Alejandro Perez, Jr.



Alejandro Perez, Jr.

Upon entering the Perez home, you are immediately filled with love bursting from the seams.  There is laughter, joy, playfulness, sometimes a joust or two amongst children, the sweet smell in the air of  some incense that was once burning, and many, many little voices calling for Daddy and Mommy to intervene for one reason or another.  Alejandro and his wife, Shirlanda, have created an environment that welcomes all those who enter their domain.  They invite me in to share with them all of this richness. 

Alejandro is hungry; he asks if it I don’t mind if he whips up something good to eat before we begin our interview.  The smell of kale, rice and avocado suddenly begin to fill the air.  It smells scrumptious.  The brother must nourish his temple to keep his energy going.  He has a lot on his plate – literally and figuratively.  Perez is a devoted husband, father of five daughters and a son ranging in age from 2 to 15.  He is the Owner/Educator of The Village Child Development Center, Gymnastics instructor, Capoeira instructor, teaches English as a Second Language, and brings art and movement to at-risk youth. Alejandro is a poet, hip-hop artist, and front man for the band Melody Memory who at any moment will bust out a backflip right off the stage into the crowd.  What haven’t his hands touched?  I find myself asking that question multiple times during our very intimate interview.

Who are you?  Who is Alejandro Perez, Jr.?

”Alejandro Perez is a little kid that grew up in Dallas who found out that dance was his first love.  So that was my first initial passion was learning how to move my body to the rhythm of the beat.  I think I adopted that passion primary because my Mother and Father both had that passion.” 

Melody Memory

Passion for movement seemed to be all around him, from dancing to pop-locking to flipping.  Growing up he watched his big cousins turning flips on a mattress in the hood, Alejandro being an inquisitive child, who had no fears, had to join in the fun and learned to flip as well.  Practicing until he was able to do it without the mattress and nothing to protect him but the cold hard concrete – Alejandro learned very well.  And just like his determination to learn how to flip, which he ultimately parlayed into becoming a Gymnastics and Capoeira Instructor, his talents and passions were growing quickly.

“I was reared up in the Church; my Grandmother made me sing songs in the Church and I grew up in the Kinder Choir – that’s what gave me my desire to sing or at least the seed to desire to sing.” 

Pick up any of Alejandro’s CDs or go to any of his performances around town and you will hear traditional R&B, Reggae, Hip-Hop or any combination that might, or might not, be intertwined with Spanish dialogue.  Using criticism of his singing as the fuel to ignite his passion, he was determined to find his voice.  Now many years later he has found his voice although he humbly states he is always working on it.

As Alejandro, or AP as he is affectionately called by his friends and family, describes who he is and how he became the man he is today the melodic sounds of children playing and fighting in the background provides the soundtrack to our interview.  I can’t help but feel extremely comfortable as we sit at the very large tall square table where his family has had many thought provoking conversations.  Even with small children, there is no baby talk in this home; everyone is allowed to express themselves freely and openly – no discussion is off the table.  So it is only natural our interview is at this very same table.

The Oldest Perez Girls

Alejandro is the Patriarch of this family, however, fatherhood has been an evolutionary process; unfortunately he was not able to learn by example since his parents decided to discontinue their union when he was only five years old.  Luckily, however, he was able to spend time with his father in New York when he was seven.  Not only did he learn more about the man who gave him life, he was also able to get in touch with his Latino roots.  Alejandro began fully immersing himself in two very dynamic cultures as a child of an African-American Mother and Puerto Rican Father.  His Mother taught him responsibility at a very young age, which made him very experimental as well as kept him very busy.  His Father taught him about being cool, walking that walk and talking that talk.

“All of my experiences kind of envelop my personality and I think as an artist most of my major influences came when I was young.  I think kind of fast forwarding to my love for hip-hop, that kind of came in the second grade.  I use to beat-box in the bathroom and one cat would be rapping in the corner holding it down…”

and at that moment as if on cue AP busts out an old school beat-box that has me reminiscing of my days growing up in East New York in the ‘80s [but I digress]...

”and that would just be like… I would vibe and we would really hang out, express ourselves and do this new thing that was hip-hop.”

