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By Matthew O'Brien. 1997
By Bill Fitzhugh, Kix Brooks, Ronnie Dunn. 2008
Exclusive CD! Brooks & Dunn's "Gotta Get Me One of Those" inside! Musicians by trade, Slim and Howdy have each…
come to a figurative crossroads in their lives. As fate would have it, they meet at these crossroads, never realizing it's a turning point in their lives. Forced by circumstances to share a truck, they take to the road in pursuit of a common goal--to make it as musicians on the country music circuit.But it seems no matter where these two travel, trouble finds them. Whether it's turning the tables on a crooked card shark who takes everything they have, or fending off the raging boyfriend of that friendly gal from last night, the guys are constantly needing to outwit the world. And when their friend and boss Jodie Lee disappears, their resourcefulness will truly be tested. Each of the guys has his theory, but they'll need to work together to get to their friend before time runs out.By Nick Kent. 2021
London 1968:The Unstable Boys are the name on every music insider''s lips and tipped to follow in the footsteps of…
the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. This is their chance to hit the bigtime. They don''t know they''re about to be obliterated by a series of tragedies and a chaotic breakup that puts paid to the band''s starry-eyed dreams of stratospheric success. One day you''re the dog''s bollocks; the next day you''re a nobody - fame is a fickle friend.London 2016:Bestselling crime writer Michael Martindale has reached breaking point. Estranged from his wife and children following the very public fallout of his disastrous affair, he is alone, with only his self-pity to keep him warm at night. Until he makes the mistake of publicly declaring his admiration for his teenage musical obsession, the Unstable Boys. When the band''s twisted and feral frontman, the Boy, turns up on his doorstep, Martindale quickly learns that sometimes you should be careful what you wish for.Razor-sharp and laced with a caustic wit, The Unstable Boys is a dark comic caper with an unmistakeable musicality from legendary music journalist Nick Kent.By Nick Kent. 2020
London 1968:The Unstable Boys are the name on every music insider's lips and tipped to follow in the footsteps of…
the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. This is their chance to hit the bigtime. They don't know they're about to be obliterated by a series of tragedies and a chaotic breakup that puts paid to the band's starry-eyed dreams of stratospheric success. One day you're the dog's bollocks; the next day you're a nobody - fame is a fickle friend.London 2016:Bestselling crime writer Michael Martindale has reached breaking point. Estranged from his wife and children following the very public fallout of his disastrous affair, he is alone, with only his self-pity to keep him warm at night. Until he makes the mistake of publicly declaring his admiration for his teenage musical obsession, the Unstable Boys. When the band's twisted and feral frontman, the Boy, turns up on his doorstep, Martindale quickly learns that sometimes you should be careful what you wish for.Razor-sharp and laced with a caustic wit, The Unstable Boys is a dark comic caper with an unmistakeable musicality from legendary music journalist Nick Kent.By Nick Kent. 2020
London 1968:The Unstable Boys are the name on every music insider's lips and tipped to follow in the footsteps of…
the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. This is their chance to hit the bigtime. They don't know they're about to be obliterated by a series of tragedies and a chaotic breakup that puts paid to the band's starry-eyed dreams of stratospheric success. One day you're the dog's bollocks; the next day you're a nobody - fame is a fickle friend.London 2016:Bestselling crime writer Michael Martindale has reached breaking point. Estranged from his wife and children following the very public fallout of his disastrous affair, he is alone, with only his self-pity to keep him warm at night. Until he makes the mistake of publicly declaring his admiration for his teenage musical obsession, the Unstable Boys. When the band's twisted and feral frontman, the Boy, turns up on his doorstep, Martindale quickly learns that sometimes you should be careful what you wish for.Razor-sharp and laced with a caustic wit, The Unstable Boys is a dark comic caper with an unmistakeable musicality from legendary music journalist Nick Kent.By Jeffery Deaver. 2017
From the author of The Goodbye Man, discover Jeffery Deaver's chilling series that inspired the film starring Angelina Jolie and…
