Rise of a Killah

Rise of a Killah
Author: Ghostface Killah
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Total Pages: 334
Release: 2024-05-14
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 1250274281

The story of the celebrated rapper and the iconic Wu-Tang Clan, told by one of its founding members Dennis Coles—aka Ghostface Killah—is a co-founder of the Wu-Tang Clan, a legendary hip hop group who established themselves by breaking all the rules, taking their music to the streets during hip hop’s golden era on a decade-long wave of releasing anthem after classic anthem, and serving as the foundation of modern hip hop. An all-star cast who formed like Voltron to establish the pillars that serve as the foundation of modern hip hop and released seminal albums that have stood the test of time. Rise of a Killah is Ghost’s autobiography, focusing on the people, places and events that mean the most to him as he enters his fourth decade writing and performing. It’s a beautiful and intense book, going back to the creative ferment that led to Ghost’s first handwritten rhymes. Dive into Ghost’s defining personal moments, his battles with his personal demons, his journey to Africa, his religious viewpoints, his childhood in Staten Island, and his commitment to his family (including his two brothers with muscular dystrophy), from the Clan’s early successes to the pinnacle of Ghost’s career touring and spreading his wings as a solo artist, fashion icon, and trendsetter. Exclusive photos and memorabilia, as well as graphic art commissioned for this book, make Rise of a Killah both a memoir and a unique visual record, a “real feel” narrative of Ghost’s life as he sees it, a one of a kind holy grail for Wu-Tang and Ghost fans alike.

Iron Age

Iron Age
Author: Dean Van Nguyen
Publisher: Independently Published
Total Pages: 124
Release: 2019-06-26
Genre:
ISBN: 9781094740003

In the beginning, he was one of nine-the Wu-Tang Clan's first swordsman. But much more than just 11.11% of a greater entity, Ghostface Killah established himself as a seminal rapper in hip-hop history and one of the greatest artists to skulk the planet. In a series of essays that blend music criticism, cultural examination, and personal appreciation, Dean Van Nguyen examines every side of Ghost's bionic make-up. This essential collection is for students of East Coast rap, comic book culture, grindhouse cinema, and New York history. Most of all, it's for fans of the almighty Ghostface Killah, one of the most thrilling, fascinating rappers of our time.

Cell Block Z

Cell Block Z
Author: Ghostface Killah
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Total Pages: 106
Release: 2009-07-29
Genre: Comics & Graphic Novels
ISBN: 0446550930

Read the thrilling novel as a heavyweight champion is framed for a murder he didn't commit and now he finds himself being transformed into something not-quite-so-human. To his fans, Cole Dennis is a heavyweight contender with a devastating right hook. To a city being held hostage to chaos and terror, Dennis has a grit and charisma that make him the shining hope for justice--until he is arrested for a brutal murder. Framed for a crime he did not commit, he finds himself captive in a foreboding high-tech superprison whose masters secretly conspire to turn inmates into tomorrow's most terrifying bioweapons--with Cole Dennis as the intended prize specimen. But Dennis is nobody's lab rat. Reborn as a towering engine of destruction, Dennis will prepare for the fight of his life. He will rename himself Ghostface Killah. And his cry of righteous rage will echo beyond the cold steel walls of Cell Block Z.

Raw

Raw
Author: Lamont "U-God" Hawkins
Publisher: Picador
Total Pages: 302
Release: 2018-03-06
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 1250191181

A PERFECT COMPANION READ TO THE SHOWTIME DOCUMENTARY, WU-TANG CLAN: OF MICS AND MEN Selected as a Best Book of the Year by Esquire "Couldn't put it down." – Charlamagne Tha God "Mesmerizing." – Raekwon da Chef "Insightful, moving, necessary." – Shea Serrano "Cathartic." –The New Yorker "A classic." –The Washington Post The explosive, never-before-told story behind the historicrise of the Wu-Tang Clan, as told by one of its founding members, Lamont "U-God" Hawkins. “It’s time to write down not only my legacy, but the story of nine dirt-bomb street thugs who took our everyday life—scrappin’ and hustlin’and tryin’ to survive in the urban jungle of New York City—and turned that into something bigger than we could possibly imagine, something that took us out of the projects for good, which was the only thing we all wanted in the first place.” —Lamont "U-God" Hawkins The Wu-Tang Clan are considered hip-hop royalty. Remarkably, none of the founding members have told their story—until now. Here, for the first time, the quiet one speaks. Lamont “U-God” Hawkins was born in Brownsville, New York, in 1970. Raised by a single mother and forced to reckon with the hostile conditions of project life, U-God learned from an early age how to survive. And surviving in New York City in the 1970s and 1980s was no easy task—especially as a young black boy living in some of the city’s most ignored and destitute districts. But, along the way, he met and befriended those who would eventually form the Clan’s core: RZA, GZA, Method Man, Raekwon, Ol’ Dirty Bastard, Inspectah Deck, Ghostface Killah, and Masta Killa. Brought up by the streets, and bonding over their love of hip-hop, they sought to pursue the impossible: music as their ticket out of the ghetto. U-God’s unforgettable first-person account of his journey,from the streets of Brooklyn to some of the biggest stages around the world, is not only thoroughly affecting, unfiltered, and explosive but also captures, invivid detail, the making of one of the greatest acts in American music history.

