af3e8b10_500x664.gif 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p><strong>Composure</strong> when the atmosphere shifts.</p><p>Style when comfort <strong>disappears</strong>.</p><p>A quiet kind of <strong>resilience</strong> that doesn&#8217;t need to announce itself.</p><p>Because storms <strong>test</strong> more than patience.</p><p>They test <em>identity</em>.</p><p>When the environment stops supporting your plans..</p><p>Who do you become? The sprinter? The complainer? The umbrella duelist? Or the silhouette moving calmly through silver rain?</p><div><hr></div><h2><strong>The Truth Is..</strong></h2><p>Everyone meets storms eventually.</p><p>No-one gets permanent sunshine.</p><p>But <strong>not</strong> everyone develops the same <em>standard</em>.</p><p>Some people spend their lives <strong>trying</strong> to <em>outrun</em> the rain.</p><p>Others learn how to walk inside it.</p><p>And the smoothest travelers?</p><p>They discover something even more interesting.</p><p>If you move with enough calm&#8230;</p><p>With enough precision&#8230;</p><p>With enough quiet awareness&#8230;</p><p>It almost starts to feel like the rain respects you.</p><p>Like the storm softens its impact just enough to let you pass.</p><p>Not because the rain stopped.</p><p>But because your rhythm <em><strong>aligned</strong></em> with it.</p><p>You didn&#8217;t fight the storm.</p><p>You danced through the spaces it left behind.</p><p>And suddenly what once felt like inconvenience becomes atmosphere.</p><p>Almost beautiful.</p><p>Almost peaceful.</p><p>The city glows differently when you stop resisting it.</p><p>So the next time rain falls&#8230;</p><p>Pay attention.</p><p>Watch the crowd.</p><p>Observe the reactions.</p><p>And somewhere in the motion you&#8217;ll notice them.</p><p>The smooth ones.</p><p>Umbrella tilted.</p><p>Stride relaxed.</p><p>Moving between the drops like they understand a secret everyone else missed.</p><p>Because they do.</p><p>They understand something simple.</p><p>The storm was <strong>never</strong> the enemy. <strong>Panic</strong> was.</p><p>And once your standard is steady..</p><p>Even rain becomes <strong>music</strong>.</p><p>Just another rhythm beneath your feet.</p><p>Another scene in the long film of movement.</p><p>Umbrella open.</p><p>City glowing.</p><p>Parade raining.</p><p>And you walking calmly through the midst of it all. In between the rain drops.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!y-qc!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F039521c9-0174-4f64-8104-d923aae9b144_2048x1462.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!y-qc!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F039521c9-0174-4f64-8104-d923aae9b144_2048x1462.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!y-qc!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F039521c9-0174-4f64-8104-d923aae9b144_2048x1462.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!y-qc!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F039521c9-0174-4f64-8104-d923aae9b144_2048x1462.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!y-qc!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F039521c9-0174-4f64-8104-d923aae9b144_2048x1462.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!y-qc!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F039521c9-0174-4f64-8104-d923aae9b144_2048x1462.png" width="1456" height="1039" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/039521c9-0174-4f64-8104-d923aae9b144_2048x1462.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1039,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:4543525,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://www.onyoplaylist.com/i/190311759?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F039521c9-0174-4f64-8104-d923aae9b144_2048x1462.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!y-qc!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F039521c9-0174-4f64-8104-d923aae9b144_2048x1462.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!y-qc!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F039521c9-0174-4f64-8104-d923aae9b144_2048x1462.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!y-qc!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F039521c9-0174-4f64-8104-d923aae9b144_2048x1462.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!y-qc!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F039521c9-0174-4f64-8104-d923aae9b144_2048x1462.