--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Growing up in Harlem, I was always in the…" description: "\"Growing up in Harlem, I was always in the parks playing ball.\" — Dave East" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/78a/dave-east-10133_always_growing-up-in-harlem-i-was-always-in-the_589408.jpg" --- # Growing up in Harlem, I was always in the parks playing… ![“Growing up in Harlem, I was always in the parks playing ball.” quote by Dave East](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/78a/dave-east-10133_always_growing-up-in-harlem-i-was-always-in-the_589408.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/78a/dave-east-10133_always_growing-up-in-harlem-i-was-always-in-the_589408.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/78a/dave-east-10133_always_growing-up-in-harlem-i-was-always-in-the_589408.jpg) > “Growing up in Harlem, I was always in the parks playing ball.” [Dave East](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-east/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Reflects on childhood memories tied to community spaces and sports. **In simple terms:** Childhood in Harlem parks playing ball. Key Takeaway Value community roots and stay active. Themes nostalgia community sports Mood reflective proud Type narrative cultural When to use this quote - youth programs - community events - personal storytelling Key Concepts urban upbringing social bonds Questions to Reflect On - How did those experiences shape you? - What can be done to preserve such spaces? A Different Perspective May romanticize past without acknowledging challenges. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Growing up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/growing-up/) [Harlem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/harlem/) ## Related quotes > [I always wanted to do something I knew I could love to wake up and do every day, and rap was just second nature…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-east/i-always-wanted-to-do-something-i-knew-i-could-love-to-wake-up-and-do/) [Dave East](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-east/) > [Just growing up in Harlem, it didn't matter what you had to do to get fresh - you would do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cam-ron/just-growing-up-in-harlem-it-didn-t-matter-what-you-had-to-do-to-get/) [Cam'ron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cam-ron/) > [Growing up in Harlem, I had the chance to practice with a Negro League team. At fifteen, I was over six feet tall and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-dean-myers/growing-up-in-harlem-i-had-the-chance-to-practice-with-a-negro-league/) [Walter Dean Myers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-dean-myers/) > [For me, growing up in Harlem and then migrating down to SoHo and the Lower East Side and chillin' down there and making that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/asap-rocky/for-me-growing-up-in-harlem-and-then-migrating-down-to-soho-and-the/) [ASAP Rocky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/asap-rocky/) > [I've been able to provide for my family, move out of Harlem and travel the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-east/i-ve-been-able-to-provide-for-my-family-move-out-of-harlem-and-travel/) [Dave East](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-east/) > [A lot of creativity coming from the east side of Harlem. It really built my character and who I am.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-east/a-lot-of-creativity-coming-from-the-east-side-of-harlem-it-really/) [Dave East](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-east/) > [Spanish Harlem is like every ghetto in America. There's every distraction possible. To make it up out of there is really a task itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-east/spanish-harlem-is-like-every-ghetto-in-america-there-s-every/) [Dave East](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-east/) > [Where I'm from in Harlem, everybody look like a rapper.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-east/where-i-m-from-in-harlem-everybody-look-like-a-rapper/) [Dave East](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-east/) > [Since the '80s, Harlem has the place to go. Before the '80s, just as far as hip-hop go, Harlem has always been a strong…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-east/since-the-80s-harlem-has-the-place-to-go-before-the-80s-just-as-far/) [Dave East](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-east/) > [Whether I play five or 10 metres forward or back does not change my way of playing, to be on the ball a lot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-kroos/whether-i-play-five-or-10-metres-forward-or-back-does-not-change-my/) [Toni Kroos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-kroos/) > [The only real happiness a ballplayer has is when he is playing a ball game and accomplishes something he didn't think he could do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ring-lardner/the-only-real-happiness-a-ballplayer-has-is-when-he-is-playing-a-ball/) [Ring Lardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ring-lardner/) > [I still get excited about it. I miss playing ball.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-hunt/i-still-get-excited-about-it-i-miss-playing-ball/) [Sam Hunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-hunt/) > [I just like playing with the ball. I always have.