Three rappers decided to write chapters instead of verses this year. But are their paragraphs as engaging as their hot sixteens? While Common and Prodigy opted to peel away their on-stage personas and offer a glimpse into their everyday lives, T.I. really stuck his neck out there and tried his hand at fiction. His urban romance gangsta tale is based in the ATL of course.
Find out who missed the mark and who rocked it.
Mobb Deep’s Prodigy is one of a far too long list of rappers who have gone to prison on weapons charges in recent years. His memoir, My Infamous Life
(co-authored by Laura Checkoway), provides some explanation as to how/why he came to the point of being sentenced to three years in prison. The book also offers a rare peek into the more vulnerable side of the husband and father.
The Interesting Bits:
Most Mobb Deep fans know about Prodigy’s battle with sickle cell (homeboy has a tattoo about it in case anyone ever forgets), but in his memoir, Prodigy gives much more comprehensive and personal layers to what it’s been like to live with the condition, especially when he was an under-sized, sickly and rambunctious child.
Speaking of being a child, Prodigy’s family background is nothing short of amazing. His great-great-great grandfather founded Morehouse College, his grandmother danced alongside Lena Horne at the legendary Cotton Club and his grandfather was a noted jazz musician who taught Quincy Jones how to read music. His creative, entrepreneurial and mostly middle class family tree is impressive and a bit of a contrast to the grimy thugged out Prodigy we all know and (some) love.
Oh and Prodigy believes that he has seen a UFO…twice and he connects this with his belief in otherworldly ancient black ancestors that are communicating with him. He goes into further detail about this in the book.
The “Eh” Bits:
There are lots of unnecessary cheap shots in the book at various people in the industry. Capone n Noreaga, Olivia (who Prodigy calls ugly and untalented), Jay-Z, Keith Murray and Saigon are just a few of the folks who might not be too pleased if they ever happen to read this memoir.
Final Verdict:
It’s worth the read. You’ll find yourself face-palming though at all of Prodigy’s antics after Mobb Deep became popular. Knowingly buying stolen cars, carrying illegal firearms and hanging out with a crew that was stealing, fighting and slashing people’s faces with razorblades—is simply not the look.
Oh T.I., goodness knows I love that accent of his and he’s very articulate and charming in interviews, but his novel Power and Beauty? I can’t give a full salute to this urban romance tale. I think a lot of people will like it though and I’ll tell you why.
The Interesting Bits:
This might seem like a spoiler, but it’s not. You will learn this bit of info within the first few pages of the book, so I don’t feel guilty about telling you that the two main characters, Power and Beauty, have a somewhat (but not really) incestuous relationship. They are not blood related, but they are adoptive brother and sister and were raised as brother and sister in the same household. In the book they end up sleeping together and well…ew. Besides that, there’s a fair amount of sex, violence and city hopping (ATL, NYC, LA, Chicago, Tokyo) to keep the story moving at a fast pace. I read the 340-page book in one day.
The “Eh” Bits:
I am not a huge fan of books that require a sequel in order to tell a complete story and that is precisely what this book is. If you enjoy Power and Beauty, you will have no choice but to buy the second book when (not if) it comes out. I’m all for awesome follow-ups, but I also like books to be great as stand alones.
Plus in the first half of the book, there’s a lot of “telling” instead of “showing” as a writing instructor might put it. How often are you going to run into people who tell you their entire life story and motives for their actions in everyday conversation? Do I need the narrator to give me a full bio of a character every time a new character is introduced?
But David Ritz is the co-author and he’s a very accomplished author, so the writing itself is never poor or downright unreadable, but the way the story is told is sometimes cumbersome.
The Final Verdict:
Is it worth the read? Depends. Hardcore T.I. fans will love the book as well as urban fiction aficionados and really anyone who is looking for a quick story to get lost in for a few hours. It’s kind of a toss up if you are not a fan of that genre and/or are in fact something of a book snob like me. At the end of the day though, I applaud T.I. for being a business man with a diverse set of interests.Saved the best for last. Common’s memoir One Day It’ll All Make Sense (co-authored by Adam Bradley) is an excellent read. Sometimes when a celebrity “writes” a memoir, it comes off sounding inauthentic and the reader hears the co-author or ghost writer’s voice more so than the celebrity, but with Common, you hear his voice through out and it’s a pleasure. It feels like an honest story even through the complicated parts like his relationship with his father, past loves (You know about Erykah Badu, but did you know about Taraji P. Henson?) and his mission to constantly work on being a better father, son, artist and man.
The Interesting Bits:
Common’s relationship with his mother is adorable. His mom, Dr. Mahalia Ann Hines, provides the prologue and her stern, but loving voice is sprinkled into each chapter as she adds in her thoughts/perspectives on Common’s tales.
This is a smart book. Layered. Each chapter is titled after a Common song that is relevant to that chapter’s content and each chapter also begins with a letter from Common to various people in his life (Kanye, his dad, his mom, his daughter, etc). You see, Common is a prolific letter writer and someone with a very curious mind. Even with all of that though, Common’s stories are not just glossy bits of his life. The reader learns about embarrassing/awkward moments, hilarious (in retrospect) stunts he pulled as a kid growing up in Chicago and an inside look at what it was really like in those early Common Sense years.
Common is very careful when speaking of past relationships. He never throws anyone under the bus, but he does speak frankly about Erykah, Taraji, Serena and the mother of his daughter. Readers will find it very interesting the way that Erykah broke things off with Common and they might be surprised to find out which girlfriend Common’s mother bonded with the most.
The “Eh” Bits:
There is nothing “eh” about this memoir.
The Final Verdict:
This book is absolutely worth the read. This seems less a review than a gush fest, but it truly is one of my favorite books I’ve read so far this year. If you’re a fan of Common, you’ll learn a lot more about him and if you’re not someone who follows Common’s music, this book is a great introduction into the mind/life/inspirations of a talented contemporary artist.