Alejandro could only listen to the “positive” hip-hop growing up such as Will Smith however he managed  to sneak in Luke Skywalker’s “Get it girl” under his Mother’s radar. Ying and Yang.  Good and Evil.  Light and Dark.  One cannot exist without the other.  Alejandro was learning at a very young age about balance – balance through hip-hop.  And as luck, or rather a commitment to his passions, would have it, Alejandro now uses hip-hop and movement to teach children self-expression and self-actualization.  Those same qualities he developed as a child.



The Only Boy

Alejandro attributes his Great-Grandmother as a major influence for his passion for teaching.  She would tell him “you can do anything you want to do – so just do it.”  Although his Great-Grandmother could not read very well initially, she taught herself how to read in Church while teaching Sunday School. When Alejandro was very young she would make him read aloud in class.  Through the passion and determination of his Great-Grandmother he developed his love of reading and teaching other people.  Thus it is only natural that Alejandro formed his own school, The Village Child Development Center, where he teaches other children empowerment through learning and reading.     

AP sums up who he is with the following quote:

“I think all of those things that happened to me when I was young kind of like formed what I am constantly evolving into now.” 

What do you feel is or was the catalyst or the turning point of when you said ‘okay I’m going to do this for me’? 

“Despite of all the flaws any person can present there are little nuggets that people plant in you and you got to just take them and say this is a good thing – I need to hold on to this thing.”

Alejandro attributes many people as well as what he fondly calls nuggets or seeds of information imparted to him as part of the reason he decided to step out on faith and begin grinding off the grid.  

Mama Teetah, who owned Reciprocity – a place where so many budding artist spent their time sharing with other artist and eating Emmanuel’s cookies [myself included], use to say “You need to really hone in on your skills – find out what your talents are.”  These words echoed with AP.  Thus he worked on his writing, making sure his words always had meaning and a lesson. 

Uriah Elion, a teaching artist who plays the keyboard, said “AP don’t worry about money in life – just do what you do and the money will come to you.”  This added to his drive; not only could he begin doing exactly what he loved but ultimately what he loved would financially take care of him and his growing family.  It would empower him to become proactive and really begin chasing his dreams.

Nigel Boyd, the first African-American in Dallas to present Capoeira to an African-American centered neighborhood in Dallas, advised AP about fatherhood with the following statement: “Find out what them little mother [expletive] like and do it with them.”  Alejandro tells me that might have been a brash statement but one he follows daily.  It should be noted, anyone who knows AP knows he rarely curses.  I find myself being tickled to death just hearing the f-bomb drop from his lips.  He is very particular about his reflection.  He has six children of his own and a wealth of other children who look up to him so he continuously works on the image he projects.  And no matter how brash he might have felt the comment was, he attributes it to how he manages to work so well with children of every age.  Additionally, it has made him a great father just like Mr. Boyd, whom AP admires so much.

The Youngest Perez Girls

Alejandro took all of these seeds to help him really understand children and how they tick. They also helped develop who he is as a man, husband, father, educator and artist. 

“The kids taught me how to teach.  Kids are very, very open to sharing with you of what they want to know.  And if you listen to them long enough you’ll begin to develop a system of listening so that you can actually impart information to little people and you find out none of them learn the same way.  There are some basic things you can use to facilitate information but as far as how they absorb it you have to observe each and every individual to find out. But these are things that developed my mind along my walk.”

AP & Devin Boyd practicing Capoeira

Alejandro, always searching for something enlightening, began studying Capoeira, a Brazilian martial arts which utilizes rhythmic movement as a fighting strategy to the sounds of the Berimbau as well as call and response songs.  AP began to master this art form.   After only a year and a half of studying Capoeira his Capoeira Mestre said “You know you should go head and try to teach this in the community.” A new seed was planted.  Alejandro presented this idea to the Office of Cultural Affairs for the Neighborhood Touring Program and it was promptly accepted.  His first class was in a park. His first check was big.

This is when AP started realizing he could teach the various things he learned along his journey to other people.  AP decided to introduce Hispanic teenagers what he called The 5-Elements of Hip-Hop, which incorporated Beat Boxing, B-Boying, MCing, Cutting and Scratching on the 1s and 2s, and Graffiti.  At any moment I expected AP to start break dancing or pop locking however he drops a precious jewel on me when he tells me it was…

“The first time I’ve watched a thought, a seed that was planted in me, and then me going after that seed and trying to make it work and it got bigger and bigger.”

