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How Freeway's Resilience is Changing Lives | SWAY’S UNIVERSE
Nov 4, 2024
Join the inspiring journey of Freeway as he takes over Baltimore with a powerful cancer ride. In this episode of "Sway In The Morning" on Sway's Universe, Freeway shares his impactful experience at Drew Hill Park, where he led a heartfelt event to honor those battling cancer and commemorate his late daughter. With his authentic voice, Freeway opens up about his personal struggles, loss, and the significance of community support. This exclusive interview delves into topics like overcoming grief, the power of faith, and the importance of early health intervention. Don't miss this moving conversation that highlights resilience and hope. Subscribe for more exclusive interviews and insights into hip-hop and social change. Follow Sway’s Universe for more content and stay connected with the community-driven narratives that matter. #earlydiagnosisofcancer #baltimorecommunity #cancerawareness #ovariancancer #occupationalcancer CHAPTERS: 00:00 - Freeway’s Cancer Ride in Baltimore 03:15 - Remembering DJ Clark Kent 05:01 - Coping Mechanisms for Loss 11:08 - Freeway Discusses Losing His Son 13:35 - Terry from Ohio Shares Loss of Children 15:10 - Donnie from Atlanta Talks About Losing Uncle 17:27 - Angelina from Philly Reflects on Losing Mother and Brother 21:37 - Freeway’s Upcoming Speaking Engagement 22:42 - Connect with Freeway on Social Media Subscribe Here! http://bit.ly/SubscribeSU
View Video Transcript
0:00
right man that voice right there one of
0:01
the most powerful voices in the culture
0:03
today you know it one of the most honest
0:05
and most transparent most vulnerable
0:07
people I know in my life today my
0:09
brother come on man he's coming off
0:11
fresh from yes was it this weekend it
0:14
was yesterday it was yesterday he was in
0:16
Baltimore doing something really special
0:18
but before we get into that man I want
0:19
to welcome him for his monthly residency
0:23
come on man we got the one and only
0:25
freeway is with us right now give it up
0:27
freeway appreciate yall man appreciate
0:30
feeling healthier with freeway yes sir
0:33
come on man how you been healthier you
0:36
I'm good man one day at a time man one
0:38
day at a time I want to start off on a
0:40
um on a really bright note man Baltimore
0:43
Drew Dre druitt Hill Park Baltimore yes
0:46
sir yesterday is where all of this took
0:48
place talk to the people what happened
0:50
and salute to the people of Baltimore
0:51
that came out salute to Baltimore uh
0:53
shout out shout out to shut up Les's
0:55
ride uh it's an organization that
0:57
reached out to me the year after my
1:00
daughter passed away and they've been
1:01
coming to Philly for uh two years in a
1:03
row and we've been doing cancer rides
1:05
not only for my daughter but for
1:06
everybody that's been battling cancer or
1:09
lost a Lov one of cancer and it's
1:11
basically a three-wheel Community people
1:13
with three-wheel bikes and yesterday man
1:15
we took over the city of Baltimore it
1:17
was so amazing I got a sitation from the
1:19
city oh wow uh we pulled up to John
1:22
Hopkins where I got the transplant at
1:24
with like 180 bikes it was crazy did
1:27
they know y'all were coming or they
1:28
thought y'all was about to no they
1:30
didn't know we was coming when we pulled
1:32
up they came outside but then when they
1:33
told them it was me and what was going
1:35
on and it was all love wow did you get
1:37
to see any the people that work with you
1:39
when you was in John Hopkins no cuz we
1:40
was like in and out we just pulled up
1:42
like we were just hitting the city and
1:43
hitting different spots in the city you
1:45
know and showing the people love what
1:46
what is that man how does that make you
1:48
feel though man knowing you at the
1:49
nucleus of all this it's beautiful man
1:51
it was a lot of it was a few people out
1:53
there that was uh sharing their
1:55
testimonies like people that beat cancer
1:57
people that was going through cancer and
1:58
you know
2:00
it's just amazing to be there for them
2:02
and to be able to come together for a
2:03
good cause it was beautiful man you're
2:05
you're a walking good cause man give it
2:07
up to my man freeway because it's so I'm
2:11
grinding before that I was in LA I went
2:14
that flu I performed at a voter
2:16
registration uh event in Philly on
2:18
Wednesday then I flew to La Thursday
2:21
Friday I had a event I stood on the
2:23
