Na’Jay Williams-White loved sweet potato pie with a graham cracker crust.
“On Thanksgiving he’d take a whole pie and eat it with a spoon,” his mother Sharee Booker said. “He wouldn’t share it.”
Na’Jay was shot and killed Nov. 5, 2018, but that didn’t stop Sharee from making sure his favorite pie was part of the family’s meal a few weeks later. The only difference is that his pie remained untouched,
“I always make everyone their own thing that they like for dessert, and I made his just in the spirit of cooking, and I thought, ‘This could be weird,’ but I wouldn’t let anyone eat it,” Sharee said with a laugh. “I’m big on not wasting food but I actually threw it in the trash because I didn’t want anyone to eat it.”
Sharee was 15 years old when she gave birth to Na’Jay on Aug. 25, 2000 in Philadelphia. He was raised in North and West Philly. Na’Jay’s father is Rasheed White and he had a total of six younger brothers and sisters between both of his parents.
Na’Jay was born with gray eyes, and they changed to hazel when he was 3.
“His main attraction when you see him is his eyes,” Sharee said. “His eyes just draw you in. And I thought, ‘Oh my goodness, I’m never going to see those grayish hazel eyes again.”
She describes her relationship with her son as “the typical mom and teen relationship.”
“He was the first born, so he was my challenge,” Sharee said. “We pretty much grew up together. Growing up he was more of my brother than my son, and my mom had a big influence on him.”
As a child, Na’Jay loved school and was advanced in math and reading. At the time of his death, he was a senior at Pennsylvania Cyber Charter High School, but his true passion went beyond the classroom: He was determined to be a successful rapper.
Na’Jay worked with The Village of Arts and Humanities, a local nonprofit that helps young people to express themselves through art, and he recorded some of his music in a studio under the name Jay Skiino. He also appeared with another rapper in a music video where they’re performing for the camera on a snow-covered rooftop. Click here.
In the weeks and months before his death, Na’Jay made a promise to his grandparents.
“He said, ‘I’m going to make you proud of me. I’m going to change my life, get my degree, and then I’m going to be a rapper,’” Sharee said. “He just knew music was going to be what he was going to do. He didn’t have a Plan B.”
But behind the tough exterior of his rap persona was a jokester who loved to make people laugh.
“He was a sweet, caring lovable person, and he had a real sense of humor,” Sharee said. “He loved to tell stories and he loved to be the center of attention. He was the life of the party.”
Sharee’s dream is to give teenagers something positive in Na’Jay’s name. She wants to offer other musically inclined young people the opportunity to record their music in a studio free of charge, and she wants to call it “Skiino World.”
“My son loved music and I want kids who love music as much as my son did to have a place to go and record so they’re not standing out on the corner,” she said. “I want them to stay off the streets and do something positive. That’s what I want to do in my son’s memory.”
No arrests have been made in Na’Jay’s murder. A reward of up to $20,000 if available to anyone that comes forward with information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible. Anonymous calls can be submitted by calling the Citizens Crime Commission at 215-546-TIPS.
Date: 2018-11-05
Location: 2800 W Susquehanna Ave, Philadelphia, PA
