"Called street literature, urban drama, and hip-hop literature, this exciting genre features fast-paced action, gritty ghetto realism, and social messages about the high price of gangsta life." (Street Lit 1)
Rage got his name from being ruthless on the streets. Since the age of 12, he's been living on his own, hustling to get by. His mother was killed at the hands of his father at the age of 3, and within 2 years, his father was dead from a drug overdose. He was bounced around to different relatives until eventually he felt he could make it alone. Unfortunately, Rage could never find a way, moving in and out of jail like it was a rotating door. Leaving babies and single mothers all around the city, wanting to leave this life behind and be a normal man.....until he meets Diamond, a woman as beautiful as the object her name is. Hailing from Queens, NY, Diamond was that man's best friend. She was beautiful, but rough around the edges. Diamond was no stranger to life on the streets, and together, they're determined to find a way out of the hood, by any means necessary!
- The NY Times says, "Rage encapsulated every angle of his name....True Thugism"
- The Philadelphia News says, "Rage and Diamond together are like the new Bonnie
& Clyde! I felt like I was along for the ride right beside them!"
- Jet magazine says, "Urban Literature is the new force to be reckoned with!"
Why???
**********
Rooted in the traditions of the old slave spirituals, vaudeville, ragtime, and the old blues, HipHop was birthed from the womb of revolution. Used as the mouthpiece to speak the hardships of our poverty stricken communities, at times, it served as the non-existent public service announcement not found in mainstream America. Currently, hip-hop has become more than a genre of music. It has crossed international boundaries and has outlived the expectations of its criticizers, becoming not only a movement but a lifestyle, sometimes drenched in negativity but intended for positive purposes.
The emergence and existence of mainstream hip-hop has led to a huge cultural shift in the African American community and those that make up a large percentage of the Hip-Hop generation. As a result of its detachment from Black History and Hip Hop's original foundations, and with the usage of stereotypically degrading images, this cultural shift has caused confusion and pandemonium. Every aspect of the genre has been criticized for adopting, promoting and exploiting stereotypical images and behavior. Regardless however, today, hip-hop can be credited for birthing numerous new forms of Black expression. One new development, which is becoming widely popularized, is known as "Street Literature," a facet of the Urban Lit/Fiction genre.
A Brief History of Urban Fiction
At times, I push myself away from the computer in anger. I don't want to compete with "Legit Baller." But then I come across something like "The Known World" by Edward P. Jones and again I am inspired. - Author Nick Chiles (Chiles, par.13)
Urban fiction as a literary genre is as much defined by the race and culture of its characters as its disheartening urban setting. Usually written for and by African Americans, its roots can be traced as far back as slavery, in which writers used literature as the voice of the Black community. Urban Fiction began to gain popularity during the Harlem Renaissance through the writings of such authors as Zora Neale Hurston, Claude McKay, Langston Hughes and Richard Wright. This emergence paved the way for contemporary authors such as Walter Mosley, Ralph Ellison, and Donald Goines a.k.a. Al C. Clark.
In 1967, Robert Beck wrote Pimp: The Story of My Life from his jail cell, under the pseudonym Iceberg Slim. As a result of his unsparing depiction of street life, laced in remnants of a black power agenda, Slim gained an international following, and an insurgence of interest within the genre was stimulated. This acclaim also helped redefine urban literature, removing it from the literary beauty and structure it once possessed, and morphing it into a gritty "realistic" depiction of life in the inner city.
The 1980's brought about a decline of black literature as a result of the emergence of hip-hop and rap music. The decrease in reading was attributed to the vocality of hip-hop music, becoming in a sense another form of urban lit. Urban fiction as a print media was considered by many young people irrelevant, because the lyrics and the emcee's delivery continued the tradition of urban storytelling, an extension of the African griot influence associated with Hip-Hop. Tupac Shakur is often attributed as being an urban lit lyricist.