board of a organ procurement company
2:25
called one Legacy and we had an event
2:28
and I sat on a panel on the top topic
2:30
was Nar narratives with a purpose so I
2:34
was telling my story and what I've been
2:36
through and then we had like people it
2:37
was is this lady that uh wrote the uh
2:41
script for uh Three Rivers which was a
2:43
uh a series about transplantation and it
2:46
was a few other people that's in the
2:47
film industry and they were sharing
2:49
their stories and their um you know
2:52
battles with with uh Oregon
2:53
transplantation you know so it's amazing
2:56
thing and we come together and it's it's
2:58
just beautiful man to see different
3:00
people from different walks of life all
3:01
coming together for one thing man I I
3:03
love it you introducing conversations
3:05
that are everyday you know challenges
3:08
that people have to face but we rarely
3:10
get a chance to talk about and and I I
3:13
commend you so much because you know we
3:15
lost another Legend uh the super
3:18
producer DJ Clark Kent recently he's
3:20
amazing brother man why you man you were
3:23
were you ever in the St you were in the
3:24
studio with him right come on stop Clark
3:26
K always showed me love man he he always
3:29
gave me the utmost love he is an amazing
3:31
human being man and a lot of people
3:33
that's close to him that I know are
3:35
really affected by his passing man did
3:38
you cuz Clark was so interest you know
3:40
early in Jay career you know um in you
3:43
know Junior Mafia uh you know Mariah
3:47
Carey uh I got the list of different
3:49
people were you ever did you did y'all
3:51
work together ever we uh my man set free
3:56
uh that runs the compound he's like like
3:58
my brother like we we real close we got
4:00
the same name and uh you know he's a
4:03
Christian I'm a Muslim but we we both
4:05
love God and we both you know share that
4:08
and that's my brother so he had a
4:10
birthday party last year and it was like
4:12
me beans it was Kiss I think uh Jim
4:15
Jones was in there Dave East came
4:17
through there and Clark Kent DJ it was
4:20
man DJ Clark Kent he he shared some
4:22
footage from that with me when clerk
4:24
passed away man rest in peace you know
4:26
um I brought that up because we we've
4:29
been forced
4:30
and well not even forc life just be
4:32
happening and we've been dealing with a
4:34
lot of people we've been losing in
4:36
transition and I always noticed that you
4:38
celebrate every year annually it's been
4:41
three years since Harmony passed right M
4:44
um his daughter Harmony and uh four
4:46
years since Jihad passed right yes sir
4:49
and um his son and um God bless him and
4:53
made they rest in power first and
4:55
foremost let's give them that and let's
4:58
God bless you because you're showing us
5:01
how to cope in real time and I Know It
5:03
Ain't Easy and I know there's no one
5:05
particular formula it's definitely not
5:07
easy my daughter passed away October
5:10
23rd which was a few days ago and the
5:13
day that my son passed away is today
5:16
it's today four years today four years
5:18
today man like it was rough just getting
5:21
up to come here you know uh it's the the
5:27
one of the main things that helps me
5:28
through is my understanding and that you
5:31
know everything was written and like you
5:33
know God don't make no mistakes so I I
5:37
lean on that and I lean on my
5:38
relationship with God but even with
5:41
those things in place it's still
5:43
difficult of course like you know I I
5:44
come
5:45
[Music]
5:47
to a place especially with my son I I I
5:51
be feeling like I failed him like as his
5:53
father sometimes like you know when this
5:55
is it's rough man like you know I
5:58
remember the last time
6:00
he seen me then like you know you think
6:03
about the last time you seen somebody
6:05
but you don't think about the last time
6:07
somebody seen you the last time he seen
6:08
me we was at my house and he left my
6:11
house I seen him in the hospital I you
6:13
know I seen him at a Gaza you know we
6:15
buried him I seen him but the last time
6:17
he he seen me was it for him like you
6:20
know and it's so much so many things
6:23
that went unsaid and like you know it's
6:25
rough what what well let's do this man I
6:29
would if you don't mind I would love to
6:31
hear some of the things you would have
6:32
loved to say to him man you know if you
6:34
want to um and then also I want to see
6:37
if you're able to do that if not you
6:39
know but I think it'll help folks I I
