By Mike Enemigo These former incarcerated authors turned their sentences into real-life experiences for millions of readers… Dominating the Essence and New York Times bestsellers lists, respectively, street literature, officially recognized as urban fiction, has evolved into a permanent part of American literature. Telling the often tragic stories of African-American men trapped in the gritty […]
By Mike Enemigo Donald Goines is considered by many to be the Godfather of street lit. Many of today’s street-lit stars including Kwame “Dutch” Teague, have been inspired by him. Born in Detroit to a relatively comfortable family, he attended Catholic elementary school and was expected to go into his family’s dry-cleaning business. Instead, after […]
Mike: Introduce yourself to the people. Who are you, where are you from? The Minister: They call me Minister. I’m from East Oakland [California]. How was life growing up in East Oakland? For me, life wasn’t about if you would jump off the porch, into the Game. The question was when you would make that […]
Iceberg Slim is credited with creating the street-lit genre with his 1967 autobiography Pimp: The Story of My Life, and though he sold over 6 million books before his death in 1992, it was Donald Goines who really ran with the genre. Goines, after learning about Iceberg Slim’s book Pimp while serving time in prison, […]
“If a person has done even a couple of years in prison and possess even the most basic means to obtain literature,…
The following week after Kano’s big birthday bash, Kano was approached by one of his foot soldiers, named Sticks.
My name is Wilberto “Guru” Belardo. I am a 41-year-old father of 5. I am also an incarcerated author who is…
The following day, Nino had a Chevy Impala, Crown Victoria, and Lexus RX450 SUV delivered to him at his home…
“I am not one who was born in the possession of knowledge; I am one who is fond of antiquity, and earnest…
Yada was sitting low in the driver’s seat of his car. It was parked next to a trash bin in the back of the parking lot, across from…