A Night at Fresco: The Last Cypher, Pt. I, 7/3/2015

fresco--- n.  a watercolor painting done on wet plaster which bonds to the paint surface once dried.

This… is the best week I’ve had in a long, LONG time.  A few days ago I actually came outside and I was blessed to meet Libra Miller, owner of a soon-to-be-well-known hotspot called Fresco in Downtown Augusta.  Located at 224 8^th Street, Fresco is a Men’s Boutique that sells hard-to-find and exclusive clothing, shoes, vinyl records, CDs, art; it’s the kinda place you go to soak up Hip Hop culture in a low-key setting.

…But you know me, I’m broke.  I ain’t come out to buy, I came out to talk, lol. 

So down the stairs comes Libra (which kinda scared me cuz I didn’t even SEE the upstairs when I walked in).  I’m not sure who told her about me or what they said, but it didn’t take long for me to see she and I were on the same page.
We talked about the need for Augusta to support its own and how folks are so used to saying “There’s nothing to do in Augusta” that they don’t notice the changes happening right under their noses.  Turns out we’re in some of the same circles of folks, spent time around some of the same schools--- another episode of “It’s a Small World After All”, lol 

I kinda get a read on her when--- no lie--- a lamb walked by outside the store. 

Apparently it had been walking around all day and she was totally fascinated by it, smiling from ear-to-ear.  At that point, I know I was dealing with a positive, cool, happy individual with entrepreneurial vision.  Just the kind of person Augusta needs to shake off the “Disgusta” stigma.

So as I’m leaving Libra hands me an issue of Urban Pro Weekly featuring her and informs me that there’s gonna be a cypher at Fresco on First Friday.  She invites me to come back through, and right then I start praying it doesn’t storm that night because that’s the ONLY thing that would stop me.  Like I said, we know some of the same folks, so I was expecting a decent turnout featuring the one and only Truez and a slew of other local talents and faces.  I told her I don’t really freestyle otherwise I’d lay a verse down myself; she says she’s inviting ALL types of rhymesayers--- freestylers, written lyricists, spoken word artists, WHATEVER.  And that’s one thing I really dig about Libra:  she’s supportive.  Instead of looking for reasons to exclude people, she’s looking for reasons to INCLUDE people.  She has a vision for the whole and not just for the parts. 

…Yeah, I’m gushin a lil bit; I don’t get to speak this positively about people very often, lol   

What I DIDN’T know at the time was that this would be Fresco’s LAST cypher.  I didn’t get the bad news until I saw the flyer on her Facebook page.  I was truly concerned because, as an up-and-coming business, Fresco is still struggling to keep its doors open.  But I knew there were at least two things I could do to help.  So that night, I hit up the Fresco GoFundMe Page and donated, and I made DOUBLE sure to come to the cypher that Friday.  #SUPPORTOUROWN

In the meantime, upon returning to the lair, I read the issue of Urban Pro Weekly that Libra gave me and found out just how incredible she is.  A biology major with a passion for fashion, a heart for the homeless in our area, and a heart for the youth.  And obviously, if she owns her own business, she’s not just a talker, she’s a doer.  I do my lil part and such, but I could definitely take lessons from this one, she’s the real deal.

 

That was Tuesday; I had 3 days to figure out what to bring with me to the cypher that Friday night... 

(If you'd like to contribute to Fresco's GoFundMe campaign, click the picture below)