I went to high-school in 91-94 (=between 16 and 19) and also came from a background in stuff like thrash and hardcore (in my case it was also freakier shit like Death metal and grindcore) and dug Hip-Hop since the LL/Run DMC days even if it wouldn't take over my life until the 90's-metal, punk and more abrasive/noisy "indie" (think:the amphetamine reptile label stuff) was my main course before that. Just like you, I also got enarmored with the acid jazz thing in my highschool years and it led me to 70's funk and soul.




Anyway, the highschool years was the most important years in my life for me musically because I lost all my friends and didn't make any new ones so my entire life pretty much revolved around music (and comic-books and late-night porn on cable).

Before going to highschool, I had went to the same school for nine years and pretty much saw the same faces every day and those were my friends and a VERY tight-knit group of people. My "role" in this clique was that of the music nerd and it had been like that since as far as I can remember.

When I started highschool, none of my old friends got into this school so I was alone and the people in this new school were all from wealthy suburbs and were into sailing, raves and shit like that. I on the other hand was strictly urban middle class gothenburg and I think I knew within one week that these guys would never be my friends so I instead sunk into myself and focused strictly on music nerdery.

In retrospect, my life then may seem pathetic but I remember that I was VERY happy and felt freer than I ever felt before; I finally had the time to TOTALLY indulge in my main love.

When I started college, I made friends again and got into girls and partying so music was never as OTT important again even if it has remained my main interest...