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><div><hr></div><p>Rich Off R&amp;B: Monthly Rotation <strong>OUT NOW</strong></p><p><strong>UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN</strong></p><p><strong>#ONELANE #STREETLOVE</strong></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Mack Confessional]]></title><description><![CDATA[Executive Branch subscription to listen | An onyoplaylist presentation]]></description><link>https://www.onyoplaylist.com/p/the-mack-confessional</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.onyoplaylist.com/p/the-mack-confessional</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Onyoplaylist]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 19 Mar 2026 21:46:52 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/191521947/9f7d9c8c33f376f88699a3e2581211eb.mp3" length="0" type="audio/mpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>A first person audio journal on emotional mastery and transmutation.</p><p><em>For the loyal few &lt;3</em></p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.onyoplaylist.com/p/the-mack-confessional?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://www.onyoplaylist.com/p/the-mack-confessional?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share"><span>Share</span></a></p><p>This is the <strong>INTRO </strong>completely free. However, if you&#8217;ve resonated with what you heard and would like to enjoy <strong>The Mack Confessional </strong>you&#8217;ll have to upgrade to the <strong>Executive Branch. </strong></p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.onyoplaylist.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://www.onyoplaylist.com/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><div><hr></div><p>Here&#8217;s where you&#8217;ll learn things that&#8217;ll make you look at the world of <em>dating</em>, <em>attraction</em>, and <em>life</em> itself in an entirely <em>new</em> way. If you&#8217;ve been wondering how some people seem to have it all, how they move through life like it&#8217;s a game they&#8217;re destined to win. Then you&#8217;re in the <em>right</em> place. </p><p>Let <strong>The Mack </strong>show<strong> </strong>you<strong> </strong>how it&#8217;s done. This is where the real ones gain <em>inner-standing</em>. And where <strong>The Mack</strong> teaches you how to <strong>unlock</strong> your <em>own</em>.</p><div><hr></div><h2>Episode 1</h2><p>&#8220;Unmasking The Mack&#8221; | <strong>APRIL 13th </strong></p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.onyoplaylist.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">The Mack Confessional is <strong>CONFIDENTIAL</strong>. To receive new posts and have access to this section, consider joining the <strong>Executive Branch</strong>. <em>It&#8217;s worth it &lt;3</em></p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Big World For A Big City Boy]]></title><description><![CDATA[By Faarouq Christian]]></description><link>https://www.onyoplaylist.com/p/big-world-a-big-city-boy</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.onyoplaylist.com/p/big-world-a-big-city-boy</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Onyoplaylist]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sun, 15 Mar 2026 23:30:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!FO9x!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff09a95a1-28bd-466c-af8b-048b784be4fc_2048x1366.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I used to think being from the city meant I was ready for the world.</p><p>Like growing up around <em>noise</em>, <em>sirens</em>, <em>ambition</em>, <em>ego</em>, <em>talent</em>, <em>fast money conversations</em> and faster dreams automatically stamped me &#8220;mature.&#8221;</p><p>I thought <strong>exposure</strong> was <em>evolution</em>.</p><p>Whole time&#8230; I was just <strong>outside</strong> a lot.</p><p>There&#8217;s a <strong>difference</strong>.</p><p>See, when you a &#8220;big city boy,&#8221; you walk with a certain tempo.</p><p>You think <strong>quick</strong>.</p><p>You talk <strong>quick</strong>.</p><p>You adapt <strong>quick</strong>.</p><p>You <strong>mistake</strong> survival instincts for <em>wisdom</em>.</p><p>I did.</p><blockquote><p>I <strong>thought</strong> because I could hold my own in any room, I understood the room. Because I could articulate pain, I had mastered it. Because I had <strong>vision</strong>, I had <strong>discipline</strong>. Nah. Adulthood <strong>don&#8217;t</strong> care about potential. It cares about <strong>consistency</strong>.</p></blockquote><p>That&#8217;s when it <strong>hit</strong> me.