Urban literature didn't began to reach its full potential until 1999, with the release of Urban fiction classics, Omar Tyree's "Flyy Girl," Terri Woods' "True to the Game," and Sistah Souljah's "Coldest Winter Ever". "I think that's what really kicked it off when [The Coldest Winter Ever] went to paperback it sold so many that it opened it up," says New York Times best-selling author Eric Jerome Dickey. "Its not about literary or cultural value, it's about what sells." (Urban Lit, par.3)
This prophetic realization couldn't have been more true. The release of those classic novels birthed a new subgenre today known as "Street, Ghetto, and/or Hip-Hop Literature". Authors began to create their own urban tales of "street life." Not long after, street lit became aligned with hip-hop because of the similarities between its stories and its authors. And as its commercial value was discovered, monetary value began to overshadow cultural value.
Initially, Street Literature was shunned by many critics and bookstore owners for its "glorification" of drugs, violence and sex. Today, street literature is a best selling genre and despite its critics, has again stimulated an interest in reading among black youth. "I went into bookstores and they said, 'This garbage coming out, I'll never sell this stuff in my bookstore' and then you go back two years later and they have a whole section devoted to it," says
Annually, street literature makes on average, $50 million. The people want it! Consumers are buying and demanding more, and bookstore owners deliver, regardless of whether or not they support the content of these novels. "Hip-hop fiction is doing for fifteen- to twenty-five-old African Americans what Harry Potter did for kids," Matt Campbell, a buyer for Waldenbooks, told Newsweek magazine; "[They are] getting a new audience excited about books." (Venable et al, 1)
Characteristics of Street Literature
"I think the street book game is like hip-hop in 74'. At first we told simple stories. Simple cadences, simple vocabulary, then it evolved. Right now we're telling the simple bang, bang sex and money story." (Ferranti, par.7)
Most street literature novels have a similar, basic format. Generally speaking, the plots are usually set in urban/city communities, and focus on survival and the dark side of street living. It is not uncommon for the story to take place in a world of "hustlers, pimps, thugs, blinged-out rappers, baby mamas and ho's," with overly dramatic and stereotypically oppressive stories. These novels also contain slang commonly associated with the streets, hip-hop generation, and/or the location of the strory (for example, Shannon Holme's "B-More Careful" took place in Baltimore, and it was filled with Baltimore slang). There is also usually a plethora of profanity, in order to maintain the feeling of the gritty, often unrelenting lifestyle being portrayed.
Titles of Street Lit include: Nikki Turner's "Hustler's Wife," to K'Wan's "Hood Rat" or "Gangsta," and Carl Weber's "Baby Momma Drama," all displaying an attractive prophecy of the story to come, relative to everyday life in the ghetto. However, arguably the most intriguing aspect of these novels is the artwork of their front covers. Many of their covers contain pictures similar to half naked sex goddesses lying on a "pimped out car," the typical "gold digger" and "thug" images, and some even display the stereotypical "pimp" image, all possibly conveying a subtle message of success through negative and illegal situations. Although street literature uses similar thematics and imagery as mainstream Hip Hop, social, political and personal themes of those living in urban communities are actually discussed in many of the novels,.
The genre is supported by people of all races, genders, educational backgrounds and ages. Author Nikki Turner describes her audience as ages fifteen to twenty-five, "people in jail, and people that went to college. At book signings, I have people from all walks of life--grandmothers, middle-aged men--I'm surprised." (Venable et al, 1) Bookstore owner, Clara Villarosa of Hue-Man Bookstore in Harlem, also defends the appeal of these books, "Their language is not necessarily literary and their proliferation means a decline in craftsmanship, but now, ordinary folks are reading books. It's not such a narrow reach anymore. Not everybody is going to read a Zadie Smith or Colson Whitehead." (Venable et al, 2) Brett Hewitt, who runs the African Vibes and Positive Vibes stores in Hampton Roads, Virginia said, Toni Morrison's hardcover literary fiction novel "Love", the eighth novel of the Nobel laureate, sold about 10 copies in his stores. He says, "A Project Chick" outsold "Love" three times over. (Venable et al, 2) But, why?