A small thought, fertilized, watered and nurtured, was growing. 

“As time progressed forward I began to learn how to document my thoughts and write down what I did, how I did it, so that when I started teaching these classes I wouldn’t just keep making stuff up, cause I would just make some stuff up in minute just to make it happen.  I think that’s one of my gifts – is the ability to just be mentally malleable to any situation.”

Make stuff up? So, he was just flying by the seat of his pants? Allowing life to take him where he needed to be and not allowing preparation or planning to be a hindrance.  Very interesting concept – just roll with it; make it happen; or “just do it” as his Great-Grandmother once said.

Alejandro learned about focusing on self-discovery through Aakhu Bastet Sahu Shetet when she advised him he needed to “Follow the laws of Ma’at – it comes down to truth, balance and reciprocity in your life and you need to walk it.  One of the things you need to do for yourself is to know yourself.  And how you know yourself is you sit and you breathe and you look inside yourself and you think.”

Alejandro now teaches these concepts through movement and song. About three or four years ago, Alejandro joined Journeyman Ink, LLC, formed by Will Richey, which focused on teaching emotional literacy through writing.  Upon joining Journeyman Ink, they decided to change the concept slightly by incorporating the element of emotional literacy through creative expressiveness, which gives young people the ability to choose between Capoeira, Hip-Hop, Song Composition, Poetry, or learning how to play drums to express their emotions through whatever art form they could relate to most.  By incorporating all of these ideas, the children have the ability to discover themselves through art.

“I think all of those seeds and nuggets from my mentors made me thrust myself into what I’m trying to do – which is to be self-sufficient.” 

Yes, Alejandro is self-sufficient. He is discovering his passions and getting paid for those passions.  He is also evolving.  Alejandro has done all of this without having to punch someone’s clock or deal with the politics of corporate America. Alejandro proudly states:

“I’ve gotten spoiled from making this artist money so I don’t want to just kill myself doing all that when I can make other money creating my own ideas and just make them happen.”

Sounds so familiar; didn’t Uriah Elion say “don’t worry about money in life – just do what you do and the money will come to you”?  Those words are finally coming to pass.  He is grinding off the grid. 

How do you manage to maintain balance?



Shirlanda Bennett-Perez

“Shirlanda has me balanced.  When I come home, this is my place of solitude.  If I didn’t have a woman who cares and supported all the things that I desire to do, I wouldn’t be able to do it.  She is the reason why the school started; she named it The Village Child Development Center.  She said, “you could do it”; she told me I could do it. That was a big deal.  She believed in me before I believed in myself. So that was a big deal for me, she’s always supported me. I get a real soft spot in my heart when I think about it cause in reality none of this would be happening if it wasn’t for her cause she holds it down.  She makes sure the kids are taken care of.  She makes sure I can venture out and explore these waters.”

He goes on to explain what it is like being an artist and trying to maintain balance:

 “I think you have to do a lot as an artist to survive until you find out what that niche is that’s going to  make you uber-lucrative and I think that the most important thing for me is I have to be as malleable as possible so that I can develop an understanding of my full potential.  I don’t think I still have a real understanding of my full potential cause I haven’t met as many people like me.  But I know I’m not the only one doing this. I know it has to be a lot of other people who do a lot of things to survive. And I know if I’m in a circle of them I’m going to feel good about it. I just can’t wait to meet those kinds of people who wear a million hats to make it.” 



Having the ability to surround yourself with positive, ambitious, passionate people does seem to have a positive effect on anyone who is constantly striving to reach a point of self-awareness and self-perfection.  I wonder to myself, with so much on his plate, when will Alejandro ever find the time to meet these like-minded people? Then I’m snapped back into reality when his life flashes before my eyes.  This is Alejandro Perez, Jr. He knows how to make it happen.  Why would I even think this would be impossible?  Another thought quickly dismissed.  