</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.onyoplaylist.com/p/big-world-a-big-city-boy?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://www.onyoplaylist.com/p/big-world-a-big-city-boy?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share"><span>Share</span></a></p><div><hr></div><p>The transition from <em>young adult</em> to <em>man</em> isn&#8217;t <strong>loud. </strong>It&#8217;s <strong>quiet. </strong>Nobody throws you a <strong>parade. </strong>Nobody sends a memo like, &#8220;Congratulations, you are now fully responsible for your mind, habits, and outcomes.&#8221; </p><p>You just wake up one day and realize&#8230;</p><p>Oh.</p><p>Nobody is coming.</p><p>That&#8217;s <strong>not</strong> depressing.</p><p>That&#8217;s <strong>powerful</strong>.</p><p>Because when you <strong>realize</strong> nobody is coming, you <strong>stop</strong> performing and <strong>start</strong> building.</p><p>I had to accept something <strong>uncomfortable</strong>:</p><p>I <strong>wasn&#8217;t</strong> becoming a man. I was <strong>shedding</strong> a boy. And that boy loved being <em>impressive</em>. Loved being &#8220;the one with potential.&#8221; Loved being ahead of the curve.</p><p>But adulthood?</p><p>Adulthood don&#8217;t clap for potential.</p><p>It rewards <strong>structure</strong>.</p><p>It rewards <strong>routine</strong>.</p><p>It rewards the days you don&#8217;t feel inspired but still <strong>execute</strong>.</p><p>That&#8217;s when the arts changed for me. At first it was <em>expression</em>. Just <strong>heat</strong>. Just <strong>emotion</strong>. Just &#8220;hear this.&#8221;</p><p>Now?</p><p>Now it&#8217;s <strong>translation</strong>.</p><p>Because what&#8217;s the point of feeling deeply if you can&#8217;t make it <strong>conscious</strong>?</p><div class="pullquote"><p>What&#8217;s the point of <strong>intensity</strong> if you can&#8217;t articulate it? Anybody can be <strong>emotional</strong>. Not everybody can be coherent.</p></div><p>That&#8217;s <strong>growth</strong>.</p><p>I started realizing being a man <strong>isn&#8217;t</strong> about <em>dominance</em>.</p><p>It&#8217;s about <strong>discipline</strong>.</p><p>It&#8217;s <strong>not</strong> about being the loudest voice.</p><p>It&#8217;s about being <strong>clear</strong>.</p><p>Clear about your <strong>purpose</strong>.</p><p>Clear about your <strong>flaws</strong>.</p><p>Clear about your <strong>direction</strong>.</p><p>And clarity is uncomfortable because it removes excuses.</p><div><hr></div><p><em>When you&#8217;re young, you can blame timing. Blame resources. Blame environment.</em></p><p>When you step into adulthood?</p><p>You start asking:</p><p>What am I doing with what I have?</p><p>That question will either break you or build you.</p><p>For me, it built me.</p><p>I <strong>stopped</strong> romanticizing chaos.</p><p><strong>Stopped</strong> confusing motion with progress.</p><p><strong>Stopped</strong> thinking being busy meant being <em>effective</em>.</p><p>Big city energy teaches you to move.</p><p><strong>Manhood</strong> teaches you to move intentionally.</p><p><strong>Huge</strong> <em>difference</em>.</p><p>And here&#8217;s the funny part:</p><p>I thought the world was small because the city felt big.</p><p>Whole time.. the city was just my sandbox.</p><p>There&#8217;s levels beyond this.</p><p>Rooms where nobody knows your name.</p><p>Spaces where confidence alone won&#8217;t carry you.</p><p>Places where you have to be structured, composed, and rooted in who you are.</p><p>That&#8217;s when I realized something.</p><div class="pullquote"><p>The world is <strong>bigger</strong> than the <em>persona</em>. <strong>Bigger</strong> than the <em>aesthetic</em>. <strong>Bigger</strong> than the &#8220;I got it figured out&#8221; walk. <strong>Bigger</strong> than the <em>highlight reel</em>. It <strong>demands</strong> <em>substance</em>. And that <strong>used</strong> to scare me. <strong>Now</strong> it <em>excites</em> me. Because if the world is big, that means I can <strong>grow</strong> into it.</p></div><p>I&#8217;m not aiming to be the biggest in the city anymore.</p><p>I&#8217;m aiming to be <em>aligned</em> anywhere. That&#8217;s <strong>maturity</strong>.</p><blockquote><p><strong>Owning</strong> your depth. <strong>Owning</strong> your discipline. <strong>Owning</strong> your evolution without announcing it every five minutes.</p></blockquote><p>Let the <strong>work</strong> <em>speak</em>.</p><p>Let the <strong>structure</strong> <em>show</em>.