The Word on Street Lit No. 1

By Rollie Welch, Collection Manager, Cleveland P.L. -- Library Journal, 2/7/2008 9:10:00 AM

Street lit, ghetto books, or urban fiction: no matter what you call this hot genre, its many incarnations seldom remain on library shelves and rack up lengthy reserve lists. For our purposes, we’ll dub it street lit, but what is it about, and why does it appeal especially to younger African American readers?

Typical elements include a rags-to-riches theme, references to the hip-hop music industry, profanity, urban slang, erotic sex scenes, criminal activity, or violence that escalates to murder. But that’s just part of it. Often the story line is circular so that plot points from the novel’s opening pages come into play at the climax.

Loyalty to one’s friends and neighborhood is also given high value in street lit, and the characters often forge bonding relationships during their adolescence that become key to survival. But most important, the story must connect to the "hood," or the streets. The action may move among various lifestyles, but the core value always reverts back to harsh lessons learned in the ghetto.

Most likely, black teen readers relish how many street-lit stories begin with lessons learned during adolescence. They can see themselves in characters who look like them or undergo similar experiences.

Don’t confuse the steamy African American romances published by Kensington’s Dafina line and contemporary "gossip lit" fiction like Tonya Lewis Lee’s Gotham Diaries that revolve around wealthy upper-class black characters for street lit.

The Word on Street Lit column—which will be coauthored in alternate months by me and Vanessa J. Morris, a librarian who specializes in YA services and teaches in the Department of Library Science at Clarion University—will hopefully shed light on street lit and enable librarians to make sound ordering decisions. For more context, see David Wright’s seminal collection development article "Streetwise Urban Fiction" (LJ 7/06).

K’wan. Still Hood. Griffin: St. Martin’s. 2007. c.352p. ISBN 978-0-312-36010-8. pap. $14.95. F
Verdict: The strength of K’wan’s novels lie in his use of street language and wordplay to establish a harsh realism. Cold-blooded killers, girls working the game, and innocents unaware of danger are all woven into this sequel to Hood Rat, which encompasses hot, hot sex and incredible violence. Buy multiple copies as there will be demand. Libraries launching a street-lit collection should immediately purchase this urban fiction star’s entire backlist. Library marketing campaign.
Background: K’wan’s large cast of characters have the odds against them as they struggle to remain true to their people and their ‘hood. Stacks Green, a hip-hop mogul from Texas, arrives in New York City’s Harlem neighborhood to participate in a video shoot that features new hip-hop sensation True. Hovering nearby are players Don-B and Black Ice, both with noses for quick cash. The less flamboyant Jah is a warrior working security for True. His honesty and nobility (he stays true to his boss and his woman) is admirable, but he’s challenged to maintain his street cred when the other players are anxious to take what they can.

Anthony, Mark. Reasonable Doubt. Griffin: St. Martin’s. Mar. 2008. c.320p. ISBN 978-0-312-34080-3. pap. $14.95. F
Verdict: A drastic shift from fast-paced crime action to tedious legal proceedings hampers an otherwise intriguing Bonnie-and-Clyde story from the Essence best-selling author of The Take Down and Lady’s Night. Buy for demand.
Background: Set in 1993–94 and detailing a ten-month spree that involves obsessive relationships, abusive sex, and fast cash, Anthony’s latest will draw readers in with the opening scene of two desperate lovers on the run after one of them shoots a cop. The story then flashes back to Katrina, a freshman at New York University, who falls for the glamorous drug-dealing Snipes, and dominated by his abusive personality, becomes ensnared in his schemes. The latter quarter of the story details Katrina’s unjustified incarceration.

Birch, Dywane D. From My Soul to Yours. Strebor: S. & S. (Zane Presents). 2007. c.539p. ISBN 978-1-59309-124-8. pap. $15. F
Verdict: Birch’s lengthy details of glamorous locations and fashion slow the pace, but the author’s fans and readers who enjoy Zane will eagerly snap up this steamy sequel to Shattered Souls.
Background: Picking up where the first book left off and writing in a conversational style, Birch updates readers on his characters’ lives: the no-time-for-fools beauty salon owner Indera, a woman readers will either love or hate, is now married to Damascus (Tee), who has become a best-selling author; Britton is a father of twins; and Chyna struggles to cope with her disturbed daughter, Sarina. Entering this tight group is Celeste, a woman with a mysterious past. Bedroom scenes are lusty, and heavy emphasis is placed on sex, clothes, and physical appearances.