Some claim that street lit, as does hip hop, simply serves entertainment purposes. "A new generation of African American readers has emerged," says
Can't We All Just Get Along? What's the Problem
"Obviously, there can be an art to ghetto lit. I would never dismiss it out of hand. But I'm an American who believes in freedom of speech and freedom of thought. I may not read it, but I can't make a moral decision for someone else." - Walter Mosley (Venable et al, 3)
Although street literature is supported by a large audience, those that make up the literary community disapprove of its content and blame its association with mainstream and commercial Hip-Hop for its corruption. Critics accuse Street Literature of being an ignorant attempt at black literature, re-inforcing existing stereotypes, drug dealing, misogyny, hyper-masculinty, promiscuity and even lacking real literary structure. Urban Fiction author, G. Andi Rhos, is very critical of this:
"These tales from the hood made an embarrassing, and often
laughable, attempt at a Donald Goines, Amiri Baraka, Last Poets,
Sonia Sanchez, Nikki Giovanni and Robert Beck (Iceberg Slim) revival.
These books, this, this 'literature' lacked a beginning, a middle, and an
end; lacked originality, lacked a climax, lacked a conclusion, lacked character
development, lacked plot development, lacked subplots, lacked symbolism,
lacked imagery, lacked foreshadowing and, worst of all, lacked literary merit.
And the editing? What f****** editing! The preponderance of typos alone
led me to believe that the authors were functionally illiterate. This deluge
of recycled toilet paper passing itself off as writing set Blacks back on
the plantation. Black Literature as a whole is suffering as a result of this
negligence." (Rhos, pars.5-6)
Because of its supposed incorporation of hip-hop's negative images, violence, use of profane language and depictions of controversial, commonly illegal lifestyles, it has been determined that the sub-genre has little to offer its readers.
Of course it is accepted that hip-hop has indeed had an influence on street literature as a literary genre. However, that influence, both positive and negative, are subject to debate. In his introduction to the anthology Step Into a World, writer and editor Kevin Powell noted that hip-hop's influence helped "catalyze(d) young black verbal expression as had not been done since the 1960s..." (qtd in Scott 7) He also argues that because many street lit authors were born after 1960, they are members of the hip-hop generation, thus influencing their upbringing as well as their writing styles. Powell attritbutes these effects to their personal maturation process occurring during the emergence and popularization of the hip-hop movement in the 1970's & 80's.
Author Carl Weber elaborates further, "Our audience is fifteen to fifty. Most of the fifty year olds were in their early twenties when The Sugar Hill Gang came out with the first rap record that hit the Billboard charts, so they still have some tie-in to hip-hop." (Venable et al, 1) Kevin Young, Urban Lit poet and author, also argues, that because these authors are a part of the hip-hop generation they "use, quite comfortably, hip-hop's aesthetics and sense of history - that is, that history is ever-present, the past easily taken from ("sample"), repeated ("loop"), collaged together, unified often only by voice and by the rhythm of day-to-day life ("flow" and "beat"). (qtd in Scott 7)
While there is an obvious connection between Hip-Hop and Street literature, the criticism aimed at Street Literature is a premature misguided alternative to the criticisms generally offered Hip-Hop. On a larger scale, it is mainstream Hip-hop that they are actually attacking. Hip-hop, is in a sense very mis-understood. It is this reason that anything in accordance and relative to hip-hop will suffer from criticism as well. As a result, Street Literature has been stamped with the usual negative connotations associated with Hip-Hop.
Micheal Eric Dyson, writer and hip-hop academic, challenge the criticism and hip-hop's critics in an effort to offer more understanding of the hip-hop movement and its counterparts. He states:
"Hip hop's critics make a valid point that the genre is full of problematic
expressions. It reeks of materialism; it feeds on stereotypes and offensive
language; it spoils with retrogressive views; it is rife with hedonism; and it
surely doesn't always side with humanistic values. But the arguments of many
of hip hop's critics demand little engagement with hip hop. Their views don't
require much beyond attending to surface symptoms of a culture that offers far
more depth and color when it's taken seriously and criticized thoughtfully. Such
critics seem afraid of the intellectual credibility or complex truths they might find
were they to surrender their sideline seat and take an analytical plunge into the
culture on which they comment...By taking the time to explain a fertile culture
of expression, students of hip hop place at our disposal some of the most intriguing investigations of a powerful art form. (qtd in NPR.org from Dyson book)
Carl Weber, author of Baby Momma Drama, thinks a lot of the criticism is misguided, or a source of jealousy among those whose work is not selling:
"It's a real travesty that people put down this popular genre.
