Share My Life: A Journey of Love, Faith, and Redemption. Kem, with David Ritz. 2023. Simon & Schuster. 272 pages. [Source: ARC provided by the publisher courtesy of Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.] Before reading Share My Life, I wouldn’t have called myself a die-hard Kem fan. I was certainly familiar with some of his larger hits, but I had little familiarity with his overall career or his persona as an artist.  That unfamiliarity allowed me to come into this book with no expectations or assumptions about Kem or his life experiences. Taking its title from one of Kem’s chart-topping hit singles, Share My Life is the story of Kem’s life.  Central to his retelling are themes of family, relationships, work, and faith. The timeline is robust, and actually begins significantly with his mother’s upbringing and the circumstances of his birth. The structure then follows chronologically, following as he moves from Tennessee to Detroit, his discovery of family secrets, and eventual spiral into substance abuse. Share My Life clocks in with 59 chapters, but Kem’s conversational style and thematic chapters make the book very engaging and difficult to put down. What I found especially appealing about this book…

From Staircase to Stage. Raekwon with Anthony Bozza . 2021. Gallery Books. 320 pages. [Source: Personal copy.] I’ll be the first to admit that while Wu-Tang Clan is a legendary hip-hop supergroup, I was woefully unaware of their story. I’ve always known a world in which the group is highly respected and lauded for their artistry, but only recently have I had the opportunity to really delve into the group’s origin and overall career arc.  Raekwon’s autobiography, From Staircase to Stage was my first foray into Wu Tang’s story, and I’m ashamed that it took so long. From Staircase to Stage is Raekwon’s story, without a doubt. He provides an in-depth look into his life from his childhood, before he fathomed becoming a musician, to his current life as an established artist renowned for his lyricism. From his early days as a drug dealer, to his antics while on the road with the group, and into adulthood, he shares a lot of himself.  I appreciate that he takes a reflective approach; he’s had a lot of ups and downs but there’s a lot of clarity he shares along with the experiences.  He readily admits his shortcomings without shying away from…

You Are Ketchup: And Other Fly Music Industry Tales. Kokayi. 2022. Backbeat Books. 212 pages. [Source: Public library.] As a longtime DMV* resident and fan of countless musicians originating here, I’m not a stranger to seeing Kokayi’s name, well, everywhere. I wasn’t, however, familiar with the full scope of his career, and when the opportunity came to read his new release, You Are Ketchup, I jumped at the chance.  Y.A.K. is part memoir-part advice manual for up-and-coming musicians/artists, but is filled with career, life, and love lessons for anyone who picks it up.  Using the metaphor of ketchup as a commodity, Kokayi sets artists up for critical thought and planning about their talent, marketability, aspirations, and expectations — nearly every aspect of their career .  He’s not preachy or even “one size fits all,” in his approach, and he doesn’t hold any cards.  The game is the game, and the way he presents his own experiences allows for direct advice to help artists move through their career with intentionality so they can actually enjoy one with longevity and viability. Kokayi is a brilliant storyteller and deftly balances painful memories and honest truths with just enough humor to take the edge…

The Last Black Unicorn. Tiffany Haddish. 2017. 289 pages. [Source: Public library.] It’s rare that a book has me actually laughing out loud nearly the entire time I read it. Most comedic books are funny, but not that funny. Tiffany Haddish easily kept me in stitches throughout The Last Black Unicorn, perhaps more so because it was an audiobook narrated by Haddish herself. In her autobiography, Haddish covers it all — her unstable upbringing, abusive/manipulative relationships, and the stop-and-go evolution of her career. There are energizing highs, and heart wrenching lows. But what’s undeniable is Haddish’s ability to tell these stories with candor and humor. She states early on in the book that readers will either laugh or cry, and that she’d her best to have them do the second. Without question, she’s presented a book that strikes a fair balance of honesty without turning it into a sob story. In fact, I’d say that at times, the way she presents things is almost bordering on the ridiculous, yet she always brings it home. What stands out to me about this book is how transparent Haddish is about her various experiences. She’s upfront and detailed about her missteps, even those…

The Autobiography of Gucci Mane. Gucci Mane & Neil Martinez-Belkin. 2017. Simon & Schuster. 270 pages. [Source: Public library]. Trap God. Guwop. Gucci Mane. Radric Davis. All names for the same man whose career — and rap sheet — has read like a series of unfortunate events. Admittedly, I am not a Gucci Mane fan. There are a handful of songs of his that I like, but otherwise, I’ve only been as familiar with him as Twitter’s trending topics demanded.  Nonetheless, I was intrigued by the fact that a rapper who has spent at least a third of his “fame” behind bars still maintained a near cult-like fan base. I picked up this book mostly because I didn’t understand quite why the man with an ice-cream cone tat on his cheek actually got a book deal. I heard he had a “glow up” after his most recent prison stint, and figured this was part of it.  I put myself on the hold list with my local library and came into this book with low expectations. I was hating a little bit, but I was genuinely interested in what he had to share. When I started reading, though?