06/17/2025
It's Tuesday morning. June 17th. In about an hour, I have to attend court and face the possibility of a 4-year prison sentence. I’m writing this because you all have been on this journey with me, and you deserve the raw, unfiltered truth.
The last few weeks have been a special kind of hell. I lost my job, and the child support payment was a wall I couldn't see a way over. It felt like the end of the line.
Then, a small miracle. My tax refund of $1348 was intercepted by child support enforcement. It was just enough to create a path forward. It covered my June 15th payment of $798, and the remaining $550 was immediately applied to my July 15th payment. It bought me a lifeline.
So today, I’m walking into court with a plan. I’m not going to prison, not yet. I’m making a choice. I’m voluntarily checking myself into a 60-day treatment program. I’m putting $9,800 on the line for this because this is my last stand. This isn't about just getting clean; it's a strategic move to build a life where I can be the father my son deserves. The goal is to get into an Oxford House after treatment, secure a job that can support my obligations, and finally be a full-time dad again.
But here’s the reality: if I can’t make my next two payments while I’m in treatment, this entire effort is for nothing. The moment I fail, the 4-year prison sentence comes back, and I’ll be taken from a treatment bed to a prison cell.
This is where I have to swallow my pride and ask for your help. This is what I need to secure this chance and stay free:
$248 by July 15th (This is the remaining balance for July's $798 payment)
$798 by August 15th (The full payment for that month)
I’m fighting for more than myself. If I go to prison, I’ll have to make the impossible choice to sign my rights away. I can’t keep missing huge chunks of my son's life and starting over every four years. It’s not fair to him. This is my last ditch effort to fight for him.
I’ve poured every ounce of this into my new music. If you want to understand what this feels like, it’s all there. “Behind Walls Made of Glass” is about the end of my relationship with Erica and this feeling of being trapped in a situation I can’t escape. And “The Weight of the Crown” is the most honest thing I’ve ever written—it’s about the crushing pressure of this child support debt, the fear of jail, and trying to hold your head up when you feel like you’re drowning.
After I post this, I’m going dark. I’ll either be in treatment or, if the worst happens, in a cell. I won’t be able to give you an update. You can check my status here:
VINElink: Missouri, ID 1331559
If you can help me build a future, the most direct way is to pay the state. This ensures the money goes exactly where it needs to go to keep me free.
Missouri Child Support
Case Number: 81636501
Last four of SSN: 8433
Date of Birth: 09/16/1990
For any direct support to help me get through this, my handles are:
Cash App: $cloudrippermusic
Chime: $cloudripper
And if I end up on the wrong side of those walls, please write me a letter. It’s a connection to the real world that means more than you know. I’ll read every one, and I will write back.
Thank you for listening. For real. Your support has been a light in some very dark times. This is my comeback story, and I’m not done writing it.
-Andrew