Denzel Washington, and is now a major NBC TV series Number one bestselling author and master of suspense Jeffery Deaver returns with the thirteenth Lincoln Rhyme thriller, which sees a crime go global . . .When a man is snatched from a New York street in broad daylight, the only clue is a miniature noose left on the pavement. By the time criminal forensic scientist Lincoln Rhyme is involved, a video of the missing man is already online, his dying breaths set to a grisly music by someone calling himself The Composer. Rhyme and fellow investigator Amelia Sachs must follow The Composer across the globe as he continues his horrifying creation, kidnapping further victims to add their last breaths to his piece. But with Rhyme and Sachs in a whole new world with its own rules, how can they possibly guess what danger they're in when the music finally stops?'If you want thrills, Deaver is your man' Guardian'One of the most consistent writers of clever, entertaining and often thought-provoking thrillers in the world' Simon Kernick'Deaver is a master of plot twists, and they are abundant in this story...essential for fans of the franchise' Daily MailBy Andrea Frazer. 2012
Who would believe that choral singing could prove such a deadly pastime? Virginia and Richard Grainger, new members of the…
Standchester Choral Society, are looking forward, nervously, to their first public performance with the choir, in a production of Berlioz's 'Romeo and Juliet'.As the performance opens, though, tragedy strikes in the form of a very public death. While coping with the repercussions of this, Virginia also has to tussle with the personal problems of her next-door neighbour, Caroline.As plans to re-schedule the concert are being made, another death occurs, and Virginia begins to realise that her own life may be in danger, as she feels the tangled web of deceit and malice tighten around her …By Andrea Frazer. 2012
Who would believe that choral singing could prove such a deadly pastime? Virginia and Richard Grainger, new members of the…
Standchester Choral Society, are looking forward, nervously, to their first public performance with the choir, in a production of Berlioz's 'Romeo and Juliet'.As the performance opens, though, tragedy strikes in the form of a very public death. While coping with the repercussions of this, Virginia also has to tussle with the personal problems of her next-door neighbour, Caroline.As plans to re-schedule the concert are being made, another death occurs, and Virginia begins to realise that her own life may be in danger, as she feels the tangled web of deceit and malice tighten around her …'Reading this book for the second time' ***** Reader Review1965 - the heyday of Rock & Roll. Northern Lights are…
tipped to become as big as The Beatles. But after a gig in Newcastle, lead singer and creative genius, Gerry Crowther, vanishes into the foggy night. Later, his body is recovered from the River Tyne. Now, almost twenty years on, teen singing sensation Trudi Bell dominates the charts. As she prepares to release a new album, her manager Lew Pattison receives a demo tape from an unknown songwriter. Realising the music is unmistakeably the work of Gerry Crowther, Lew enlists the help of Adam and Eve to uncover the truth. But some people will stop at nothing to keep it buried . . .Vanishing Act is the third instalment in Bill Kitson's chilling and suspenseful Eden House mystery series. Perfect for fans of Peter James's Cold Hill series, Val McDermid and J M Dalgliesh.Readers are hooked on The Eden House Mysteries:'I couldn't sleep until I had finished this book' ***** Reader Review'The best book I have read in a while' ***** Reader Review'Captivating from start to finish. Brilliant page turner. I couldn't put it down' ***** Reader Review'Read the whole thing in a day' ***** Reader Review'One of the best authors I have come across' ***** Reader Review'More twists than a corkscrew' ***** Reader Review'The characters are brilliant and the story keeps you on the edge of your seat the whole time. Would highly recommend this book!' ***** Reader Review'Reading this book for the second time' ***** Reader Review1965 - the heyday of Rock & Roll. Northern Lights are…
tipped to become as big as The Beatles. But after a gig in Newcastle, lead singer and creative genius, Gerry Crowther, vanishes into the foggy night. Later, his body is recovered from the River Tyne. Now, almost twenty years on, teen singing sensation Trudi Bell dominates the charts. As she prepares to release a new album, her manager Lew Pattison receives a demo tape from an unknown songwriter. Realising the music is unmistakeably the work of Gerry Crowther, Lew enlists the help of Adam and Eve to uncover the truth. But some people will stop at nothing to keep it buried . . .Vanishing Act is the third instalment in Bill Kitson's chilling and suspenseful Eden House mystery series. Perfect for fans of Peter James's Cold Hill series, Val McDermid and J M Dalgliesh.Readers are hooked on The Eden House Mysteries:'I couldn't sleep until I had finished this book' ***** Reader Review'The best book I have read in a while' ***** Reader Review'Captivating from start to finish. Brilliant page turner. I couldn't put it down' ***** Reader Review'Read the whole thing in a day' ***** Reader Review'One of the best authors I have come across' ***** Reader Review'More twists than a corkscrew' ***** Reader Review'The characters are brilliant and the story keeps you on the edge of your seat the whole time. Would highly recommend this book!' ***** Reader ReviewBy Jeffery Deaver. 2017
