Ruthless and unforgiving but honorable and good for their word. Took no prisoners but was unapologetic in their actions. The town went through tough times in the years since the mill went bankrupt. It’s citizens had to forge a new identity. Some brought in a new restaurant scene to attract new means of economy and ideas but at the cost of big risks to an already fragile infrastructure. The uncertainty brought in a wave of certainty only through the instantly gratifying means of drugs and crime.

One of the citizens that turned 18 as the mill closed, looked forward to starting his job and raising a family in the same way his father and grandfather did. Don Smith III had his grandfather’s persistence and his father’s attitude infectious leadership that won over everyone while going through school and in town. Don knew the town like the back of his hand. He knew the kids in his school that were going to make it out of his town or others that were destined to live there going forward.

He had a dual life as his high school’s star football captain but was caught his junior year dealing drugs in school. Don could have had a plethora of college to choose from for his football alone, never mind his 3.8 GPA and National Honor Society induction. However his father gave him a second chance and promise on a job in the town mill once he graduated high school.

Although Don graduated that job never came as the summer Don was set to begin working the mill closed. He had no backup plan, no alternative because he knew that was the only way to make new, honorable name for himself to the two men he looked up to the most.

Don was devastated by the news. All his hopes and desires were gone as he stayed behind at home as his old teammates continued to play football, going off to college. He decided to do what he did best and made friendships and business partners around town. He quickly made a name for himself as a rapper, channeling his rage about oppression and hustle. However what really made a name for himself in the community was that Don taught others, kids especially how to rap and organized large community gathers in the town’s park on weekend afternoons.

What came out of the notoriety for Don was a knowing of the good and bad that went on in his community. He gained trust and a reputation that he was for good despite the increased violence and drugs that ever seemed to increase. Those kids he taught rap to went on to do well in school and start businesses of their own. Don was more in the know of which blocks were safe and unsafe better than any police officer he knew and knew it.

So Don took it upon himself to take back the city he knew so well and what it meant to him so it could be the same for others. He decided to take it upon himself by joining the drug dealing game himself. He knew it would be a tighter than tight rope knowing his name was in good graces everywhere he went.

Don gave himself no choice but to play the game was to have skin in the game. With his impeccable name on the line, Don knew the only way to make his dream a reality was to infiltrate the game from the inside out. To complicate matters, word got out that the mayor was a high school classmate of a record producer and invited the producer to see Don live. A turnout in the hundreds would show the type of influence Don had to the producer who could put Don in front of thousands so Don could live his dream out of giving back to his community. The question was, did playing the exact game that gave his community the black eyes it had to attempt to rid it make him a hero or a villain?