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neymar/i-just-like-playing-with-the-ball-i-always-have/) [Neymar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neymar/) > [I'm just playing ball. Trying not to think about it too much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buster-posey/i-m-just-playing-ball-trying-not-to-think-about-it-too-much/) [Buster Posey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buster-posey/) > [The best advice I can give for playing a ball out of water is - don't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-lema/the-best-advice-i-can-give-for-playing-a-ball-out-of-water-is-don-t/) [Tony Lema](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-lema/) ## More by Dave East > [Honestly, I want to make more music for the women. I rather have a show full of girls, but I still gotta talk about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-east/honestly-i-want-to-make-more-music-for-the-women-i-rather-have-a-show/) [Dave East](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-east/) > [A big part of what kept me focused on the music was already failing with basketball. I played basketball all of my life. When…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-east/a-big-part-of-what-kept-me-focused-on-the-music-was-already-failing/) [Dave East](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-east/) > [I've been able to provide for my family, move out of Harlem and travel the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-east/i-ve-been-able-to-provide-for-my-family-move-out-of-harlem-and-travel/) [Dave East](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-east/) > [You're born a certain way, but you don't gotta die like that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-east/you-re-born-a-certain-way-but-you-don-t-gotta-die-like-that/) [Dave East](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-east/) > [I'm never gonna sell my soul or violate myself for no amount of dollars or fame.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-east/i-m-never-gonna-sell-my-soul-or-violate-myself-for-no-amount-of/) [Dave East](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-east/) > [I always had a gift with writing. I can really write. I always felt like I can write movies or somehow get into that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-east/i-always-had-a-gift-with-writing-i-can-really-write-i-always-felt/) [Dave East](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-east/) > [Wu-Tang was going through it. They didn't come from great homes or families. They really came from hard beginnings so it just made me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-east/wu-tang-was-going-through-it-they-didn-t-come-from-great-homes-or/) [Dave East](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-east/) > [Nobody uses skits at all anymore, so it seems like I use a lot. That's how I grew up on tapes. Biggie tapes, Biggie…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-east/nobody-uses-skits-at-all-anymore-so-it-seems-like-i-use-a-lot-that-s/) [Dave East](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-east/) > [If you're a fan of anything I do, I'm always telling a story. I'm into that - I like it when you don't know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-east/if-you-re-a-fan-of-anything-i-do-i-m-always-telling-a-story-i-m-into/) [Dave East](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-east/) > [I wouldn't tell nobody to sign no slave deal or sign your life away or nothing like that, but if the deal is right…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-east/i-wouldn-t-tell-nobody-to-sign-no-slave-deal-or-sign-your-life-away/) [Dave East](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-east/) > [I never felt like 'I'm an underground dude' or 'I can only be hot in New York.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-east/i-never-felt-like-i-m-an-underground-dude-or-i-can-only-be-hot-in-new/) [Dave East](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-east/) > [Islam really brought a discipline to my life that I didn't really have before. My old mindset was if they ain't helping me, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-east/islam-really-brought-a-discipline-to-my-life-that-i-didn-t-really/) [Dave East](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-east/) > [Deep down in my heart and what I've seen and what I've been around, there is nothing better than Islam.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-east/deep-down-in-my-heart-and-what-i-ve-seen-and-what-i-ve-been-around/) [Dave East](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-east/) > [Since the '80s, Harlem has the place to go. Before the '80s, just as far as hip-hop go, Harlem has always been a strong…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-east/since-the-80s-harlem-has-the-place-to-go-before-the-80s-just-as-far/) [Dave East](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-east/) > [I always tell people, I never get writer's block because it's coming straight from my brain, like, real-life experiences. I'm like the news. I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-east/i-always-tell-people-i-never-get-writer-s-block-because-it-s-coming/) [Dave East](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-east/) [Explore all 67 Dave East quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-east/) ## More Always quotes > [I think performing has pretty much always been a part of me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isa-briones/i-think-performing-has-pretty-much-always-been-a-part-of-me/) [Isa Briones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isa-briones/) > [I always thought if I was born 2000 years earlier, I would be a monk, probably carving a monastery or some giant pantheon buildings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenova-chen/i-always-thought-if-i-was-born-2000-years-earlier-i-would-be-a-monk/) [Jenova Chen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenova-chen/) > [I always like a character who makes me laugh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachael-stirling/i-always-like-a-character-who-makes-me-laugh/) [Rachael Stirling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachael-stirling/) > [It's always great to see old friends, especially those I have not been able to see in 15 months.