From Staircase to Stage

From Staircase to Stage
Author: Raekwon
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 320
Release: 2021-11-30
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 1398504505

Legendary wordsmith Raekwon the Chef opens up about his journey from the staircases of Park Hill in Staten Island to sold-out stadiums around the world with the Wu-Tang Clan in this revealing memoir - perfect for fans of The Autobiography of Gucci Mane and Hustle Harder, Hustle Smarter. There are rappers that everyone loves and there are rappers that every rapper loves, and Corey Woods, a.k.a. Raekwon the Chef, is one of the few who is both. His versatile flow, natural storytelling and evocative imagery has inspired legions of fans and a new generation of rappers. As one of the founding members of Wu-Tang Clan, Raekwon’s voice and cadence is synonymous with the inimitable sound that has made the group iconic since 1991. Now, for the first time, Raekwon tells his full story, from struggling through poverty to make ends meet to turning a hobby into a legacy. The Wu-Tang story is dense, complex and full of drama, and here nothing is off limits: the group’s underground origins, secrets behind songs like 'C.R.E.A.M.' and 'Protect Ya Neck', and what it took to be one of the first hip-hop groups to break into the mainstream. Raekwon also dives deep into the making of his meticulous solo albums - particularly the classic Only Built 4 Cuban Linx - and talks about how spirituality and fatherhood continue to inspire his unstoppable creative process. A celebration of perseverance and the power of music, From Staircase to Stage is a master storyteller’s lifelong journey to stay true to himself and his roots.

The Tao of Wu

The Tao of Wu
Author: The RZA
Publisher: Penguin
Total Pages: 225
Release: 2010-11-02
Genre: Music
ISBN: 1594484856

From the founder of the Wu-Tang Clan—celebrating their 25th anniversary this year—an inspirational book for the hip hop fan. The RZA, founder of the Wu-Tang Clan, imparts the lessons he's learned on his journey from the Staten Island projects to international superstardom. A devout student of knowledge in every form in which he's found it, he distills here the wisdom he's acquired into seven "pillars," each based on a formative event in his life-from the moment he first heard the call of hip-hop to the death of his cousin and Clan- mate, Russell Jones, aka ODB. Delivered in RZA's unmistakable style, at once surprising, profound, and provocative, The Tao of Wu is a spiritual memoir the world has never seen before, and will never see again. A nonfiction Siddhartha for the hip-hop generation from the author of The Wu-Tang Manual, it will enlighten, entertain, and inspire.

Twelve Reasons To Die

Twelve Reasons To Die
Author: Ghostface Killah
Publisher: Black Mask Studios
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2020-11-24
Genre: Comics & Graphic Novels
ISBN: 9781628750126

Guns. Sex. Vinyl. Revenge. Wu-Tang Clan's Ghostface Killah and RZA teamed with then young-gun writers Matthew Rosenberg (Uncanny X-Men, 4 Kids Walk Into A Bank) & Patrick Kindlon (Survival Fetish, Nobody Is In Control) for this brutal tale of a dangerous crime lord's rise and fall. Featuring art by Nate Powell (March), Ryan Kelly (DMZ), Tim Seeley (Nightwing), Kyle Strahm (Spread), Tyler Crook (Harrow County), Joelle Jones (Ladykiller), Toby Cypress (Rodd Racer), Riley Rossmo (Batman), and many more.

The World According to Pretty Toney

The World According to Pretty Toney
Author: Ghostface Killah (Rapper)
Publisher: MTV Press
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2007
Genre: African American young men
ISBN: 9781576874110

Hip hop artist Ghostface Killah settles into one of his most popular characters, Pretty Toney, and offers readers Toney's hilariously unique perspective on life, via advice on everything from sex to gambling, family to education.

My Infamous Life

My Infamous Life
Author: Albert "Prodigy" Johnson
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 320
Release: 2012-02-07
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 1439103194

"A memoir about a life almost lost and a revealing look at the dark side of hip hop's golden era ... a story of struggle, survival, and hope down the mean streets of New York City" --

Sweat the Technique

Sweat the Technique
Author: Rakim
Publisher: HarperCollins
Total Pages: 214
Release: 2019-09-24
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 0062850253

On the heels of Kendrick Lamar’s Pulitzer Prize, as the world begins to recognize the creative side of Hip-Hop, comes a writing guide from a musician and "The greatest MC of all time," Rakim. The musician and Hip Hop legend—hailed as “the greatest MC of all time” and compared to Thelonious Monk—reimagines the writing handbook in this memoir and guide that incorporates the soulful genius, confidence, and creativity of a master artist. When he exploded on the music scene, musical genius Rakim was hailed for his brilliant artistic style, adding layers, complexity, depth, musicality, and soul to rap. More than anyone, Rakim has changed the way MCs rhyme. Calm on the mic, his words combine in a frenzy of sound, using complicated patterns based on multisyllabic rhymes and internal rhythms. Rakim can tell a story about a down-on-his-luck man looking for a job and turn it into an epic tale and an unforgettable rhyme. He is not just a great songwriter—he’s a great modern writer. Part memoir, part writing guide, Sweat the Technique offers insight into how Rakim thinks about words, music, writing, and rhyming as it teaches writers of all levels how to hone their craft. It is also a rare glimpse into Rakim’s private life, full of entertaining personal stories from his youth on Long Island growing up in a home and community filled with musiciansto the clubs of New York and the studios of Los Angeles during his rise to the top of popular music. Rakim celebrates the influences that shaped his development, including the jazz music of John Coltrane and the spirituality of the streets, and shares anecdotes spotlighting personalities such as L. L. Cool J. and Dr. Dre, among others. Filled with valuable lessons for every writer, Sweat the Technique reveals the heart and mind of an artist and his love for great storytelling, and always, the words.