</p><p>Let the <strong>growth</strong> be <em>visible</em> in how <strong>calm</strong> you&#8217;ve <strong>become</strong>.</p><p>It&#8217;s funny&#8230;</p><p>I thought becoming a man would feel like gaining something. It actually feels like <em>simplifying</em>.</p><p><strong>Less</strong> <em>noise</em>.</p><p><strong>Less</strong> <em>proving</em>.</p><p><strong>More</strong> <em>building</em>.</p><p>And I&#8217;m <strong>still</strong> in <em>transition</em>.</p><p><strong>Still</strong> <em>refining</em>.</p><p><strong>Still</strong> <em>shedding</em>.</p><p>But I&#8217;m <strong>not</strong> <em>intimidated</em> anymore.</p><p>I <strong>know</strong> who I am without the applause.</p><p>And no matter what, still.. Ima&#8217; put on for my city. I guess it&#8217;s that Bronx, NY in me. It&#8217;s a big world even for a big city boy</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!FO9x!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff09a95a1-28bd-466c-af8b-048b784be4fc_2048x1366.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!FO9x!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff09a95a1-28bd-466c-af8b-048b784be4fc_2048x1366.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!FO9x!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff09a95a1-28bd-466c-af8b-048b784be4fc_2048x1366.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!FO9x!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff09a95a1-28bd-466c-af8b-048b784be4fc_2048x1366.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!FO9x!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff09a95a1-28bd-466c-af8b-048b784be4fc_2048x1366.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!FO9x!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff09a95a1-28bd-466c-af8b-048b784be4fc_2048x1366.png" width="1456" height="971" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/f09a95a1-28bd-466c-af8b-048b784be4fc_2048x1366.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:971,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:5409302,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://www.onyoplaylist.com/i/189838246?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff09a95a1-28bd-466c-af8b-048b784be4fc_2048x1366.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!FO9x!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff09a95a1-28bd-466c-af8b-048b784be4fc_2048x1366.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!FO9x!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff09a95a1-28bd-466c-af8b-048b784be4fc_2048x1366.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!FO9x!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff09a95a1-28bd-466c-af8b-048b784be4fc_2048x1366.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!FO9x!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff09a95a1-28bd-466c-af8b-048b784be4fc_2048x1366.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p><strong>UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN</strong></p><p><strong>#ONELANE #STREETLOVE</strong></p><div><hr></div><p>Rich Off R&amp;B: Monthly Rotation &#8594; March 16th 7:30 EST</p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.onyoplaylist.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">This Substack is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. <em>It&#8217;s worth it &lt;3</em></p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[N.B.L (Nothing But Love)]]></title><description><![CDATA[By Faarouq Christian]]></description><link>https://www.onyoplaylist.com/p/nbl-nothing-but-love</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.onyoplaylist.com/p/nbl-nothing-but-love</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Onyoplaylist]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 11 Mar 2026 09:25:38 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!ArR7!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4add77ef-40b1-49e7-91e8-39a2fbcd7b96_1400x1400.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><em>We used to feel like the city moved faster than we could. Like every corner we turned, someone had already read the chapter we were still writing.</em></p><blockquote><p><em>People assume they know the story, they possess a subconscious audacity to <strong>project</strong> from their preconceptions, past-traumas, ignorance. They misread the patience misread the silence.</em></p><p><em>Many, many nights sitting alone, <strong>R&amp;B</strong> music blasting, blunt burning, chills sending waves through the body while dancing to intricate harmony. <strong>Transmuting</strong> energy.