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-regal/it-s-always-great-to-see-old-friends-especially-those-i-have-not-been/) [William Regal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-regal/) > [When you step out and do a song in a musical, the easier thing to do is make it funny. But when those transitions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-o-hara/when-you-step-out-and-do-a-song-in-a-musical-the-easier-thing-to-do/) [Kelli O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-o-hara/) > [I have really good lateral movement. I've always had quick lateral movement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-rivers/i-have-really-good-lateral-movement-i-ve-always-had-quick-lateral/) [Austin Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-rivers/) > [There is something magical about being able to feel somebody. And that is something that has always moved me with music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-brink/there-is-something-magical-about-being-able-to-feel-somebody-and-that/) [Maria Brink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-brink/) > [Mythology is something that always has opportunities to explore. 'It' has been on Earth for millions of years. He's been in contact with humans…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-muschietti/mythology-is-something-that-always-has-opportunities-to-explore-it/) [Andy Muschietti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-muschietti/) > [It's not writing in the traditional sense, but I've always said that the writing process continues on the set and even into the editing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-b-weide/it-s-not-writing-in-the-traditional-sense-but-i-ve-always-said-that/) [Robert B. Weide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-b-weide/) > [I always watch my matches back 100 times afterwards because that's how I improve. This is something I've always done, even in NXT.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-rose/i-always-watch-my-matches-back-100-times-afterwards-because-that-s/) [Mandy Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-rose/) > [I've always been of the idea that is doesn't really matter where you are geographically - with 'Lonerism,' we made half the album in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-parker/i-ve-always-been-of-the-idea-that-is-doesn-t-really-matter-where-you/) [Kevin Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-parker/) > [It's very easy to fool yourself that you're working, you know, when you're really not working very hard. I mean, I'm very lazy. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-caro/it-s-very-easy-to-fool-yourself-that-you-re-working-you-know-when-you/) [Robert Caro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-caro/) > [Whether it was Little League or playing with your brothers or sisters, that was always a problem. If I would lose - because I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-ripken-jr/whether-it-was-little-league-or-playing-with-your-brothers-or-sisters/) [Cal Ripken, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-ripken-jr/) > [I always say if you put someone from a small town into a big city for ten years, then when they go back, they'll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-colter/i-always-say-if-you-put-someone-from-a-small-town-into-a-big-city-for/) [Mike Colter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-colter/) > [Bayern is always a team that can win the Champions League title in Europe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lothar-matthaus/bayern-is-always-a-team-that-can-win-the-champions-league-title-in/) [Lothar Matthaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lothar-matthaus/) Browse all 36,048 Always quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Growing up in Harlem, I was always in the parks playing ball.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Dave East" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-east/growing-up-in-harlem-i-was-always-in-the-parks-playing-ball/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Always" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-east/growing-up-in-harlem-i-was-always-in-the-parks-playing-ball/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/78a/dave-east-10133_always_growing-up-in-harlem-i-was-always-in-the_589408.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/78a/dave-east-10133_always_growing-up-in-harlem-i-was-always-in-the_589408.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/78a/dave-east-10133_always_growing-up-in-harlem-i-was-always-in-the_589408.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Growing up in Harlem, I was always in the parks playing ball.” — Dave East", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Dave East", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-east/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Growing up in Harlem, I was...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-east/growing-up-in-harlem-i-was-always-in-the-parks-playing-ball/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-east/growing-up-in-harlem-i-was-always-in-the-parks-playing-ball/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```