From the author of The Goodbye Man, discover Jeffery Deaver's chilling series that inspired the film starring Angelina Jolie and…
Denzel Washington, and is now a major NBC TV series Number one bestselling author and master of suspense Jeffery Deaver returns with the thirteenth Lincoln Rhyme thriller, which sees a crime go global . . .When a man is snatched from a New York street in broad daylight, the only clue is a miniature noose left on the pavement. By the time criminal forensic scientist Lincoln Rhyme is involved, a video of the missing man is already online, his dying breaths set to a grisly music by someone calling himself The Composer. Rhyme and fellow investigator Amelia Sachs must follow The Composer across the globe as he continues his horrifying creation, kidnapping further victims to add their last breaths to his piece. But with Rhyme and Sachs in a whole new world with its own rules, how can they possibly guess what danger they're in when the music finally stops?'If you want thrills, Deaver is your man' Guardian'One of the most consistent writers of clever, entertaining and often thought-provoking thrillers in the world' Simon Kernick'Deaver is a master of plot twists, and they are abundant in this story...essential for fans of the franchise' Daily MailBy Michelle Davies. 2021
'A twisting tale about the dark undercurrents of fame and fortune. You'll read THE DEATH OF ME with your heart…
in your mouth.' Erin Kelly Is one of music's greatest mysteries about to be solved?'He was a massive star until he did a headline grabbing retreat from the spotlight - but his disappearing act was FAKED. Fans won't be happy when they find out - his reputation was dead in the water.'When Isaac Naylor committed suicide after a teenage fan was found dead in his hotel room, the world thought it had lost one of the greatest rock stars of a generation. Naylor, lead singer of The Ospreys, had been arrested for causing the girl's death and was on police bail when he drowned himself in the sea off the Devon coast.Now, eight years on, music journalist Natalie Glass stumbles across a blind item on a US gossip website that suggests Naylor's death wasn't quite what it seemed - and he might in fact still be alive.But as she delves deeper into what happened, Natalie finds she has a stark choice: give up trying to find out what happened to Naylor or risk her own obituary ending up in print.By Jeffery Deaver. 2017
Number one bestselling author and master of suspense Jeffery Deaver returns with the thirteenth Lincoln Rhyme thriller, which sees a…
crime go global...The only leads in a broad-daylight kidnapping are the account of an eight-year-old girl, some nearly invisible trace evidence and the calling card: a miniature noose left lying on the street. A crime scene this puzzling demands forensic expertise of the highest order. Lincoln Rhyme and Amelia Sachs are called in to investigate. Then the case takes a stranger turn: a recording surfaces of the victim being slowly hanged, his desperate gasps the backdrop to an eerie piece of music. The video is marked as the work of The Composer...Despite their best efforts, the suspect gets away. So when a similar kidnapping occurs on a dusty road outside Naples, Rhyme and Sachs don't hesitate to rejoin the hunt. But the search is now a complex case of international cooperation - and not all those involved may be who they seem. All they can do is follow the evidence, before their time runs out.(P)2017 Hodder & Stoughton LimitedBy Michelle Davies. 2021
When Isaac Naylor committed suicide after a teenage fan was found dead in his hotel room, the world thought it…
had lost one of the greatest rock stars of a generation. Naylor, lead singer of The Ospreys, had been arrested for causing the girl's death and was on police bail when he drowned himself in the sea off the Devon coast, leaving two notes addressed to his bandmates and his younger brother, Toby, discarded on the beach.Now, eight years on, music journalist Natalie Glass stumbles across a blind item on a US gossip website that suggests Naylor's death wasn't quite what it seemed - and he might in fact still be alive. The item claims he is the mystery songwriter who has for the past year been submitting lyrics to producers in London via his lawyer for other artists to record. He insists on anonymity and the only person who knows his identity is the lawyer.But as she delves deeper into what happened, the plot to stop her intensifies and Natalie finds she has a stark choice: give up trying to find out what happened to Naylor or risk her own obituary ending up in print.'Reading this book for the second time' ***** Reader Review1965 - the heyday of Rock & Roll. Northern Lights are…
