“The road to hell is paved with good intentions,” reads the first sentence of Wallo 267’s, born Wallace Peeples, new book, Armed With Good Intentions, an exploration of his life, the decisions he made, and finding his purpose to inspire others after his release from prison. He’s used his platform, Million Dollaz Worth Of Game, the podcast he co-hosts with his cousin, Gillie Da Kid, to not only share his story but also provide others with the opportunity to share theirs. Artists like Lil Durk, Pooh Shiesty, and countless others have sat down to absorb their knowledge as elder statesmen and share their own gems.
“Like you have these good intentions, but you still get caught up sometimes being the environment we have. I had to share my story – not just the book – but before the book, online, because I wanted these young people to learn from my story, but don't live my story, you know?” he explained to Hot New Hip Hop over Zoom. “Because a lot of them live in the story in real life. They live in the street game. They try to figure it out, and it's like, yo, it ain’t even worth it, you know?”
The honesty and rawness of Wallo and Gillie’s approach to Million Dollaz Worth Of Game is hyperfocused in Armed With Good Intentions. Released through 13A Gallery, Wallo deconstructs the cause-and-effect of his decisions that shaped his trajectory and turned him into a guiding light for the youth and a proponent of change, one who now serves as the CMO of REFORM Alliance, a Cultural Advisor to YouTube, and the founder of YouTube Avenues. We recently caught up with the Philadelphia native to discuss his new book, guiding the youth with honesty, Pooh Shiesty, and more.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
HotNewHipHop: How long was this book in the works?
Wallo: You know what's crazy? It wasn't that long. Last year it came about, [and I] just went in. You know, knocked it out, got straight to it. The opportunity came to get with Simon & Schuster 13A Gallery Books, and went right at it, you know. And it just came out smooth, you know?
How long was the process of writing it?
Not that long. I’d say less than a year.
What was the feeling like once your reached the end of the editing process and seeing the final copy?
I think not just the copy. I think it was when I finished the audiobook before the copy. Seeing the final copy was just like ‘wow,’ you know? Because it was just like talking, feeling the emotions, and all that stuff through the audiobook. It was like, “Yo, this thing is really real. Like, it's game time.”
Would you have ever imagined writing your own book 20 years ago?
No, no, no. You don't – no. Being in prison, naw, you don't. I remember, I did read one book when I was in prison, and it was written by somebody when they was in prison. I don't know if you remember Monster [by Sanyika Shakur]. I was like, damn. You know, he wrote that when he was in prison. So it was like you think but you never know that your story would be that interesting, being somebody in jail. So you just be like, “ahh.” This dude was talking about something totally different, like the gang-banging stuff so it was just different. But never, never did I think that.
The first line of the book, “The road to hell is paved with good intentions,” embodies the title of the book. What’s the significance of that proverb to you and how has it shaped your outlook these days as a mentor and a community leader?
You know, that's how it be, man. Like you have these good intentions, but you still get caught up sometimes being the environment we have. I had to share my story – not just the book – but before the book, online, because I wanted these young people to learn from my story, but don't live my story, you know? Because a lot of them live in the story in real life. They live in the street game. They try to figure it out, and it's like, yo, it ain’t even worth it, you know? And that's what some of the messaging was over the years on social media, was like, “Yo, that sh*t ain't worth it, man. Go another route.”
In the book, you mention how you realized that a lot of the old heads in your community lied to you or led you astray in certain ways. In the position you’re in now and with the network of people that you reach, how do you impart this type of wisdom that you have to the youth in a way that strays them away from the inevitable outcome of the streets?
Being raw with them, sharing my story, being straight up, and not trying to be cool. I think a lot of times, a lot of old heads or OGs try to maintain that cool thing. And sometimes, [when] you try to maintain that, you won't tell a person what the real is, that “Yo, you should be doing this dumb sh*t.” That's the difference [with] me. Me, I'm an elder to these young cats, so I'm always going to tell them. I'm not trying to be no young person. I embrace my age, I embrace that I'm older. I love where I'm at, and I'm gonna tell them what it is because I already know where they going.
Do you feel like that’s the key to the success of Million Dollaz Worth Of Game? The first person that comes to mind is Pooh Shiesty and a lot of the younger artists that have appeared on the platform. Do you think it’s more effective and the words land better because you’re not sugarcoating anything?
See, one thing I know is that a lot of times, though, Aron, some people really gotta go through it. No matter who you talkin’ [to]. But I always feel good knowing that I told people exactly what it is. I ain't bullshit. I ain't bullshit Pooh Shiesty. I ain't bullshit none of these young cats. I tell them exactly what's going on, how it's going on, and why it's going on, you know what I mean? So I always feel good. I don't want the outcome to be sometimes the wrong way [of] what it is but it's like, as long as I feel like I know I've done my job because I felt the energy and I felt that I needed to say certain things based on what was going on. You know, I feel good about that.