</em></p></blockquote><p><em>They always ask <strong>&#8220;How do you do it? How do you manage to keep your spirits up?&#8221;</strong> With no idea that In the exact moment they asked that </em>while observing a charming smile that reaches the eye, that inside I&#8217;d been <strong>crying</strong>.</p><p><strong>Not</strong> from <em>sadness</em>. But from the <em>pain</em> of being <strong>present</strong> but feeling so <em>absent</em>.</p><p>Too slippery to hold. Too deep to swim next to. Although innately confident since a youngin&#8217; every now &amp; then a bird would fly down to my shoulder and say &#8220;maybe you&#8217;re too much&#8221;</p><p>Maybe I was. Too much for <strong>who?</strong> Too much in <strong>what way?</strong> <strong>Depth?</strong> <strong>Ambition?</strong> Or maybe just <strong>early</strong>, <em>always</em> <strong>early</strong>.</p><p><em>Always forever.</em></p><p>Being misunderstood became its own rhythm. It forced me to study myself in ways the world never demanded. I learned the weight of my own pulse. I learned how far I could stretch without breaking. How sharp focus could carry me past doubt.</p><div><hr></div><p>This year.. something <em>shifted</em>. It wasn&#8217;t loud. It wasn&#8217;t sudden. It was like the ball finally found its orbit, like space had opened just enough for me to see how high I could go.</p><blockquote><p><em>Success from over here doesn&#8217;t feel like claps. It&#8217;s the rush in your chest when you realize you&#8217;ve been building, not proving. That the misunderstanding wasn&#8217;t a wall. It was wind resistance training you to glide. Suddenly I&#8217;m <strong>grateful</strong>.</em></p></blockquote><p><strong>Grateful</strong>, for the <strong>misreads</strong>, the <strong>judgements</strong>, the silent <strong>sidelines</strong>. <strong>Grateful</strong> for the <strong>nights</strong> I danced <strong>alone</strong>, those <strong>nights</strong> taught me <em><strong>alchemy</strong></em>. Channeling <strong>inner</strong> forces from within. To <strong>curate</strong>. To <strong>maximize</strong>.</p><div class="pullquote"><p>As I ride, back seat, yellow lights and skyscrapers are most prevalent. Something about car sounds and long light streaks amplifies my focus levels. I feel the city beneath me, the stars above me, and the ring around me? Isn&#8217;t a <em>crown</em>. Its <em>orbit</em>. Its <em>movement</em>. It&#8217;s <em>momentum</em>.</p></div><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.onyoplaylist.com/p/nbl-nothing-but-love?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://www.onyoplaylist.com/p/nbl-nothing-but-love?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share"><span>Share</span></a></p><p>Still here, still learning the arcs of my own trajectory. Still feeling the exhilaration of rising when nobody&#8217;s watching. And even if I break down. I&#8217;m finding peace in the knowing that I&#8217;ll break through. And knowing quietly that.. we <em>ain&#8217;t</em> <strong>cocky. </strong></p><p>We been <strong>vindicated</strong>.</p><p><em>And still. It&#8217;s..</em></p><p><strong>N</strong>othing <strong>B</strong>ut <strong>L</strong>ove.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!ArR7!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4add77ef-40b1-49e7-91e8-39a2fbcd7b96_1400x1400.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!ArR7!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4add77ef-40b1-49e7-91e8-39a2fbcd7b96_1400x1400.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!ArR7!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4add77ef-40b1-49e7-91e8-39a2fbcd7b96_1400x1400.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!ArR7!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4add77ef-40b1-49e7-91e8-39a2fbcd7b96_1400x1400.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!ArR7!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4add77ef-40b1-49e7-91e8-39a2fbcd7b96_1400x1400.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!ArR7!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4add77ef-40b1-49e7-91e8-39a2fbcd7b96_1400x1400.jpeg" width="1400" height="1400" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/4add77ef-40b1-49e7-91e8-39a2fbcd7b96_1400x1400.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1400,&quot;width&quot;:1400,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:289953,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://www.onyoplaylist.com/i/189835407?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4add77ef-40b1-49e7-91e8-39a2fbcd7b96_1400x1400.