6:42
wanted to see if we could tap into your
6:45
coping mechanisms and how other people
6:48
who are dealing with loss or dealing
6:51
with some type of tragedy or you know
6:54
how it could help them in their coping
6:55
mechanism most definitely okay so
6:57
definitely if it's people out there like
7:00
myself who just need direction or just
7:04
need comfort in how to cope with a loss
7:06
mhm right call us up man we got freeway
7:10
up here uh Mike's here Tracy here we're
7:12
all here yes 888 742
7:16
3345 that's the new segment freeway has
7:19
a residency here on shade45 as we
7:21
celebrate 20 years of
7:23
shade45 you part of that sir you part of
7:27
that look at how we've matured shout out
7:29
shout out to Eminem and and you know all
7:32
his accolades and what he was able to
7:34
accomplish I remember when he first
7:35
started this radio station now was like
7:38
a household like you know I mean radio
7:40
station man worldwide Global so
7:42
worldwide it's where you come home to
7:44
you know it's that it's that hip hop
7:46
bunker it's the Hub you know you go do a
7:49
lot of other stuff but come on home yes
7:52
if you now and then you got to get home
7:53
get some of that home cooking um we're
7:55
celebrating today if you don't mind me
7:57
saying it's freeway um um Harmony his
8:01
beautiful daughter I got a chance to
8:03
really have conversations with and tell
8:05
her I'm her uncle uh she transitioned
8:08
three years ago and and his son Jad who
8:11
transitioned four years ago to this day
8:14
you know and freeway has been kind
8:16
enough in this segment 54 today today
8:19
504 504 p.m. p.m. yeah yeah and the the
8:24
crazy thing is you know osino from State
8:26
Property M his son the day my son died
8:30
was his son's funeral I we was at his
8:33
son funeral and then I went to the
8:35
hospital later on that day and my my son
8:37
passed
8:40
away that's crazy yeah do you talk to
8:44
him still what do you said to your son
8:46
man I pray for him I pray for him like
8:51
um I talk to God for him cuz he can't do
8:54
it anymore you know so I do a lot of
8:57
that you know I do a lot of
9:00
reflecting
9:02
uh every like the pen has been lifted
9:05
and the ink has been dry
9:07
so even though it's rough I can't really
9:11
you know cry
9:13
over what I couldn't say to him and like
9:15
you know uh what what didn't take place
9:18
yeah you know but I love him you know
9:21
that was little free like you know he
9:23
wanted to be just like me man and it it
9:27
hurts it hurts bro yeah it's not easy
9:30
you know what would you say fre and
9:33
thank you so much for being with us
9:34
today for being such a man of service
9:37
even with the heaviness that weighs on
9:39
this date for those who want to be
9:43
supportive of their loved ones of family
9:46
of friends who are dealing with such a
9:49
great loss um what are some words or
9:54
actions that you have experienced to be
9:57
helpful for you during this process a
9:59
good question uh my personal opinion is
10:03
it depends on the person okay you know
10:06
because you may want to you
10:09
know Assist a person and help a person
10:12
the way that you think they should be
10:13
helped and they might not want that you
10:16
know they might want that sometimes
10:18
sometimes I want that sometimes I don't
10:20
sometimes I just want to be by myself
10:21
sometimes I just want to sit there and
10:25
you know you know it it's it's difficult
10:28
and you can't can't judge it like you
10:30
know it's it's not consistent like you
10:32
know I might feel like that today but I
10:33
might not feel like that tomorrow
10:35
tomorrow I might want everybody around
10:36
me and need everybody to be there for me
10:39
and sometimes I might I might need to be
10:41
by myself so you got to
10:44
like it it it it it depends on the
10:47
person and you got to really be
10:49
sensitive to their needs if you really
10:52
want to help them and be there for them
10:54
yes we we have folks on the phone line
10:57
and and and maybe you know I I feel like
10:59
Collective grief is better than
11:01
individual griefing yeah most definitely
11:03
you know and so when you can have people
11:05
together with you I think it makes a
11:06
difference I'm gonna put Dan on from
11:08
California on the line real quick Dan
11:10
welcome to the show Dan Dan hey Dan D
11:12
Dan hey how you guys doing excellent
11:15
brother how about yourself you know what
11:17
I'm on top of the world man I can't tell
11:19