What part of this book was most difficult to see on paper?
You know, talking about my brother, Steve. Because Steve is always a soft spot for me. You know, ‘cause anytime he's mentioned, I get emotional because I'm thinking about just our upbringing, our journey. You know, that's something, you know, that's just something personal.
The book also recollects a lot of the decisions that led to your incarceration. How do the lessons you learned from those moments weigh against the regrets you might have?
You know, it’s deep. It’s real oxymoronic. It goes both ways because it’s like, I don’t regret nothing then it’s like yeah, I needed to go. So it’s wild. It’s unexplainable because you’d be like ‘I learned a lot,’ but then it be like, ‘You know, I had to go through this.’ And even with the regrets, you'd be like, ‘damn, I regret doing this.’ And you'd be like, ‘Damn, if I didn't do this, I probably wouldn’t have made it here,’ to be able to learn through and grow through the shit. So it's a lot, you know?
What’s the most rewarding aspect of growing Million Dollaz Worth Of Game for you?
Being able to see how it impacts culture. How you see people in real life and they was like, “Yo, man, I needed that.” That was like seeing them at the airport, seeing them in the market. It's like, “okay, this works,” like a lot of people are listening.
Is there a particular instance that sticks out to you in terms of realizing and understanding your own impact on culture?
You know what, it’s so crazy. There have been so many, it’s hard to pick one. It’s hard to pick one.
What about the first time?
The impact? I think the first time was when my grandma basically understood what I was doing, and she was proud of me, that I was finally doing [something]. I was like, “Yo, sh*t, this sh*t is real.” She really respected it so, like I think it was different from then.
What was that conversation with her like?
You know, I was on the front page of The Daily News, and somebody called to tell her. She was like – she thought I did something wrong, or something. Like, “he on the news. What did he do?” My life had changed, for real. It wasn't even about me doing nothing wrong so it wasn't even about that. So it was just… it just was different, man. It was amazing, though.
At the beginning of Armed With Good Intentions, you mention how you’re on parole until 2048. It reminded me heavily of Meek Mill’s situation and I know the two of you have a good relationship. With your role at REFORM, what is change for you and what are your goals?
So the whole thing is, like, I think it already happened. You know, I'm saying it already happened on the aspect of just seeing all the changes that already came in a short period of time. Just being a part of that in any type of way, that's everything.
What are you most proud to accomplish so far with them?
I think it's just the connection and giving people hope. I think that's the accomplishment, even before I went there. Giving people hope that they have something, somebody there to fight for them.
You’ve taken the role of the cultural advisor of YouTube and the founder of YouTube Avenues. As someone who is in touch with the youth and has seen how a lot of kids have gone from aspiring to be a rapper to wanting to become streamers and YouTubers, what similarities do you see between the hustles of trying to come up as a rapper and trying to become a YouTuber from the ground up?
It’s similar because everybody trying to grind, but I think [becoming a] YouTuber is way easier because you don't have to – [being a] rapper is a lot. You gotta be entertainment, you gotta be believable, you gotta be energetic. It's like YouTube, you can sit in your crib and do content based on something totally different and blow up. Or you could be playing games.
It feels like a lot of YouTubers can expand outside of just content creation and YouTube provides them with a platform to do so. Based on your interactions with the community, how do you feel about these YouTubers expanding their platforms into other avenues?
They not playing, I love it. I love seeing Kai. Like, I know Kai, we had him on the show and just talking to him and seeing how this thing is like, it’s opening up the game for a whole new outlet, a whole new revenue stream for young kids to go after.
What’s the main objective of this role? What is your long-term goal for, not only yourself but the community at large?
I just want to let people know that they got a shot. Coming from where I come from, the ghetto, it’ll have you believing that it's over. It's just beginning. So if I could get out there and let our people know, “Listen, you got a shot, no matter the circumstances.” No matter if you was a drug abuser, no matter if you went to jail, no matter – you got a shot. That's my main thing, letting people know it's never over until you stop breathing.
Final question: what do you have planned after this book? What can we expect from you in the foreseeable future?
A lot. Documentaries, you know, a lot of new stuff coming down the pike. Sometimes I don't even speak on it, I just let it happen.
Is there anything in particular you’d be willing to tell us about?
Wallo267 Foundation. I'll be helping you juvenile offenders get back, reintegrate back into society and stuff like that.