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!ArR7!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4add77ef-40b1-49e7-91e8-39a2fbcd7b96_1400x1400.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!ArR7!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4add77ef-40b1-49e7-91e8-39a2fbcd7b96_1400x1400.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!ArR7!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4add77ef-40b1-49e7-91e8-39a2fbcd7b96_1400x1400.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!ArR7!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4add77ef-40b1-49e7-91e8-39a2fbcd7b96_1400x1400.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p><strong>UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN</strong></p><p>#ONELANE #STREETLOVE</p><div><hr></div><p><em>This was a <strong>carefully</strong> considered publication. We decided to allow it to be free just so you&#8217;d know it&#8217;s real. Live in the flesh. So if you feel inclined, subscribe to join the squad &amp; gain access to the <strong>inner circle. </strong>It&#8217;s up &amp; it&#8217;s stuck. Just like a canvas.</em></p><div><hr></div><p><strong>Big World For A Big City Boy</strong> <em>premiering</em> next week..</p><p><strong>MARCH 15th 7:30 EST &#9748;&#65039;</strong></p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.onyoplaylist.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">This Substack is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. <em>It&#8217;s worth it &lt;3</em></p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Comet]]></title><description><![CDATA[By Faarouq Christian]]></description><link>https://www.onyoplaylist.com/p/the-comet</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.onyoplaylist.com/p/the-comet</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Onyoplaylist]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 05 Mar 2026 22:40:39 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!xyCa!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2d0c3b44-6e9a-49f1-a8e0-b6c92b9359b9_1462x2048.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>There&#8217;s an <strong>old</strong> belief about <strong>comets</strong>. They <em>weren&#8217;t</em> just rocks. They were <strong>omens</strong>.</p><p><strong>Kings</strong> would <em>panic</em>. <strong>Priests</strong> would <strong>pray</strong>. <strong>Villages</strong> would <em>whisper</em>. Because when a <strong>comet</strong> appeared, it meant something was about to <strong>change</strong>. <strong>Empires</strong> would <em>fall</em>. <strong>Wars</strong> would <strong>begin</strong>. <strong>Dynasties</strong> would <em>shift</em>.</p><p>Nobody ever saw a comet and said,</p><p>&#8220;Oh nice. A decoration.&#8221;</p><p><strong>No</strong>.</p><p><strong>Comets</strong> interrupt <em>things</em>.</p><p>And that&#8217;s the part I&#8217;ve been sitting with.</p><p>Because some of us were <strong>never</strong> meant to <em>blend</em> into the sky. We were <strong>meant</strong> to <em>break</em> it.</p>
      <p>
          <a href="https://www.onyoplaylist.com/p/the-comet">
              Read more
          </a>
      </p>
   ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[It’s Different Now]]></title><description><![CDATA[By Faarouq Christian]]></description><link>https://www.onyoplaylist.com/p/its-different-now</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.onyoplaylist.com/p/its-different-now</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Onyoplaylist]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 04 Mar 2026 06:13:09 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!CM_B!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9e8e775c-cba3-4e65-8fc1-c936eb4a5552_1080x1350.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>As an adult, a grown man. It&#8217;s <em>different</em> now.. you actually have space to <strong>build</strong> for yourself. No more <strong>scraps</strong> from <strong>mom</strong>, <strong>dad</strong>, <strong>aunt</strong>, <strong>uncles</strong>, <strong>siblings</strong>, or <strong>cousins</strong>.</p><div class="pullquote"><p>All you. <strong>No</strong> room for <em>excuses</em> or <strong>fake</strong> confidence. You either got it or you <strong>don&#8217;t</strong>. And if you own it, It&#8217;s <strong>yours</strong>, and nobody else&#8217;s.</p></div>
      <p>
          <a href="https://www.onyoplaylist.com/p/its-different-now">
              Read more