you how much I appreciate y'all take
11:20
taking my call hey um this is uh this is
11:23
actually for free so my uh my brother
11:27
took his life see if I can get through
11:28
this my brother took his life in October
11:30
of 2020 actually October 25th and um wow
11:34
that's so I got to tell you man like I
11:36
uh I really struggled with a lot of
11:39
family stuff dynamics that were going on
11:41
I wasn't able to be a part of Burying my
11:43
brother my dad and I had beef and so I
11:45
end up having to have a separate thing
11:47
and and I I was dealing with a lot of
11:48
pain a lot of frustration a lot of anger
11:50
towards God not it's God's Fault by any
11:52
stretch iMagic B but we just blame those
11:54
that we can't see right so I uh I made a
11:58
point
11:59
one day I started writing on Instagram
12:01
every day and asking my brother a
12:03
question about heaven and so what it
12:04
forced me to do was I thought about my
12:07
brother in a positive light every single
12:09
day and I would just post these things
12:10
on Instagram I I'm not anybody famous
12:12
nobody really knows me right but it was
12:14
it was people that were dealing with
12:16
life and had felt pain and had lost and
12:19
they started asking me questions to ask
12:21
my brother in a sense that it was in
12:23
there simple questions like right like
12:25
who's your favorite angel are you in
12:26
love in heaven can you be married in
12:28
heaven who's your best friend what's it
12:29
like to sit down talk to Malcolm X
12:31
things like that that truly matter who's
12:33
the most interesting person you've met
12:34
in heaven my friend I've never I've
12:37
never lost a child I have I'm a father
12:39
of two back my oldest daughter's uh
12:42
birthday is today she's 15 um I've lost
12:44
nephews to cancer and some other things
12:47
Brie I can't I don't know you you don't
12:48
know me man I appreciate you fam I app I
12:51
am sorry for yours you and I don't know
12:53
each other um we'll never meet I'm a fan
12:55
of yours um but I want you to know man I
12:58
I uh I can begin to Fathom the amount of
13:00
pain that you're going through but as
13:02
Brave as you are today and what you're
13:04
doing on sway with Tracy G and all them
13:06
like I mean this is fam right there's a
13:08
lot of people who listen to this show
13:09
and you're going to share a lot of
13:11
you're going to share your pain and your
13:13
sorrow but how you've gotten through
13:14
this with a lot of people I guarantee
13:15
you are crying listening to this right
13:17
now so I commend you keep pressing keep
13:20
speaking truth wow and um God bless you
13:23
guys thank you bro and I commend you for
13:25
sharing your story also broam God bless
13:27
you stay strong the amazing human being
13:30
brother you a super citizen man SW the
13:32
morning we appreciate you appreciate
13:34
thank you man thank you man we got Terry
13:36
on the line um Terry H oh hold up yeah
13:42
there you go Terry how's it going man
13:43
hey T uh hey what's up everybody how's
13:46
everybody doing today shut up yep yep um
13:51
I just wanted to go along the lines of
13:53
what what homie was just saying on the
13:54
phone and that like just being able to
13:56
talk about it like we were talking you
13:58
guys was talking about like coping
13:59
mechanisms and whatnot and I think the
14:02
the best thing to do is talk about it
14:04
because you don't want to get to that
14:05
point where it's like months go by weeks
14:07
go whatever years go by you're like oh
14:09
what the last time I actually spoke
14:10
about this you know you can talk you can
14:11
think about it reflect on it all that
14:13
but what you're doing right now coming
14:14
out and talking and verbalizing things
14:17
it just makes the world's difference
14:18
because I find it like the the the
14:20
smaller that the intervals are between
14:22
when I last spoke about like people like
14:24
my grandpa and and people that have lost
14:26
in my life friends family whatever it is
14:28
when intervals get a little bit smaller
14:31
it becomes a little bit easier to deal
14:33
with the next time I speak about it you
14:34
know exactly that's true even though my
14:37
children out here they're still a part
14:39
of my life I pray for them every day I
14:40
think about them every day like you know
14:42
I have conversations with my family
14:45
about them I laugh I laugh about them I
14:48
cry about them so they're they're going
14:50
to be a part of me until I'm where they
14:53