tipped to become as big as The Beatles. But after a gig in Newcastle, lead singer and creative genius, Gerry Crowther, vanishes into the foggy night. Later, his body is recovered from the River Tyne. Now, almost twenty years on, teen singing sensation Trudi Bell dominates the charts. As she prepares to release a new album, her manager Lew Pattison receives a demo tape from an unknown songwriter. Realising the music is unmistakeably the work of Gerry Crowther, Lew enlists the help of Adam and Eve to uncover the truth. But some people will stop at nothing to keep it buried . . .Vanishing Act is the third instalment in Bill Kitson's chilling and suspenseful Eden House mystery series. Perfect for fans of Peter James's Cold Hill series, Val McDermid and J M Dalgliesh.Readers are hooked on The Eden House Mysteries:'I couldn't sleep until I had finished this book' ***** Reader Review'The best book I have read in a while' ***** Reader Review'Captivating from start to finish. Brilliant page turner. I couldn't put it down' ***** Reader Review'Read the whole thing in a day' ***** Reader Review'One of the best authors I have come across' ***** Reader Review'More twists than a corkscrew' ***** Reader Review'The characters are brilliant and the story keeps you on the edge of your seat the whole time. Would highly recommendthis book!' ***** Reader Review(P) 2021 Headline Publishing Group LtdBy Dennis Cooper, James Greer. 2006
"Artificial Light beats the bejeezus out of the last dozen Thomas Pynchons, the last nineteen Don DeLillos, and the last…
forty-three Kurt Vonneguts."--Richard MeltzerStunningly written in prose that is poetic, gripping, and highly adventurous, Artificial Light may be the first American novel to successfully treat the alternative rock scene of the 1990s as a subject for serious literature.James Greer, a novelist and screenwriter, has written for Spin, Tennis Magazine, Sunfish Holy Breakfast, and Paris Hilton. He is the author of Guided by Voices: A Brief History: Twenty-One Years of Hunting Accidents in the Forests of Rock 'n' Roll (Grove, 2005). He lives in Los Angeles.'Reading this book for the second time' ***** Reader Review1965 - the heyday of Rock & Roll. Northern Lights are…
tipped to become as big as The Beatles. But after a gig in Newcastle, lead singer and creative genius, Gerry Crowther, vanishes into the foggy night. Later, his body is recovered from the River Tyne. Now, almost twenty years on, teen singing sensation Trudi Bell dominates the charts. As she prepares to release a new album, her manager Lew Pattison receives a demo tape from an unknown songwriter. Realising the music is unmistakeably the work of Gerry Crowther, Lew enlists the help of Adam and Eve to uncover the truth. But some people will stop at nothing to keep it buried . . .Vanishing Act is the third instalment in Bill Kitson's chilling and suspenseful Eden House mystery series. Perfect for fans of Peter James's Cold Hill series, Val McDermid and J M Dalgliesh.Readers are hooked on The Eden House Mysteries:'I couldn't sleep until I had finished this book' ***** Reader Review'The best book I have read in a while' ***** Reader Review'Captivating from start to finish. Brilliant page turner. I couldn't put it down' ***** Reader Review'Read the whole thing in a day' ***** Reader Review'One of the best authors I have come across' ***** Reader Review'More twists than a corkscrew' ***** Reader Review'The characters are brilliant and the story keeps you on the edge of your seat the whole time. Would highly recommend this book!' ***** Reader ReviewBy Albert Johnson. 2013
"A gritty, fast-paced tale of revenge...Tight, terse prose harkens back to pulp fiction of the 1950s...The work is a breath…
