I have a friend, a noble man named Andre. He chills with me at this shoe boutique in downtown Los Angeles called RIF LA.

Unfortunately, society labels Andre as “homeless" but to me and those at RIF, we all call him harmless Andre.

My dudes at RIF LA: Jeff, Carl, Mamadou, J-Mac, they all look out for our guy Andre, give him Jordans cuz he's been experiencing hard times. Andre might be homeless but he lives in our hearts. Because we are him, and he is us.

Andre's that 60 year old guy that grew up in Altadena, California, but has been living on the streets for the last 20 years. He doesn't want charity, he'll come up to you and just start talking basketball.

Like one day I'm wearing Bulls shorts and we're chopping it up why MJ and Pippen are doper than today's ballers. But you can rap with Dre about lots of stuff.

Me, E-Woods, I worry that Andre has a place to sleep at night, that he won't be a victim of random violence.

The homeless, they are the most vulnerable among us. Andre is my friend, yet I still can't help him every day, but I wish I could.

Andre is my dude that loves the Lakers. I show him the story I just did on Metta World Peace's son, Ron III, and Dre says, "I like Metta, hope his kid grows up to be like his pops. I bet that kid can ball."

Andre says that he deals with issues that plague many homeless people in Los Angeles, "I'm dealing with things bro, I'm trying to get by. I live life trying to be happy, I try to put all the bad behind me. I love the world, please tell everyone who reads this that I love people."

Yeah Andre, I know you do. What makes me the saddest about Andre is when I hear him say, "I'm just a bum."

No Andre. You're my friend and all kinds of people working up and down 2nd and Broadway in LA love you bro. That is what I tell Andre, I tell him, bro let's take a selfie, let's vibe off of good energy. I tell him, I'd be proud to take a selfie with you bro, don't start talking like you're a bum, because you’re a good man my dude."

I get him to realize that it's just the streets that got him down, and yet I know I can't be there for him every day, to lift him up, I wish I could be there for him every day.

I offer him $10, I say, take this bread my dude, buy some lunch, hope you feeling better, soon, because your convo Andre, just lifted up my whole day brotha.

Andre says thanks to me, we hug, and I wish him a good rest of the day as he goes on his way.

Me, E-Woods, I wish everybody would go down to 2nd and Broadway, see Andre as the cool dude that he is, because Andre is real to me, and I'm real to him.

If you see this brotha Andre, think about stuffing $10 or $20 in his hand, take a selfie with him, he doesn't bite. He's just like you and me except he's been on hard times, for too long a times.

But RIF LA, why do I mess with them? They're the real ones, they help all kinds of dudes like Andre. They put clothes on homeless peoples' backs, they respect a homeless man's life, they put love in a homeless man's heart.

And that's what's up.