AP tells me what is of primary importance in his life, he states:

“I want to be a really, really good father. I used to write about that and journal about that; I want to be better than my father was because I know how much that affects you. Right now I still get teary eyed about it cause if a father is not there to criticize, to give you critiques on life, to give you praise then you look for it. So I found mentors in my life.” 

These mentors, beginning from his own father - whom he hopes to one day have an even stronger bond, to Joe Powell, the founder of the Association of Persons Affected by Addictions, whom AP met when Journeyman Ink was commissioned to create an artistic piece depicting the struggles people go through with addictions.

Alejandro discusses how wonderful it is to…

“Have somebody to bounce your ideas off of - somebody who cares.  Somebody who evaluates what you are doing.  Ask about your priorities.  Ask you about what you’re doing.” 

He has found this in Joe Powell.  During one of their many discussions about life, Mr. Powell dropped this wonderful seed in AP’s mental garden for him to nurture and grow, “You need to get you a check list. Go back and look at it after you write it.  See if you’ve done what you said you was going to do on that list. And continue to look at that list and add more things to that list and feel good about your accomplishments.”  These words of wisdom radiated with AP.  It helped him to “set the priorities and listen.”  Although AP has been managing to make it with little or no preparation, this has him really paying attention and documenting all the steps and processes of what he does.  It has also made him a better listener. 

“When you grow up with women you are already subjected to the process of listening. But learning how to take in what you are listening to takes it to the next level.” 

With that said, I fully understand why Shirlanda’s eyes light up when she glances over at her husband – he is learning as well as incorporating what he learns into his everyday life.

Would you say you are still finding yourself?

“Absolutely!  I don’t think I know exactly who I am.  I just know I have so many passions.  Sometimes I talk to God, I say ‘but why you gonna give me all these desires to do all these things and not show me how to use them all.  I need to know how to use them all at one time.’  It’s a blessing and a curse to have all these desires and passions and not exactly know what to do with them.  So little by little the Creator has kind of opened up giving me glimpses of what it might be like and what I can do with it. So I’m peeking piece by piece at it just trying to see what I’m supposed to be doing with it.”

Do you think you will ever bring it all under one umbrella?  Or will it always be these ‘pieces’?

AP & Will Richey teaching

“Well, I feel like in my heart of hearts if I ever get into this level or monetary bracket I think it would be either a community center or school that will have the ability to offer all of these things.  And I will be able to consult people under me to teach these certain disciplines so that I can see it and be a part of that process. Cause there’s no way I can do every single thing but if I can see it all in one building. That’s what I want to be able to see. I want to be able to see Gymnastics. I want to be able to see Capoeira. I want to be able to see education at its highest level.  I want to be able to see music and art being experienced at its highest level.  I want to be able see theatre really projected to its highest level starting from the babies all the way up to the high school level and even to the collegiate level.  I want to be able to plant that seed or make it happen.  That’s what I want to see.  I want to see it.  That’s the biggest vision.”

That’s beautiful.  I’m impressed.

“It has a lot to do with me healing some parts of my life in order for me to even receive an inkling of an understanding of where all these things come from - first I had to heal in steps. Cynthia Boyd, Nigel Boyd’s wife, she actually helped me a lot on my first CD project that I did independently called “Family First”.  She also gave me a major scolding when I was stepping off my path; gave me the major scolding to help me get myself back together. So I appreciate all of those things. You are influenced by your parents whether they’re there or not. You have to take the good things and leave those things that are not so good out of the picture.”

Sounds like you have a lot of mentors and a lot people that are there to help you.  With so many people, I think, that is one of the things they lack.  Where do you think you would be if you didn’t have some of those influences?

“I’ll either be in jail or dead.”

Wait a minute! Did he just say in jail or dead?  I don’t think that was his life’s path.  Obviously, he has proven it over and over again in everything he does.  I easily dismiss this idea completely.  Alejandro, in jail, that statement makes me laugh out loud because it is so preposterous.

Do you think that you’ve ever missed a blessing?

“The Creator was saying here is an opportunity and I was too afraid to take it.”