of fresh air from lengthy, trying-too-hard-to-shock street lit and is an excellent choice for all metropolitan collections."--Library Journal (starred review, Pick of the Month)"The urban setting is unnamed but familiar in this brief, bloody tale of wasted lives lived short and hard."--Publishers Weekly"Simultaneously a fast-paced crime drama and an engrossing, unsentimental moral tale, H.N.I.C. peers into the dark heart that underpins the codes of loyalty and friendship, betrayal and vengeance."--Brooklyn Daily Eagle"In a genre that too often places incorrect ebonics in the mouths of black characters and fails to cross the empathy gap to get into their heads, Savile and Prodigy arrive at a seamless voice that is a refreshing take on crime fiction tropes...if tone and texture are what you're looking for in your hardcore literature...H.N.I.C. delivers the goods."--Okayplayer"H.N.I.C. is written by Prodigy himself and shows the extent to which good rappers can make good storytellers."--Brooklyn Based"Ultimately, H.N.I.C. deals on all the right levels and is completely satisfying."--Blackout Book Review"If you don't have this novella in your library collection already, please be on the lookout for this 2013 release, H.N.I.C., penned by Hip Hop artist Prodigy of the group, Mobb Deep."--StreetLiterature.com"The strength of this novella, in addition to its straightforward prose and rapid pacing, rests on the universal theme at its center: loyalty. Loyalty and the bullshit our friends put us through...Like any good work of crime, H.N.I.C. is grounded in such common experiences and, like any good work of crime, it speaks to all of us, despite the fact that very few of us can bypass an alarm system through some computer trickery."--Nerds of a Feather, Flock Together"It tells the...urban tale of deceit, greed and questioned loyalty with just enough drama to keep you turning the pages."--Literary Jewels"A brutal and quick read...custom-made for the big screen."--Charles Tatum's Review ArchiveProdigy, from the legendary hip-hop group Mobb Deep, launches Akashic's new Infamous Books imprint with a story of loyalty, vengeance, and greed.Pappy tries to break out of the game before the head of his crew, Black, gets them all killed. Against his better judgment Pappy agrees to do one last job, but only because it's the price of his freedom. He knows his "brother" Black would rather see him dead than let him walk away. Yet he still agrees to do the job because Black isn't the only one who can't be trusted.Further developing the stark realism and uncompromising streetwise narratives of his lyrics, H.N.I.C. cements Prodigy's position as one of the foremost chroniclers of contemporary urban life. Simultaneously a fast-paced crime drama and an engrossing, unsentimental moral tale, H.N.I.C. peers into the dark heart that underpins the codes of loyalty and friendship, betrayal and vengeance.With H.N.I.C., Prodigy inaugurates Infamous Books, a revolutionary partnership that pairs the Infamous Records brand with Brooklyn-based independent publisher Akashic Books. Infamous Books' mission is to connect readers worldwide to crime fiction and street lit authors both familiar and new.By Nelson George. 2015
Nominated for the Brooklyn Public Library's Brooklyn Eagles Literary Prize for Fiction"This is a fine mystery and [protagonist] D Hunter…
is as world weary, yet steadfast, as Philip Marloew, Spenser, Dave Robicheaux, or Easy Rawlins. A definite yes to purchase for both mystery and African American collections."--Library Journal (Starred Review, Pick of the Month)"George covers a lot of ground with style: the rhythm-and-blues music scene past and present, the sometimes startling evolution of Brooklyn and its environs, and the multitude of hangers-on, wannabes, and grifters who want a piece of the action."--Publishers Weekly"Real relationships and real talk frame the mashup of mysteries in George's street-framed series."--Kirkus Reviews"The wonderful sing-song street slang dialogue and esoteric industry knowledge make The Lost Treasures of R&B a richly entertaining addition to George's evolving series."--Shelf Awareness"George uses The Lost Treasures of R&B to tackle the hot-button issue of the gentrification of Brooklyn (and elsewhere) as protagonist D struggles to come to terms with the ghosts of his childhood in 'old Brooklyn.'"--Philadelphia Tribune"Written in the spirit of authors such as Walter Mosley and Donald Goines...The book blends music from the past with thug appeal of the present to appeal to young and old alike."--Baltimore Times"George is a historian of his culture."--The Stranger"Hunter is back in Brooklyn solving a mystery that has a backdrop firmly on the R&B scene."--NBCBLK, 14 Books to Read This Black History Month"Like its predecessor this installment of D's story fuses music, history, and crime on the streets of New York."--Flavorpill NYC"Nelson George delivers an entertaining and hard-boiled look at the music scene, and raises the question of proprietary rights and black culture."--MysteryPeople, One of Three Picks for February"As a huge R&B fan, when I ran across the title, The Lost Treasures of R&B, I just had to read it...and I'm glad I did."