No one puts down Tom Clancy or Danielle Steele. No one
puts down people that write Mafia books. It really upsets me
when people say we're dumbing down. I see it as a way of
raising people up. We're giving people the opportunity to read.
(Venable et al, 2)
Although he admits that many of the books making up the Street Literature sub-genre do have flaws, he believes, "Everybody has to have a voice. Is rap wrong because it's not classical? I understand the argument, but I don't agree with what they're saying."(Venable et al, 2)
Because hip-hop originated as an art form, used to vocalize the hardships of the African American community both culturally and politically, many believe that hip-hop has a burdeoning responsibility to uphold the same ethics its foundation was built on. The same goes for anything that incorporates hip-hop's values. The most common explanation for the success of street literature and its appeal is its supposed realist approach. However, street lit, as a subgenre of the historically esteemed Urban Fiction genre, is accused of falling short of the literary communities expectations.
In the past, WEB Dubois believed that black art had a unique responsibility to uplift the race by portraying black people in a positive "civilized" light. On the other end, writers such as Langston Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston, "who embraced the idioms, music and attitudes of black people,
Critics would say minstrelsy, simply because of the absorption of hip-hop's values into the genre. Because street literature is geared primarily toward Black people, it is this reason, that author G. Andi Rhos is so critical of the sub-genre. She writes, "Urban Literature, as we know it today, is fast becoming an extension of Gangsta Rap. A mere shadow of an entity without a life of its own spewing rhetoric, misogynic viewpoints and glorifying criminal pursuits. It's become the literary equivalent of head-bopping, booty-shaking instant gratification. No depth. No art. (Rhos, par.10) Author Vicki Stringer disagrees, "Hip-Hop is universal. But don't worry. You don't have to go to the hood. We'll bring the hood to you." (Ferranti, par. 3)
Another factor contributing to the realism argument is that, some authors penning in the genre are actually from the streets, have lived stories such as the ones they write about and have at one time been convicted criminals. Author Shannon Holmes, wrote his first best selling street lit novel, "B-More Careful" while still incarcerated, selling over 100,000 copies. Vicki Stringer, fell into some legal troubles after a former boyfriend/drug dealer pulled her into a life of crime, landing her in jail, where she wrote her first novel, "Let That Be The Reason" in 2001. It is the idea of writing what you know that drives the success of street literature or any literature for that matter. Author Terri Woods, defended the same argument in Don Diva Magazine, stating:
"You write what you know. A lot of these books and
especially the ones that are real good with stories behind
them are leaving a piece of documented history. I don't
really call what I do street fiction. I refer to it as true to life
crime and that's what I think my books represent. The crack
era existed for Black gangsters just like the prohibition did
Italians and Irish. (Ferranti, par.2)
Questions still remain however. Is attributing the appeal and success of these books to "keeping it real" justified, especially if some penning in the genre have actually written about what they've experienced? Has street lit given the community back its voice?
What do we do? A Solution for Street Literature
"I must say that I retain very little of the hope and excitement and enthusiasm that I had when my first book was published eight years ago. I feel defeated, disrespected and troubled about the future of my community and my little subsection of this carnivorous, unforgiving industry." (Chiles, par.14)
Of course, street lit has its problems, but what doesn't? In my view, the problems with street lit arises, when critics accept the initial appearance of the stories as lacking real literary value. At the same time, the audience is glorifying their secured positions in the "ghetto", accepting these stories to be testimonials of a "no-where to run to" mentality, limiting aspirations because "that's just how it is in the hood". But it isn't the fault of the genre. Fault can be placed on the shoulders of many. Instead of pointing the finger at any one person or group of people, I want to fault the ignorance of the Black community in general.
