Raw

Starred review from January 22, 2018
“I don’t consider myself an ex–drug dealer or an ex-criminal,” rapper Hawkins writes in this sage, fast-paced memoir. “I consider myself to be an experienced fucking person who went through a lot of hell to come out right and get where I am today.” Hawkins, a member of the Wu-Tang Clan, describes New York during the less glamorous (and more dangerous) 1970s through the early 1990s, when lived with his single mother in a crack-ravaged Staten Island neighborhood; he dealt drugs as a teenager, eventually running a mini-empire. During this time, Hawkins and his friend Method Man honed their rap skills. They joined other determined, songwriters to form the Wu-Tang Clan. Along the way, Hawkins spent a year in prison for drug possession and, sometime after, was admitted to a mental institution after he was found wandering around his neighborhood in a bathrobe (“Maybe one of my girlfriends poisoned me”); he became a father and later dated Janet Jackson, on whom he had had a crush as a kid. Hawkins is a wonderful storyteller who spares no detail (he writes of using plastic wrap as a prophylactic), and his willingness to share his wisdom in nonsaccharine terms yields an inspirational coming-of-age story. Agent: Marc Gerald, United Talent Agency.

February 1, 2018
Gritty memoir from a meditative drug dealer-turned-rapper, a key member of ferocious Staten Island hip-hop group the Wu-Tang Clan.The Wu-Tang Clan made their mark through being unusual in their myth-inflected back story, a posse of distinct street-focused perspectives. Before that, "U-God" Hawkins absorbed the realities of urban poverty firsthand in a Park Hill housing project. "Only the pure of heart make it out of the ghetto," writes the author. As a teenager, he ran a lucrative crack enterprise, learning about violence and survival and eventually serving prison time. "I was content with my small operation," he writes, "making enough to get by and taking care of my peoples." At the same time, he was developing rhymes with what evolved into the Wu-Tang core. Their genesis isn't discussed until halfway through the book, and other members are sketched broadly beyond amusing anecdotes of hardscrabble early years. Hawkins suggests their success was marred by infighting and unequal emphasis on contributions by prominent members RZA, Method Man, and Ol' Dirty Bastard, about whom the author notes, "If Dirty hadn't died, I think the Wu would be in better standing." Regarding his own solo project, he claims, "we couldn't get the same support from the entire Clan the way [other members'] records had been supported." By the end, Hawkins' narrative becomes rancorous; regarding his lawsuit against RZA, he writes, "he got rich, but I still don't know what I'm due." By 2010, "the supergroup was splintering apart." Hawkins notes even the notorious Wu-Tang "one copy" LP purchased by Martin Shkreli wasn't really a legitimate project. The author writes in a casual style that will entertain fans of the group and its era, but the narrative becomes muddled and disingenuous. Hawkins brags about his own redemption and embrace of an underground values system termed "Supreme Mathematics," yet he writes dismissively of barely provoked violent acts by Wu-Tang associates and himself.A rambling and heartfelt account, vivid in its recollections of 1990s East Coast hip-hop.

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March 1, 2018

The Wu-Tang Clan (the name was taken from the 1983 film Shaolin and Wu Tang) remain one of hip-hop's most recognizable and influential groups. This year is the 25th anniversary of their seminal first album, Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers). When you think of the band, Hawkins aka "U-God" (short for Universal God), might not be the first name to spring to mind. He was the eighth member of the group to record a solo album but was there from the beginning and has quite a tale to tell. This is an engaging journey, and it's not all fame and fortune, but U-God's voice is real. He's generous with advice and caution, relating the inside story. His 2013 CD, The Keynote Speaker, was well reviewed, and the book ends with the hope that the remaining members of the group will reunite. VERDICT This firsthand account of the innovative hip-hop collective is recommended. Fans will be thrilled to hear U-God's voice again. [See Prepub Alert, 10/4/17.]--Bill Baars, Lake Oswego P.L., OR

Copyright 2018 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 1, 2018

The Wu-Tang Clan boasts seven gold and platinum studio albums and was proclaimed the best rap group ever by Rolling Stone, but there's more to learn. Here's a chance to get the full story, told by one of the group's founding members. Look for a national tour and library marketing.

Copyright 2017 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.