--Underrated ReadsProfessional bodyguard D Hunter takes a gig protecting rapper Asya Roc at an underground fight club in poverty-stricken Brownsville, Brooklyn. Unknown to D, the rapper has arranged to purchase illegal guns at the event. An acquaintance of D from the streets (and from the novel The Plot Against Hip Hop) named Ice turns out to be the courier.During the exchange a robbery is attempted. Ice is wounded. D gets Asya Roc to safety but is then chased by two gunmen because he has the bag containing the guns. This lethal chase ends under the elevated subway where D and the two gunmen run into a corrupt detective named Rivera. A bloody shootout ensues.D, who has just moved back to Brooklyn after decades in Manhattan, finds himself involved in multiple mysteries. Who were the gunmen? Why were they after the guns? Who was being set up--Asya Roc or Ice? Meanwhile, he gets a much-needed paying assignment to track down the rarest soul music single ever recorded.With gentrifying Brooklyn as the backdrop, D works to unravel various mysteries--both criminal and musical--while coming to terms with the failure of his security company and the ghosts of his childhood in "old Brooklyn." Like its predecessors The Accidental Hunter and The Plot Against Hip Hop, The Lost Treasures of R&B uses pop music as the backdrop for a noir-flavored big-city tale.By Nelson George. 2011
Finalist for the 2012 NAACP Image Award in Literature!"George is an ace at interlacing the real dramas of the world...the…
book's slim length and flyweight depth could make it an artifact of this particular zeitgeist in American history. Playas and haters and celebrity cameos fuel a novel that is wickedly entertaining while being frozen in time."--Kirkus Reviews"This hard-boiled tale is jazzed up with authentic street slang and name-dropping (Biggie, Mary J. Blige, Lil Wayne, and Chuck D)...George's tightly packaged mystery pivots on a believable conspiracy...and his street cred shines in his descriptions of Harlem and Brownsville's mean streets."--Library Journal"George is a well-known, respected hip-hop chronicler...Now he adds crime fiction to his resume with a carefully plotted crime novel peopled by believable characters and real-life hip-hop personalities."--Booklist"George's prose sparkles with an effortless humanity, bringing his characters to life in a way that seems true and beautiful. The story--and the conspiracy behind it--is one we all need to hear as consumers and creators in the post-hardcore hip-hop world."--Shelf Awareness"Part procedural murder mystery, part conspiracy-theory manifesto, Nelson George's The Plot Against Hip Hop reads like the PTSD fever dream of a renegade who's done several tours of duty in the trenches...Plot's combination of record-biz knowledge and ghetto fabulosity could have been written only by venerable music journalist Nelson George, who knows his hip-hop history...The writing is as New York as 'Empire State of Mind,' and D is a detective compelling enough to anchor a series."--Time Out New York"A breakbeat detective story...George invents as much as he curates, as outlandish conspiracy theories clash with real-life figures. But what makes the book such a fascinating read is its simultaneous strict adherence to hip-hop's archetypes and tropes while candidly acknowledging the absurdity of the music's current big-business era. There's a late-capitalism logic at work here. If this book had been written in the early '90s, it would have been about the insurgent artistry of hip-hop musicians and the social-justice strides the genre was effecting. Today, it's a procedural about the death of principles."--Time Out Chicago"Like good hip hop, there is social commentary and a blurring of the lines between great storytelling and all-to-real happenings. The Plot Against Hip Hop reads almost like Thomas Pynchon's Inherent Vice, but in the world of rap music. Brilliant prose, vast conspiracy, (at times) borderline trippy narrative. If you love crime fiction and you love hip hop, this book is a must read."--BookRiot"The Plot Against Hip Hop is a quick-moving murder mystery that educates its audience on Hip Hop's pioneer generation along the way...it is a nostalgic look at a magical and manic moment in time."--New York Journal of Books"George very masterfully has created a novel that informs as well as entertains."--Huffington PostThe Plot Against Hip Hop is a noir novel set in the world of hip hop culture. The stabbing murder of esteemed music critic Dwayne Robinson in a Soho office building is dismissed by the NYPD as a gang initiation. But his old friend, bodyguard and security expert D Hunter, suspects there are larger forces at work.D Hunter's investigation into his mentor's murder leads into a parallel history of hip hop, a place where renegade government agents, behind-the-scenes power brokers, and paranoid journalists know a truth that only a few hardcore fans suspect. This rewrite of hip hop history mixes real-life figures with characters pulled from the culture's hidden world, including Jay-Z, Kanye West, and Russell Simmons.