The problem with street fiction is that its audience and its writers, claim that it "keeps it real". Critics may actually have a solid argument when they claim it doesn't. Though the stories may be similar to everyday inner city survival, they are not etched in stone, therefore they don't have to be accepted and simply dealt with because there's no other way out. Truth is, we have been so brainwashed by the mainstream (media) that we are unable to recognize our realities, culturally and socially, and we think we're rapping, singing and writing about our realities using drugs, violence and sex as visual mis-representation of those "realities." This is not the purpose of these novel's messages.
In my opinion, the overall message that these novels are trying to convey is that although the struggle continues, we can be in control of our own destinies. Our struggles, our movements, our will to fight died with our previous leaders, and it is now up to us to find a way out. We need to admire the strength in character these novel characters portray in order to survive. We need to recognize their "efforts" to make things happen. The message may be masked in an abundance of foul language, typos, and stereotypical situations, but I believe this is the message these street novels are trying to communicate to its readers. We control our own destinies and it's time to make moves! These novels to me, are indeed a testimony, just of a different message.
However, a few factors must be addressed before posing a solution to the "problem" of street literature. First, the criticisms should be redirected. Rap, the musical aspect of hip-hop, "has been characterized as a vital link in the centuries-old chain of cultural and musical connections between Africa and the Americas; as the authentic voice of an oppressed urban underclass; and as a form that exploits long-standing stereotypes of black people" (Starr & Waterman 376). It is for this reason, that hip-hop as a whole must be reconstructed by those within it. Generally, the solution for hip-hop as a musical genre, lifestyle and as a foundation for emerging opportunities, is to somehow change the mentality of those associated with it, and the content will follow. Obviously, it is too powerful of a tool to miseducate the uninformed because that miseducation leads to a perspective based on falsities. The standards for what we demand socially, culturally, musically, and politically, need to change, and the expectations for ourselves need to reach a higher platform. Once this is achieved, the common stereotypes will not be promoted, nor be available to promote, and its audience will be able to decipher between what is reality and what is fantasy.
In addition, we must remember, the aftermath of integration is the era my generation was born into; the generation referred to as the "Hip-Hop Generation." As a result, many are unaware that Blacks are still systematically and institutionally an oppressed people. This in part, is a result of today's mainstream hip-hop, as well as parts of the street literature sub-genre, being media inspired creation. Therefore, its content is vulnerable to its owners. Just like hip-hop, the success of street literature and the authors who choose to publish with large companies, is in the hands of those in charge of the publishing industry. Basically, the publishing industry publishes and promotes what they can capitalize on, regardless of cultural or intellectual value. Author Walter Mosley agrees, "The publishing business is in a cultural way the most powerful institution in America," adding that "certain books aren't being published because the white-dominated publishing industry isn't sensitive to the needs of African American readers". (qtd in Scott 8) For those who are unaware of those needs, these novels could be the tool used to provide that kind of knowledge. Author Nick Chiles, on recalling an experience in Border's bookstore states,
"I was ashamed and mortified to see my books sitting on the
same shelves as these titles; and secondly, as someone who
makes a living as a writer I felt I had no way to compete with
these purveyors of crassness...It's depressing that this noble
profession, one that I aspired to as a child from the moment I
first cracked open James Baldwin about 30 years ago, has been
reduced by the greed of the publishing industry and the ways of
the American marketplace to a tasteless collection of pornography."
