The first time I met Pete, it was through an Inbox message from my old school website, evitaspen.com.

At that time, I was a well known spoken word artist in the college circuit, and he was a stranger to me who felt the need to spin a male version of one of my signature pieces, "I Have..." This was circa 2003.

I read the piece on my computer and was equal parts "I have to meet this dude..." and "Who does he think he is sending this to me?" Needless to say, it got my attention. Pete's got a knack for thinking outside the box.

Stepping outside the online veil, I found out that his sister attended my school, and he'd seen me perform a number of times. The performances compelled him enough to rewrite my sh!t. Thus, our friendship started.

A few years back, Pete divulged in me his blossoming love for photography. He'd always been a sneaker head (take him to Dunk Detox) and a hip-hop junkie, so him bridging his two loves was inevitable.

He had those preliminary jitters, and I was on my Nike steeze, telling the dude to 'Just Do It!' He did. And through some of the most horrendous ups and downs in his personal life, he kept doing it and...doing it well.

To the point where he is now noted as the go-to photog in the industry, and the Official Def Jam photographer, in his most recent interview with www.respect-mag.com. Through the storms, you have to keep the seeds planted. I'm proud of Pete in more ways than one. Check out the interview link below and show support.

Photo by Pete Monsanto