In 1999, a Mexican boy named Elder called me over to play basketball at our park, a block from the trailer house I grew up in a ghetto, a trailer park hood, in Oregon, when I was fourteen, or around that time, and he was like, "Hey kid."

Kid and Cool

It was raining, and I was sliding on the cement court. I was making baskets. I was fast. The other boys were saying, "Cool." There was another kid named Joe, just like my name. Elder put the words together, as he said, "Cool.... kid." The words just came together when they said it a few times and it stuck. I started high school in 2000 and I had other nicknames too that people gave me like Ghetto Joe and also Joe Cool. In college, I gave myself my own nickname for people to call me Oatmeal Joey. All of this started 19 or so years ago.

No Mad I.C. Soul

Starting to feel a little old, haha. Thanks for asking. How long have you been the Soul? Upvoted.