50 Cent & Derrick R. Pledger. The Diamond District. G Unit: MTV: Pocket. Mar. 2008. c.103p. ISBN 978-1-4165-5179-9. pap. $13. F
Verdict: This slim title in rapper 50 Cent’s new street-lit imprint flits from scene to scene, but readers end up caring about the high-testosterone characters, knowing his fellas are being set up for a fall. A solid addition.
Background: D.J. and his crew, The League, party hard, drink to excess, and scope chicks to add to their rosters. D.J. can’t resist the easy money of boosting diamonds and turning the ice into quick cash at a jewelry shop. Everyone has a hustle, but D.J. soon learns nothing good comes from living a flashy life and stacking cash.

Freeman, Wakiem. Down Low Sistahs. Apricot Bks. International. Feb. 2008. c.224p. ISBN 978-0-9786755-1-6. pap. $15.
Verdict: Nasty sex scenes dominate this rough-and-tumble title by an author whose first self-published novel, No One To Blame, sold 4000 copies in fewer than five months. Best suited to street-lit fans who favor stories on the grimy side. Purchase accordingly.
Background: A customer service rep for the urban clothing line Baby Phat with aspirations of being a law clerk, Nicor lives an outrageous life of using up women as if they were Kleenex. But the tables are turned when Tamar lets him know she’s gay and would rather be with women. Nicor wonders why there are so many women out there on the down low, a question he can’t answer. Freeman writes a jumbled and fast-paced story, loosely linking Nicor’s sexual conquests with gritty New York City street scenes.

Washington, Jesse. Black Will Shoot. Simon Spotlight Entertainment: S. & S. Feb. 2008. c.384p. ISBN 978-1-4169-3879-8. pap. $14. F
Verdict: At times this roman à clef by a former editor at Vibe and Blaze magazines reads like a history lesson, tracing hip-hop from its early stars to present-day talent, but those dry details are balanced by the dangerous tension of contract disagreements between stars and the shadowy gangsters pulling the strings behind the stage. This intriguing salute to hip-hop will appeal to fans of the music as well as street-lit readers.
Background: Marquis Wise switches from his unchallenging writing gig for Newsweek to pursue stories for Fever magazine, a publication that digs deep into the hip-hop industry. His salary is pumped up to $100,000, but he still feels the pull of the streets through his crack-addicted brother, Dontay. Washington, currently entertainment editor for the Associated Press, draws on his personal experiences to give a detailed behind-the-scenes look at the hip-hop recording industry.

Weber, Carl. Something on the Side. Dafina: Kensington. Feb. 2008. c.320p. ISBN 978-0-7582-1578-9. $24. F
Verdict: Best-selling author Weber’s (The First Lady; So You Call Yourself a Man) latest novel slams the sexual pedal to the metal, as he writes frankly about strong women, comfortable with their size, who want to please and be pleased carnally.
Background: Oh, those women of the BGBC, aka the Big Girls Book Club. Club requirements have them at a size 14 or higher. After being thrilled by a steamy Mary B. Morrison novel, the crew departs Tammy’s house to seek outrageous sexual trysts. Isis, Coco, Egypt, and Tiny have no problems finding men, but then comes the post-hookup drama. Tammy’s offer of $5,000 to Egypt will raise eyebrows, and let’s just say that Tammy’s husband is a lucky man.

Weeks, Kevin M. Is It Passion or Revenge? Xlibris. (Street Life). 2008. c.288p. ISBN 978-1-4257-9736-2. $22.99; pap. ISBN 978-1-4257-9712-6. $15.99. F
Verdict: Weeks’s second entry in his self-published "Street Life" series (after Is It Suicide or Murder?) mixes gritty street-lit action with hints of a police procedural that will appeal to both urban fiction fans and readers of African American mysteries.
Background: Teco Jackson, a guy with great abs and stunning biceps, enters the fast-paced world of male stripping in Chocolate City (Washington, DC). But somebody is settling an old score against male strippers, and Teco becomes a prime suspect in the killings. Hanae Troop, a cop’s cop, is on the case trying to clarify shady connections among Teco, his former crew from Philly, and Paradox, the serial killer who has left a threatening note. Weeks’s street prose especially shines in the club scenes.