(Chiles, par.11)
Author G. Andi Rhos believes that the publishing industry should share in only part of the blame. Everyone, writers and consumers alike, should be held accountable for what is written about and sold. Though very critical of the sub-genre, she still sees its potential, and a glimmer of hope still remains. "In order for Black Literature as a whole to retain (or return to) its glory, up-and-coming Black writers are indeed charged with crafting stories that are as good or better than our White counterparts. That includes the story itself and all of its components, editing, cover design, distribution, marketing as well as bookstore placement." She goes on to say, "These raw, gritty stories should be told. But, they should be told the right way.....Street Lit lends itself to our already rich culture. When done properly, Street Lit provides a perfect platform for a Harlem Renaissance rebirth." (Rhos, par.11)
Accepting The Good, The Bad & The Ugly: My Conclusion
One positive borne of this nightmare, one which advocates of Street Lit fondly and frequently point to, is Blacks between the ages of 14 and 30 are reading now more than ever. Considering the literary deficiencies of what they're reading, I question how positive this is. - G. Andi Rhos (Rhos, par.10)
Unfortunately, because the message is sometimes ambiguous Street Literature has become the sacrificial lamb. However, the efforts of street lit are more positive than negative, and more important than just its content. Remember, this sub-genre is in high demand. Black people are reading now more than ever. But, does it matter what they're reading? Critical analysis of this genre seems to downplay the intelligence of an entire race, not even considering the benefit of the doubt, that its readers may actually just be reading it for entertainment and not accepting its flaws to be truths. Author Nikki Turner says she intends for her books to be helpful to readers. A Hustler's Wife, for instance, is "not just about drugs--it's about a girl and her struggle. I wanted to warn young girls about street life. They never know the risks that come with it. They listen to the music and see the bling-bling. But nobody ever says what can happen to you--that you can go to jail ... I try not to reinforce stereotypes, I try to show a different light." (Venable et al, 2) The same goes for Vicki Stringer's semi-autobiographical novel, Let That Be the Reason.
No matter the criticisms, however, one would have to be blind to the positive effects of street literature. Not only does it awaken an interest in reading among African American youth, but it also contributes to keeping the black dollar in the black community. As a result, it has led to an increase in black entrepreneurship. Many authors choose to self-publish or publish their novels through independent Black publishing companies, who usually employ black staffers and provide chances for up & coming black authors penning in the genre. The success of street lit has also had a part in the survival of existing black bookstores. In the past few years, Black bookstores have suffered a great deal, resulting in a declining income, and many closing because of it. The larger, well financed chain bookstores, obviously, are not appreciative of the allure and success of street lit. But for African American bookstores, "Urban fiction is the only thing that brought the spark back to us. That's what has kept us on top." The irony? Regardless of its contributions, even some of the black bookstore owners challenge its credibilty. "We don't even trouble customers with the real literature any more," store owner Brett Hewitt says. "They want the junk, and we sell junk because we have to stay open. (Venable et al, 2)
Street lit has also given ex-criminals a second chance at life. Because of her success, she is today known as "The Queen of Hip-Hop Literature." However, Vicki Stringer acknowledges, it's been a long time coming. Recalling her experience, she states, "I was a 29 year old felon with no degrees, no resume, almost no legal work experience, no money and no prospects." (Ferranti, par. 3) Now, both Vicki Stringer and Shannon Holmes, also an ex-convict, teamed up to create Triple Crown Publications, the leading independent black publisher within the genre. As of 2004, Triple Crown Publications released 14 titles and sold 300,000 trade paperbacks in 16 months, with intent to sell 25 more by the end of 2004. In an effort to further their own mainstream appeal, Stringer and Holmes have also each signed a two book deal with Simon & Schuster totaling around $400,000. Both are on Atria Books, the African American imprint of Simon & Schuster.
Additionally, ex-convict and author, Relentless Aaron, upon release, formed his own independent company, Relentless Content, and has signed to a major in a six figure deal. Now very successful, many authors, and Stringer especially, has never forgotten where she came from. Although her field of work, from her colleagues to the stores where her novels are sold, doesn't always support what she does, she continues to stay humble, "My manuscript [Let That Be the Reason] was rejected by 26 publishers, so I decided to self-publish. I will never forget the small African American mom and pop distributors because they were there for me from day one when all I had was word of mouth." (Ferranti, par.3)
Are the characters and plots within this sub-genre exploiting stereotypes, or are they actual symbolic representations of the oppression in urban communities? Are these stories simply for entertainment, or are they the loud cries of those who fear there may be no way out of the ghetto? In my opinion, they're both, but the genres critiques are very limiting, ignorant, and far from accurate, causing a division among the generations, among intellectuals, and among average Black Americans. Kevin Young again offers an explanation. He believes street lit writers are gaining criticism because they are challenging the literary paradigm. He writes, "These writers flow and then are willing to interrupt that flow, to challenge the aesthetic of quiet storm "smoothness" or sitcom solutions, that are hallmarks of a public need for "positive images" or "easy uplift". (qtd in Scott 7) Possibly unbeknownst to them, critics are actually showing the pathology of a "race" of people, who constantly tear down any positive efforts to challenge tradition, traditions forced upon us by European culture. Street Literature is one of those efforts, and it should be regarded as such, stimulating not only "students" of the hip-hop generation, but people of all generations to read again.
