Making It Out

“Making it out” is a phrase loaded with weight—especially when you grow up African American. It carries the history of survival, the pressure to exceed expectations, and the unspoken understanding that the world will test you long before it celebrates you. For Three 6 Mafia’s Group Member Dj Paul, that journey folds into another layer of challenge: stepping into creative purpose while living with Erb’s Palsy.

This piece examines the parallel paths of identity and artistry, and the quiet resilience required to push through both. Being an African American artist already means navigating systems that weren’t designed to hold space for your voice. Add a disability on top, and suddenly every step forward requires double the intention, double the courage, double the clarity.

Yet what emerges from those intersections is a perspective sharpened by endurance. I’ve learned that “making it out” isn’t just about escaping circumstances—it’s about making meaning from them. It’s about turning limitations into language, turning difference into vision, and still choosing beauty in a world that often demands your strength before recognizing your humanity.

In this work, I honor the truth that my artistry is shaped not in spite of these challenges, but through them. The struggle becomes texture. The disability becomes narrative. The identity becomes light. And the act of creating becomes the very proof that I’m not just making it out—I’m making my way through with purpose, authenticity, and undeniable presence.