The M Made Me

The M Made Me … Jamond Bullock

Check out the YouTube page to see some of Jamond’s murals and get and in-depth explanation of his newest mural at Gooch Park.

901 til I Die

Where did you grow up in Memphis?
Frayser

Obligatory, where did you go to high school?
Craigmont

Where in Memphis do you live now?
South Memphis

Have you lived outside of Memphis?
If so, what brought you back?Never

What do you do? Job, side hustle, hobbies…what keeps you busy?
Husband , Father live Painter , Curator, Mural Maker ,

Why Memphis an important part of your story? Why do you choose Memphis?Memphis is full of struggle, pain, and underdogs. Everyone from here is connected to a David vs Goliath story.

Where do you take people when they visit you?
I honestly recommend Overton Sq, Cooper young, The Rec Room, the Greenline and of course Beale st.

What’s your favorite Memphis memory or story?
One of my favorite Memphis memories is going to Adventure River as a kid the early 90s where some great times in this city.

Fill in the blanks. The M Made Me_________________ because ______________.
The M made me a full time visual artist by local support and word of mouth referrals this place will support you and your business if you are consistent and continue to make noise.

The M Made Me…..Bobby & Derravia

901 til I Die

Where did you grow up in Memphis?
Bobby grew up in the Whitehaven area right behind the Boddie family lol. Derravia grew up in the Castalia/Orange Mound area.

Obligatory, where did you go to high school?
Bobby: Whitestation High School Derravia: Wooddale High School

Where in Memphis do you live now?
Castalia

Have you lived outside of Memphis? If so, what brought you back?
Yes, Bobby and I both lived in Nashville for about 11 years. We moved back to Memphis in 2015 for Bobby to start working with the City of Memphis Fire Dept…. and also because we were expecting our babygirl Khoi to be born.

What do you do? Job, side hustle, hobbies…what keeps you busy?
Bobby is a firefighter for the City of Memphis and also Master Gardener. Derravia is an Entrepreneur who wears many professional hats.

Why Memphis an important part of your story? Why do you choose Memphis?Memphis is a huge part of our story because we were both raised here and we have learned invaluable life lessons growing up in Memphis. We went to school here, walked many streets here, and met people that have been purposed to be apart of our destiny. We choose Memphis because it is our home. It is where our roots were established. We both feel a sense of responsibility for our city because it gave us life-long jewels.

Where do you take people when they visit you?
Downtown/Midtown

What’s your favorite Memphis memory or story?
There are sooooo manyyyyy between us twooo…… cant choose! lol

The M Made Me ….. Austin Webster

You can listen to our in-depth interview with Austin here or watch it on the Diamond in the Bluff Youtube page here.

Hardly Home but Always Reppin’

Where did you grow up in Memphis?
Germantown

Obligatory, where did you go to high school?
Ridgeway

Where do you live now?
The Atlanta area (Kennesaw, Ga)

What do you do? Job, side hustle, hobbies…what keeps you busy?
Founder & CEO of Deepr®, a music tech startup.

Why is Memphis an important part of your story?
The cultural pride that Memphis naturally ingrained in me is special. My love for Hoops, Music, and Food all came from growing up in the 901.

When you come back home, what is your first stop?
It’s a toss up, Central BBQ, Brother Juniper’s, or Jerry’s Sno Cones.

What’s your favorite Memphis memory or story?
This is tough, because there are so many. Growing up in the M during the 90s the only way to watch the NBA in person was yearly NBA exhibition games at the Pyramid or Penny’s Charity Classic games in the Summer. When Michael Heisley decided to relocate the Grizzlies franchise to Memphis in 2001, it was an awesome time to be in Memphis. I used to work at the Germantown Centre, and one afternoon Jason “J-Will” Williams came to play pick up. The way he embarrassed a collective bunch of middle aged men and teenagers with his legendary handles and crossovers was something I will always remember. I had a front row seat and it was classic.

Fill in the blanks. The M Made Me_________________ because __________________.

The M Made Me Able to Laugh At Myself Because It Is The Only Way To Survive the Checking Culture 🙂

Is there anything else you want to share about yourself?
I am a big Memphis Grizzlies and Tigers (Hoops and Football) fan.

The M Made Me…… Channa Palmer

You can listen to our in-depth interview with Channa here or watch it on the Diamond in the Bluff Youtube page here.