Problems should never be the main focus of an issue. Searching for its true essence, beneath all of the criticism and surface controversies, should be the main objective, once the problems have been acknowledged and identified. Instead of tearing down Street Literature, it needs to elevated as a form of literary progression, changing with the times, and adapting in its arrival. We should appreciate it for what it has done, and not for what it contains just yet. Yes, authors should be held responsible for the stories they create. And yes, they are charged with upgrading the quality of writing within these stories. But only because, when this happens, Street Literature will finally gain the respect it rightfully deserves. And then and only then, can its true importance and consideration as an art form be sufficiently argued; an art form that in addition to its quality, could also provide a voice for political protest and for a revelation of Black history and struggle as it once had. But! Everything has a starting point that it must evolve from. This is only the beginning. In time, Street Literature may become the genre many of us want it to be. It has the potential, but its chances are being cut short by its own kind, before it can even prove itself.....
"Reading is a good thing. You might read this hip-hop book, and next year, read Mosley or even Mark Twain. It's not about the book--it's the idea that reading becomes an important part of your life." - Walter Mosley (Venable et al, 3)
Works Cited
Chiles, Nick "Their Eyes Were Reading Smut" NY Times - Online Editorial. 4 Jan 2006. Dec 2007. www.nytimes.com/2006/01/04/opinion/
Dodson, Angela P. Hip-hop Lit. Jan 2004. Online. Dec 2007.
Dyson, Michael. Author Comes to Hip-Hop's Defense. 18 Sept. 2007. Dec. 2007. NPR.org online excerpt from Dyson, Michael. Know What I Mean
www.npr.org/templates/story/
Ferranti, Seth Gangsta Lit. Mar 2007. Online. Dec 2007. www.theurbanbooksource.com/articles/editorials/gangstalit.php>.
Foye, K'wan Urban Book Source Online Interview Jan 2006. Dec 2007. www.theurbanbooksource.com/articles/interviews/kwan-foye.php>
Madison Public Library. Street Lit...Sex, Drugs, and Life On the Streets - For Mature Audiences Only. Nov 2007. Online.
McQuillar Tayannah., Mingo, Yvette., Venable, Malcolm. It's urban, it's real, but is this literature? Controversy rages over a new genre whose sales are headed off the charts. Sep 2004. Online. Nov 2007.
Rhos, G. Andi. Urban Literature Redefined. 2006. Online. Nov 2007. www.timbooktu.com/rhos/urbanlit.htm>.
Rivera, Zayda Urban Literature. 21 Apr 2006. Online. Nov 2007. www.sohh.com/articles/article.
Scott, Cynthia C. "Black Literature in the Age of Hip-Hop." Associated Content. 4 Jun 2006. Nov 2007. www.associatedcontent.com/article/35694/black_literature_in_the_age_of_hiphop
Starr, Larry., and Christopher Waterman. American Popular Music: From Minstrelsy to mp3. New York: Oxford University Press, 2007.
Gold rings are very different than gold nuggets because they are usually alloyed with other types of metal. They are usually near to the surface and usually can't be tuned out or selected for with a notch filter despite having the best metal detector. By far the right place to find gold rings is at the beach. Specifically in the shallows of a dropping tide at a common resort location. The reason is because many vacationers don't realize that the colder watercan make their fingers shrink and unsuspectingly lose their highly valuable ring jewelry.
