{"id":98892542,"date":"2018-02-16T13:15:15","date_gmt":"2018-02-16T18:15:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onetravel.com\/going-places\/?p=98892542"},"modified":"2021-03-04T06:19:29","modified_gmt":"2021-03-04T11:19:29","slug":"getting-on-t-r-a-c-new-york-mcs-musings-on-life-music-travel-and-black-history","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onetravel.com\/going-places\/getting-on-t-r-a-c-new-york-mcs-musings-on-life-music-travel-and-black-history\/","title":{"rendered":"Getting on T.R.A.C. : An MC’s Musings on Life, Music, Travel, and the Black Experience"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The name is Terrence Nicholas, but I\u2019m musically known as T.R.A.C. I\u2019m the last born of 5 siblings and a first-generation American of Guyanese descent. I\u2019ve been part of the music scene and nightlife for quite some time. It\u2019s been one filled with plenty ups and downs; still, it\u2019s the power to influence and encourage people into more positive spaces, along with my latest successes, that keeps my passion alive and ongoing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"MC<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

To me, the Black experience is about understanding where we are, how far we\u2019ve come, and our great contributions to the world and its many communities. Growing up in the Bedford Stuyvesant, East Flatbush, and Brownsville neighborhoods of Brooklyn, I\u2019d say I had a pretty good childhood. My family was middle class but my parents were still working hard to make things work for all of us. Being the last born it felt like I was the most protected from the environment we lived in. Every day wasn\u2019t bad, but bad did pay a visit a few times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"trac-childhood\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Most of my friends consisted of jokers who chased girls, loved sports, and played video games. I ran with an innocent bunch, who are all doing fine to this day. Still, with all the family protection, I did see a lot beyond my years — its effect keeping me more focused on the straight and narrow. I think that in NYC all kids grow up fast in general. We see so much so quickly that at times we take it all for granted. It wasn\u2019t until I started to travel that I began to picture a more balanced idea of life. Traveling still has that effect on me, even if I\u2019m going just a few minutes out of the city. It\u2019s a humbling thing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"trac-taveling\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Music has also created the travel guy in me. I have performed in the UK, Italy, Austria, Czech Republic, among a host of other countries. It’s always business first and play afterwards, so after shows, I always try to make time to see, feel, and taste the culture. The world is filled with some amazing people of all backgrounds and ethnicities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"trac-at-abbey-road\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

YOU MAY ALSO ENJOY: Musical Destinations that Echo the Black Experience<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course, there are moments that weren\u2019t so friendly. There’ve been many cases where I was pretty much the only black guy in the room, catching a few weird looks from strangers. There were also instances where people may have had some issues with me simply because of my skin. Racism is everywhere, but so is love. It\u2019s all about who and what you surround yourself with. I\u2019m all about destroying biases and stereotypes as best I can, and to my surprise so are all the people I\u2019ve met in these countries. But you can\u2019t fix the whole world in a day — it\u2019s just too big.<\/p>\n\n\n\n