at yeah I appreciate what you guys are
14:56
doing and yeah once again like my
14:58
condolences to everybody not like
15:00
everybody that ever lost a love wonder
15:03
that they thought was important hey man
15:05
we appreciate your call there Terry you
15:07
all right with me man you super citizen
15:08
brother super citizen Donnie's on the
15:11
line Donnie where you calling from
15:12
what's up big Don hold up man hold up
15:14
Donnie hold up Don oh oh jez Donnie
15:19
where you calling from hey Donnie I'm
15:21
calling from Atlanta the a
15:24
ATL yes sir yes sir born and raised um I
15:28
just wanted to say uh freeway um big fan
15:31
and uh you actually said more than you
15:33
realize you already said because you're
15:35
dealing with it by even saying um that
15:38
you know God didn't make mistakes and
15:40
you know that you know that that
15:43
everything happened for a reason because
15:44
that's accepting it see I've never
15:46
accepted when my I lost my um uncle and
15:49
I actually just got back from his
15:50
funeral and I realized accepting it is
15:53
uh just the clarity like I say now man I
15:56
used to be full of myself I knew your
15:58
number and I never even called and now I
15:59
can't call anymore so you you you're
16:03
you're way further ahead in the grieving
16:06
process than a lot of people are and
16:07
that is why we need each other so we can
16:09
learn how to grieve there's no wrong way
16:11
you know most definitely y I ain't
16:14
saying nothing wrong brother and and the
16:16
reason why I'm able to be like that is
16:18
because I had a relationship with God
16:20
since I was young and you know the
16:22
little understanding I have allows me to
16:26
you know sit in the space
16:29
hey hey Donnie uh thanks for your call
16:31
Brother you a super citizen man morning
16:34
thank you here man these lines are
16:36
lighting up free yeah um relatable we
16:39
all go through it these lines are
16:40
lighting up um so do you plan to do
16:44
anything to celebrate them or celebrate
16:47
your Sund to day yeah we I'mma uh get
16:49
with the
16:50
family uh I got a I got to go back to
16:53
Baltimore after this because I got to do
16:55
a event with the um I I gave the what is
16:59
it the uh what is it the violators DJs
17:02
they having their conference in in uh
17:05
Baltimore so I gave them my word that I
17:08
was going to come back so I'm going go
17:09
back and take care of that and then uh
17:12
tomorrow me and my family going to go
17:13
visit them and you know uh and probably
17:16
just spend time
17:18
together violator DJ shout out to Chris
17:21
Lighty you know another one that we lost
17:24
yeah shout out to Chris Lighty rest in
17:26
peace absolutely we'll take one more
17:28
call Angelina is on the line hold up
17:30
Angelina let me get to you one second
17:32
talking about hold up man hold up hold
17:34
up okay uh gez I'm trying to learn how
17:39
to code with these phones all right here
17:41
we go Angelina go
17:42
ahead hi Angelina good morning how y'all
17:46
doing hey Tracy gy Mama good morning
17:49
freeway everybody El in the building
17:51
freeway first I want to say yeah my
17:53
defense condol on your laws for your son
17:57
your daughter I gota keep it real from
18:00
Philly I love your music thank you um
18:03
the reason why I'm calling I lost my mom
18:05
when I
18:07
was seven I'll be 47 years old in
18:12
February um my brother was murdered in
18:15
phly 18 years ago lost my ground and one
18:20
thing I learned with dealing with so
18:21
much loss and like you said just having
18:24
that relationship with God no matter if
18:26
you're a Christian a Muslim
18:29
who whatever you worship just having at
18:32
time and one thing I do I buy a cards
18:35
and I put I write it to my mom my
18:38
brother my grandmother especially on
18:40
their birthdays and the anniversary of
18:42
their death and whatever that last thing
18:45
that I wanted to say to them I write in
18:47
that card and I put into a scripture of
18:50
the Bible that one day I need to go read
18:53
and I um I've been doing it my mom
18:55
passed away 38 years I've been doing it
18:57
for about 20 years now
18:59
I just got a separate Bible that I just
19:01
used for those that I lost that I
19:03
dedicate that to so that can be an
19:06
encouragement to somebody that might be
19:08
listening yeah that's beautiful like you
19:10
know what works for you whatever works
19:13
for you what you know whatever gives you
19:15
comfort you know long as it's not going
19:17
