The Word on Street Lit No. 3
By Rollie Welch, Collection Manager, Cleveland P.L. -- Library Journal, 4/15/2008 3:25:00 PM
In last month’s column, Vanessa Morris celebrated Women’s History Month by focusing her selections on women’s urban stories penned by female authors. Now it’s the fellas’ turn.
These seven plot-driven stories, each written by a male author, have hood cred, featuring male protagonists (with the exception of one tough female) who have learned life’s lessons on their mean streets, where no one stands alone. Their crews range from sloppy family connections to a deadly Crips’ affiliation, and high value is placed on loyalty forged over time. Allegiances are solid steel; tight brotherhoods become more important than being with a woman or accepting a woman’s love. Men can be tender with their ladies, but don’t cross 'em. Violent abuse explodes when a woman gets out of line, but that brutality can morph into steamy make-up sex.
In the world of the inner-city male, good vs. evil comes with a twisted street code. Criminals may be trustworthy or betraying ratfinks. Cops are often viewed as overzealous, bumbling, racist, and corrupt authority figures. And everyone knows how to hide a pistol by stuffing it into a waistband or to keep an AK-47 within arm’s reach for easy blasting. These male protagonists are "gangsta," true master players of the game.
The following titles are also marked by a stark authenticity. Two of the authors—Quentin Carter and Sanyika Shakur—are serving time in prison. These incarcerated authors obviously write from the heart.
Pick of the Month
Carter, Quentin. Amongst Thieves. Triple Crown. 2008. 280p. ISBN 978-0-9799517-2-5. pap. $15. F
Verdict: For authentic depictions of robbery setups and the reality of doing time in prison, it is tough to match Carter’s (Hoodwinked; In Cahootz; Contagious) latest novel. He offers a stripped-down versionof street lit, giving readers a bare-bones story of crime, sex, and betrayal that is an excellent example of the harsh realism that brands this genre.
Background: This novel can easily be taken as an incarcerated male’s fantasy. Women and men have multiple, lusty marathon sex sessions. Fabulous wealth comes way too easy, and above all, Ramon Delay, Carter’s hero, answers only to himself. After serving a 15-year prison sentence, Ramon ruthlessly pursues his version of the American dream, running a game on Montel Murphy, taking over the old man’s hotel, and transforming it into Resthaven, Kansas City’s premier casino and resort. Soon, he has it all, including $86.9 million in his bank account and two women vying for his affections: Yawni, a sexy but aging diva, and Jayde, an upcoming sexual bombshell. Ramon is blinded by the outrageous sex he has with these sensual women, which raises the question, Is the player being played? Betrayal and revenge are laced throughout Carter’s raw and visceral writing. Ramon’s enemies are given no quarter, and the story’s testosterone-fueled pacing doesn't allow readers to take a breath.
Carter, Quentin. Stained Cotton. Triple Crown. May 2008. 272p. ISBN 978-0-9799517-1-8. pap. $15. F
Verdict: Alternating between first-person narratives for his main male characters, Qu’ban Cartez and his brother O’ban, and the third person for the women’s side of the story, Carter’s no-frills prose depicts a thug’s mindset in a no-holds-barred world. Marked by hard-core, brutal sex scenes, this gritty tale is not for the squeamish, but the author’s name will stir patron demand.
Background: Qu’ban is a Kansas City, MO, crime figure and takes nothing from anybody, including his main woman, Lady. When she drunkenly borrows his black-on-black ’72 Cutlass for a cruise, Qu’ban grabs her in a choke hold. After their fallout, Qu’ban hooks up with three different women, hitting them for quick sexual releases and moving on. One of his conquests tells Qu’ban, "Don’t worry about mine, just make sure you get yours." Carter crowds his story with setup after setup, but Qu’ban learns it’s difficult, but not impossible, to extract revenge from inside a prison cell.
D. Cake. The Armory: Akashic. Jul. 2008. 139p. ISBN 978-1-933354-54-5. pap. $14.95. F
Verdict: Having survived the one-night killing spree recounted in D’s first book, Got, the nameless protagonist must continue to rely on his street sense as a new body count begins. Writing in a detached second-person narrative, this author masterfully re-creates the noir atmosphere prevalent in pulp novels of the 1950s. His slim volume, a unique blend of rough content and a fresh literary style, packs a wallop to the very end.