Teaching at Africa-Care Academy

It was February 2, 2002, and Jam Session 1 was at the Canyon Club in the Bronco Bowl.  It was a sold out performance with people from all around the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex because of its killer lineup [I was the show promoter – shameless plug] which included N’Dambi, Dead Prez, Talib Kweli, Common, and Erykah Badu as the headliner.  Jam Session 1 was a fundraiser for Africa-Care Academy, an African-Centered School of Debra “Ibitayo” Butler, Founder/Principal, who Alejandro affectionately refers to as Auntie.  Alejandro at the time was the Early Education Teacher.  He had the opportunity of a lifetime when he was able to share the stage with Dallas’ own - Erykah Badu. This was his moment.  A chance of a lifetime.  His time to shine. 

“If I had showed Erykah at one point what I could do when I was on stage with her… she handed me the microphone and I was like…”

AP goes silent.

You froze?

“Yeah! And she was like “give me the mic” and kept on with the show. I just started playing on the Bongos.  I was disturbed mentally because I freaked out! I didn’t know what to do. But I know if I could have showed her what I could do, she would have called me to do more things. I wasn’t ready.”

Alejandro not ready? That sounds like an oxymoron. 

“I had a couple other opportunities to be presented to me and I really sabotaged myself. Not on purpose, but subconsciously, I just sabotaged myself and I think I’m learning how not to sabotage myself and I’m more confident.”

Everyone has a beginning - a turning point in which the light bulb goes off in your mind; a red flag that says “this is it, time to change”.  I would bet my life if presented with another opportunity, Alejandro would run with it.  He definitely embodies the statement “Life is NOT a sprint, but a marathon.”  Like Forest Gump, Alejandro is run-ning.

So have you grown out of that? Or you’ve become more aware?

“Yeah, absolutely!” 

Alejandro has definitely grown out of that type of behavior.  He touches so many people in so many ways.  Where would they be if he stayed in that realm?  Don’t think it would have been a good place.

“I know exactly the time when I have sabotaged myself.  I can go back and tell you when I, on purpose, sabotaged something that could have been a blessing for me.  So, yeah, I’ve learned from that and willfully if stars align again and opportunity knocks I’ll be ready.”

AP knocks on the table bringing life to his last statement.  I don’t think there is anything for him to worry about - opportunity appears to constantly knock for AP.  Easy to see reciprocity at work in his life at all times.  Everything he receives he puts back out in the universe for others to receive.  What he learns – he teaches.  The blessings continue to flow freely.

Something good is about to happen; I just feel it.  I’ve come to a point where I’ve healed.  I’ve learned how to prioritize. I’ve learned to walk what I talk about as far as making the family the first priority.  Learned how to walk walk. I haven’t mastered it but I’ve learned how to walk with it. I’ve learned how to respect the nurturing process that happens in the family.  I’ve also learned how to respect the Goddess in the woman that is president and if it were not for that Goddess in that woman, I would not be where I am right now.  I’ve learned how to also try to walk that light in my life.” 

AP tells me learning how to prioritize has made his wife like him better. That makes him smile and laugh. I smile as well.  What woman wouldn’t appreciate a man who truly knows how to prioritize his life?

AP and his long flowing locks

Priorities aside, AP and I go way back - I remember when he had a fade.  Then he had a little fro.  I also remember the baby lion stage when he was first locking.  However, most people knew him for his long beautiful locks.  I was taken aback when he cut them.  Why would he do that? What would possess him to cut off all that hair? AP speaks about what locks represent and why, at the time, he did not feel he was living up to that expectation.  He explains to me your locks say…

“You are a God-like man. You stand out for your family.  You stand out for the community. You represent all that is natural.  All that is good.  All that is wholesome.  All that is creative and all that is intact.  All that is nurturing.  All that is protection.  And I want to be able to be that image and walk in it at the same time.  That’s what’s up”

Listening to AP’s thoughts on what his long flowing trademark locks represented and why he cut them I can’t help but to think his statements are much deeper than hair, or lack thereof.  Somehow, they reach deep into the core of a person and anyone who can connect with themselves on that deep of a level will not only find out who they are but also what their own purpose in this life is.  Now that is something for you to ponder while beginning your travels off the grid...

Be Strong… Stay Strong… Live Strong… Love Strong… Asuecion

Please visit www.melodymemory.com and www.journeymanink.com for more information on Alejandro Perez, Jr.