against God like you know whatever it is
19:20
that gives you comfort you know we
19:22
should try our best to
19:24
do yes I totally agree with you but you
19:27
stay strong my good brother keep doing
19:29
what you do for theity I mean you you
19:33
you on fire I don't really live in phly
19:35
I live in Lancaster now but I still T
19:38
believe my family still there and I I
19:40
see the big things that you're doing
19:42
keep do you do for that City for up keep
19:45
your head up you know like they say
19:47
better days is coming we will see our L
19:50
ones again if we you know we want to get
19:52
where they is so we got to do what we
19:54
need to do to get where they is so with
19:56
that being said sway Tracy
19:59
everybody else in the building freeway
20:01
y'all have a blessed day thank
20:04
youel God bless you I love so much every
20:07
time I call I just say I just y'all
20:09
encourage me so much wow thank you y
20:12
just enjoy this beautiful day and just
20:14
thank you for um letting me get my words
20:16
out I really appreciate all y'all oh it
20:19
was beautiful Angeline hey you encourage
20:21
us you know right you you just gave us
20:24
some energy right there Angelina uh you
20:26
keep going you a super citizen okay
20:28
morning all right freeway you are thank
20:31
you you are you know I I feel I feel
20:35
confident in saying that you you're
20:37
doing some of the most important work in
20:39
our culture right now thank you bro with
20:41
all the chaos that's going on and all
20:44
the derogatory headlines and storylines
20:48
and narratives Court you know all these
20:50
different things we're saying I I
20:52
commend you brother you bringing light
20:54
every single day and I see the work like
20:56
if you look at freeways Instagram you
20:59
wonder when does he sleep dude get some
21:02
sleep I listen last night right I told
21:04
you I was at the we had the cancer rod
21:06
and Jeezy was in town so I W up pulling
21:08
up on him performing last night I ain't
21:12
I probably got to sleep probably like
21:13
two three and then I had to leave like
21:16
5:30 in the morning to get down here man
21:18
we appreciate it man it's all about the
21:20
grind though like you know and that's
21:23
one of my cop me mechanisms like staying
21:25
busy really helps me like moving around
21:27
like when I'm sitting
21:29
still sometimes you know those thoughts
21:31
affect me but when I'm moving around and
21:33
I'm constantly in the mix and I'm doing
21:35
something positive it really works out
21:37
for me speaking of that on I'mma Be in
21:39
uh Charlotte North Carolina on the 16th
21:42
I'mma Be at the bear woman in government
21:45
2024 leadership and Innovation Summit
21:48
wow and I'm going be speaking on the
21:50
panel the hidden healthc care
21:53
crisis uh acting early detect treatment
21:56
for chronic kidney disease like what
21:58
happened to me was I crashed on dialysis
22:01
soon as I went to the soon as I went to
22:04
the hospital I immediately had to get
22:06
put on dialysis CU I wasn't taking care
22:08
of myself I wasn't keeping up with my
22:09
routine physicals so we trying to
22:12
encourage people to get tested early and
22:15
we're trying to encourage the Health
22:17
Care system to man to mandate that you
22:20
know like how we have all these other
22:21
tests that we need to get they need the
22:23
Mandate that people get tested for their
22:25
kidneys so uh through through a
22:27
partnership with that's what we working
22:29
towards too and that's on the 16th
22:31
you're going to be out there yep in
22:32
Charlotte North Carolina Charlotte North
22:33
Carolina man anytime man call up here to
22:35
let us know where you going to be at
22:36
free your work is important we want to
22:38
make sure as many people as possible can
22:40
hear it and and you could we could
22:42
continue this conversation with freeway
22:44
directly all you got to do is hit them
22:45
on his social media my Instagram is @
22:48
Philly freeway my uh my ex is Philly
22:52
freezer and my Facebook is Philly
22:53
freeway there it is man I love you
22:55
brother thank you for sharing with us I
22:57
love the children
22:59
I love your kids I'm their Uncle I'll be
23:01
praying for them today as well appr man
23:04
absolutely we'll celebrate them as well
23:07
and thank y'all for allowing me to have
23:08
this platform you know yeah it's yours
23:10
freeway in the morning appreciate y got
23:12
a ring to it man
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