Background: D's nameless protagonist surfaces in Atlanta at the home of his third cousin, the only family member he can trust six months after the Brooklyn murders. Cousin Duronte wants to enter the dealing game and roll up money, or "cake," but his street smarts don’t shine very bright. He can’t spot a setup if it were flashing in neon. The nameless one takes over the meager crew, but a pair of killers, Darker and Almond, repeatedly show up as merciless murders splash across the pages. Nameless’s quest for trust is sidetracked by a woman eager to give him toe-curling sex.
Holmes, Shannon. Bad Girlz 4 Life. Griffin: St. Martin’s. May. 2008. 320p. ISBN 978-0-312-35902-7. pap. $14.95. F
Verdict: Holmes’s writing flows smoothly in this solid sequel to Bad Girlz, but that’s not to say his novels are soft. Buckle up for a thrilling ride through his urban world including trash-talkin’ women in a hair salon and sexy couples cruising the club scene. Holmes is at the top of his game, and librarians need to gear up for multiple requests.
Background: Tonya Morris finds a way out of the stripping game by hosting live-sex parties in the rough neighborhoods of Philadelphia. Her business sense is as sharp and as ruthless as any man’s, but when she falls in with Quinton Phelps, CEO of Prestige Records, the street-smart babe finds many hurdles thrown in her path to success.
McCaulsky, Marlon. Pink Palace. Triple Crown. 2008. 275p. ISBN 978-0-9799517-5-6. pap. $15. F
Verdict: McCaulsky takes readers into the grimy world of stripping at Atlanta’s Pink Palace. Everyone leads a secret life in this story that scores high on the nasty scale by including rape, incest, and brutal beatings. Triple Crown’s reputation will generate demand for this title.
Background: Cruising through the Pink Palace are tough guys with weaknesses for sexy women. Damien is a stone killer accompanied by his sidekick, Tommy, and they both want to sleep with Mo’nique and Nikki, strippers who came to the club’s stage because of rough times. The guys are set to swing a coke deal that will lock down Atlanta, but first they must contend with King, the big man in charge. The narrative is told through alternating points of view, which allows readers to be the first to learn that Tommy is actually Jayson, an undercover cop who has for six months secretly infiltrated the operation. It goes without saying that nobody can keep a secret.
Shakur, Sanyika. T.H.U.G. L.I.F.E. Grove. Aug. 2008. 320p. ISBN 978-0-8021-1871-4. $24. F
Verdict: Shakur, the incarcerated author of the best-selling 1994 memoir Monster: The Autobiography of an L.A. Gang Member, has written a hard-hitting fictional account of betrayal and revenge that draws on events around the murder of rap star Tupac Shakur. The novel’s pacing is slowed by the author’s thinly veiled editorials about American social inequalities. However, the excellent cover art, alluring title, and riveting portrait of the character loosely based on Tupac will move this title off urban library shelves. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 4/15/08.]
Background: It is 1996, and the war between the Crips and the Bloods explodes in this realistic novel about Los Angeles street life. Loyalty is a mainstay for Lapeace Shakur, a leader of a Crips affiliate, Eight Tray Gangsters. His lifelong friend is Sekou, who hopes that when he’s killed his body will be cremated, his ashes stuffed into shotgun shells, and then blasted into someone’s chest. Together they issue payback in a Crenshaw massacre that leaves eight people dead. Betrayal and snitching are set up behind the scenes, as Lapeace begins to feel deeply for Tashima Mustafa, CEO of RapLife music.
Williams, K. Roland. Cut Throat. Triple Crown. 2008. 275p. ISBN 978-0-9799517-3-2. pap. $15. F
Verdict: Williams gives readers a realistic, behind-the-scenes view of a volatile business where talent is manipulated, then discarded. The hip-hop backdrop is a special draw for street-lit fans; librarians should expect requests.
Background: Quincy Underwood is willing to do anything to be the next big thing for the Cut Throat hip-hop record label—including associating with deadly music industry rivals Raymond James and Victor Sweet. Raymond, who sports a long scar on his neck from a botched murder attempt, parlays his club’s business by moving cocaine. Quincy is a sympathetic underdog caught up in ruthless maneuvering for his dazzling talent. A killer henchman, a dirty cop on the take, and Victor’s ultrasexy wife help move the sizzling story to its violent climax.
