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In her latest novel she plunges a female bond agent with a troubling past into the graffiti subculture, where a dangerous and unpredictable fate awaits.
EXPLICIT CONTENTThe first work in the emerging genre of hip hop fiction to feature heroines, Explicit Content explores the changing face of hip hop...
PICTURE ME ROLLIN'In this hardcore novel of love and betrayal, a female ex-con moved by the power, poetry, and dangerous passion of Tupac Shakur...
EXPLICIT CONTENTAugust 2004
Cassandra Rivers and Leila Aponte are so different, it took a catfight in their junior high school locker room to cross their paths. Since then they have been two sides of the same coin, bonded by their passion for hip hop and their shared dream of becoming recording artists. Although Leila craves fame and Cassandra prizes her artistic freedom, the duo of Fatal Beauty and Sabrina Steelo remain true to their dream and their friendship. That is, until gangsta rap mogul Gregory ''G Double D'' Downs comes along and splits the duo by signing Leila to his label Explicit Content. Stung by the betrayal, Cassandra struggles to push forward as a solo artist.
But when Leila's career seems to fizzle as quickly as it exploded, G Double D courts Cassandra. Despite rumors about Explicit Content's financial woes, shady dealings and self-destructive artists, Cassandra finds herself seduced by his promises. Just when it seems that Cassandra will have her cake and eat it, too, she learns the truth about Explicit Content and the threat it poses to Leila and every other pretty yet lonely young woman seeking the fleeting validation of a gilded industry. Cassandra must decide just how much she is willing to compromise her ideals to realize her dreams, and the wrong decision can cost her much more than her career.
“Fans of Sister Souljah's The Coldest Winter Ever (1999) will find this debut novel just as tantalizing… Full of suspense and twists, this a page-turner of an urban story about friendship and the importance of being patient and doing things the right--not quick—way.” Booklist
“Love. Drama. Honor. Heart. Black Artemis in her debut drop, Explicit Content, delivers the goods.” Gary Phillips, Author of Bangers
“…An excellent look at hip-hop history and culture without the weight of academic draping, Explicit Content combines multi-racial and cultural roots, witty language, absorbing plot and exciting characters gives this book its depth while providing a quick read and lots of entertaining moments.” New York Daily News
“…fluid and thrilling hip hop fiction...” femalehiphop.net
“Cutting edge hip-hop noir – a sista-centered, cipher-crushing thriller that can be so real it hurts.” Jeff Chang, author of Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop: A History of the Hip-Hop Culture
“…[Black Artemis] firmly establishes herself as a significant writer whose voice is at once idealistic and realistic. Like a true hip hop artist, she understands the power of the genre to sway minds and not just move butts, and skillfully uses her art to enlighten as well as entertain…” Urban Latino
“And the Sun Gods sent down a powerful ray of light toward earth and named her Black Artemis. The streets, yearning for a serving of realness and truth, in a language that speaks to all of us, celebrate the arrival of Explicit Content, eating up the pages as if it were the Last Supper.” Toni Blackman, author of Inner-Course
“Black Artemis' debut novel, Explicit Content, is one of the best hip-hop stories to date. Urban and gritty she reveals the not so nice side of the rap music industry. Explicit Content is truly enjoyable and will give the die-hard hip hoppers a real treat.” Readincolor Reviewers
“Artemis's intricate weaving of complex social, musical and political machinations of the music industry suggest that she could be someone who has actually lived her novel. Many references in the characters’s dialogue are perfectly timed and when uttered are nothing short of brilliant… It's not preachy. It’s either you get it or you don't, and it's not asking you to side with her, but it projects her ideology from a position of strength and at times moral hindsight.” Playahata.com
BURN
In her latest novel she plunges a female bond agent with a troubling past into the graffiti subculture, where a dangerous and unpredictable fate awaits.
PICTURE ME ROLLIN'
In this hardcore novel of love and betrayal, a female ex-con moved by the power, poetry, and dangerous passion of Tupac Shakur...