Hardly Home but Always Reppin’

Where did you grow up in Memphis?
Hickory Hill

Obligatory, where did you go to high school?
White Station High School

Where do you live now?
Seattle, WA

What do you do? Job, side hustle, hobbies…what keeps you busy?
Recruiter. Talent Expert, Coach, Beer Enthusiast , Foodie, People Lover

Why is Memphis an important part of your story?
Memphis gave me the ability to be in whatever space I want without fear. White suburban life… I lived it until Hickory Hill was annexed into a the city and transitioned to all black neighborhood due to white flight. Deep appreciation of Black History … I got it from Peabody Elementary where I had exactly three white teachers between kindergarten and sixth grade and a bunch of Black women that settled for nothing less than me being great. A top tier education that exposed me to kids from various economic and social backgrounds, White Station Middle and High School. But what Memphis gave me most is the appreciation of a gritty culture where you have to seek what’s worth finding. You can’t be entitled in Memphis, it’s not the city for handouts. Now I wish I had even more Memphis in me, but I take what I have and make my city proud.

When you come back home, what is your first stop?
Soulfish

What’s your favorite Memphis memory or story?
When Mikhail Gorbechav, the last leader of the Soviet Union, won the National Civil Rights Museum’s Freedom Award in the 90s I got to go to the ceremony and be in a video showcased at the event about Civil Rights. I was about 10. Why? Because my former school principal also happened to be a church member who also happened to be a part of the school board and organizing the video. So basically… I’m in a world’s leader award ceremony, a person known for helping to dismantle the Berlin Wall, because of a hook-up. Peak Memphis even though not a story shared across Memphis

Fill in the blanks. The M Made Me_universal because a little bit of everything is in Memphis.

The M Made Me………….Terez Wilson

You can listen to our in-depth interview with Terez here.

Walkin’ in Memphis

Where did you grow up?
North Little Rock Arkansas

How is it similar or different from living in Memphis?
Same southern vibe…rich in its blackness. Hard to believe but I think black folks from Memphis are slightly more progressive and have more hustle than the those from Little Rock

Where do you live in Memphis?
Cordova

What brought you to Memphis?
UofM

What do you do? Job, side hustle, hobbies…what keeps you busy?
Own a State Farm agency, and a mortgage loan originator for Rocket Mortgage

Why is Memphis an important part of your story? Why do you choose Memphis?Memphis groomed me and showed me what brotherhood, leadership, and passion for something is all about. I think at one point my ambition outgrew the city so I moved away but my pockets were empty so I moved back. My contacts and work here made room for me so I planted roots. Not to mention we get a good mix of all 4 seasons. Lol

Where do you take people when they visit you?
Mostly to see the UofM campus, shelby farms, Main St District, and midtown.

What’s your favorite Memphis memory or story?
The way the city came alive during our trip to the final four in 2008. I felt like all of us were one race, and gave each other a true feeling of love and care during that time. Everyone just wanted to be apart of history and cherish memories with those they cared for the most. Campus buzzed during that time too.

Fill in the blanks. The M Made Me hustle because I had to adapt to the pace of those around me or perish.

Is there anything else you want to share about yourself?
Arizona sucks. No JK…I love this city and although I wasn’t born here I could probably tell your more about it than most who have lived here their entire life. I’m a sponge and love sharing my 2cents about the history of this place.

The M Made Me….. Kandace Stewart

You can listen to the in-depth interview with Kandace here or watch the interview on the Diamond in the Bluff YouTube page here.

901 Til I Die

Where did you grow up in Memphis?
Whitehaven

Obligatory, where did you go to high school?
Overton High School

Where in Memphis do you live now?
Midtown

Have you lived outside of Memphis? If so, what brought you back?
No

What do you do? Job, side hustle, hobbies…what keeps you busy?
I work in Sports and I teach yoga.

Why Memphis an important part of your story? Why do you choose Memphis?Memphis made me who I am. The people, the culture, the energy, the history, the food, the grit, the ingenuity…I think Memphians are just wired differently because we grew up here with access to all of that. I choose Memphis because I love it the city and the people, and I know that there are still so many opportunities available to succeed and flourish.

Where do you take people when they visit you?
FedExForum for a game (of course) because there’s just no better energy than 18,000 Grizzlies fans yelling Whoop that Trick together during a game! I also like to take people to one of our many amazing local restaurants for a good meal. I love Second Line in Midtown or McEwan’s or Itta Bena downtown. Then of course if we’re downtown we are going to a rooftop to look at the River. That’s the photo everyone wants. I also add the National Civil Rights Museum to the list because I think people should spend some time there, and visitors always enjoy it. Finally, I’m gonna round it out with some live music somewhere.

What’s your favorite Memphis memory or story?
My favorite Memphis story is being on the field at the game when Memphis beat UT in football! I was on the pom squad that year so I was on the field when we won and fans stormed the field. Most terrifying and exhilarating time of my life!

Fill in the blanks. The M Made Me_____________ because ______________.

The M Made Me ambitious because we’re always the underdog. We’re doubted and overlooked. I’ve heard it said that Memphians are born with a chip on their shoulder and I’d say that’s true.

Is there anything else you want to share about yourself?
Go Tigers! Go Grizzlies!