When you are experiencing a piece of art you are literally walking through the subconscious of an artist.  “Hood Raised” AKA Ollie Woods takes us on a journey with his latest project Jotted Gems. The thing that makes this project so special is that it’s his first book and he is crossing over to eldership. The added bonus to the project is that it has an accompanying soundtrack.  If you are familiar with Ollie’s work you will know that he is very passionate about his craft.  If you’ve ever been to any of his productions you will know that he is also transparent about his life.  With Jotted Gems you get a closer look into his mind. Much of the material in his book was written while in reflection on sleepless nights where sparks of creativity turned into flames.  You will get to see a man that has looked himself in the face and acknowledged his struggles. You will see a man that has endured tremendous loss yet still found the strength to pour love into his children.  You will see a man that has experienced hurt and questions whether he can trust again. You will see a man that has navigated through life and arrived at eldership. The fact that he has allowed himself to be transparent is a major contrast with what men are taught to be especially Black men.  You will also experience what has brought joy to his life while on his journey. It’s a great combination! The accompanying CD is the icing on the cake. It includes the lovely voice of Mahogany Brickhouse host of Back of the House Poetry and members of Team At Ease Poetry.  One of the themes that I feel runs through the project is the enormous task of being a Black man.  There are challenges that we endure that other people do not. Ollie has successfully over come many of those challenges and is able to lead and mentor others. Now this project is not all serious, it includes the signature Hoodraised Swag that Ollie is known for! The art of seduction and wordplay runs though the entire project. Definitely something that you need to get your hands on.  To stay in tune with Hoodraised make sure you follow him on Facebook fan page https://www.facebook.com/HoodRaisedMentality/   his personal page https://www.facebook.com/ollie.h.woods?ref=br_rs  and Instagram at @Hoodraised  As always follow us on all social media at @MrOpenyonated and follow our Facebook page  https://www.facebook.com/Openyonated/