          </a>
      </p>
   ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Pilot ]]></title><description><![CDATA[By Faarouq Christian]]></description><link>https://www.onyoplaylist.com/p/the-pilot</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.onyoplaylist.com/p/the-pilot</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Onyoplaylist]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 04 Mar 2026 00:19:02 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!yYMY!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6067ddd1-f2b6-4209-91b0-a11412b9e768_745x1125.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<blockquote><p>Every journey begins somewhere you don&#8217;t want to be.</p><p>And most people run from it.</p></blockquote><p>When you&#8217;re at the <strong>beginning</strong>, the mind is already elsewhere:</p><p>&#8226; Dreaming of stages not built yet</p><p>&#8226; Imagining cities you haven&#8217;t visited</p><p>&#8226; Chasing recognition that hasn&#8217;t arrived</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!yYMY!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6067ddd1-f2b6-4209-91b0-a11412b9e768_745x1125.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!yYMY!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6067ddd1-f2b6-4209-91b0-a11412b9e768_745x1125.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!yYMY!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6067ddd1-f2b6-4209-91b0-a11412b9e768_745x1125.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!yYMY!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6067ddd1-f2b6-4209-91b0-a11412b9e768_745x1125.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!yYMY!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6067ddd1-f2b6-4209-91b0-a11412b9e768_745x1125.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!yYMY!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6067ddd1-f2b6-4209-91b0-a11412b9e768_745x1125.jpeg" width="745" height="1125" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/6067ddd1-f2b6-4209-91b0-a11412b9e768_745x1125.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1125,&quot;width&quot;:745,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:145908,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://www.onyoplaylist.com/i/189775270?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6067ddd1-f2b6-4209-91b0-a11412b9e768_745x1125.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!yYMY!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6067ddd1-f2b6-4209-91b0-a11412b9e768_745x1125.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!yYMY!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6067ddd1-f2b6-4209-91b0-a11412b9e768_745x1125.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!yYMY!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6067ddd1-f2b6-4209-91b0-a11412b9e768_745x1125.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!yYMY!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6067ddd1-f2b6-4209-91b0-a11412b9e768_745x1125.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a><figcaption class="image-caption">May 5th | NYC</figcaption></figure></div><p><em>It&#8217;s easy to forget where you are, to overlook it as small, unimportant, or temporary. But the truth is..</em></p><p>You <strong>can&#8217;t</strong> skip the ground beneath your feet.</p><p>No matter how far you go, how many paths you take, how many cities or stages you chase, you always end up right back to yourself. Question is, will you be there for yourself when you get back? Or will you find that when you open your eyes, you realize that your face hurts from being on the ground flat?</p><p>We still remember the pilot phase, our first flight.</p><p>If this publication is anything, it&#8217;s outside of what&#8217;s surface level.</p><p>In the future, we&#8217;ll share the <strong>maps</strong>, <strong>frameworks</strong>, and <strong>inner lessons </strong>from these flights. Only for those ready to step in the cockpit.</p><p>So when we say &#8220;<strong>Flight</strong>&#8221; or refer to &#8220;<strong>The Pilot</strong>&#8221; what do you think it means?</p><p><strong>UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN</strong></p><p><strong>#ONELANE #STREETLOVE</strong></p><p></p><div><hr></div><p></p><p></p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.onyoplaylist.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://www.onyoplaylist.com/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><h2></h2>]]></content:encoded></item></channel></rss>