Diary of a Madman
The Geto Boys, Life, Death, and the Roots of Southern Rap
HarperCollins · Print & ebook · April 21, 2015
One of Rolling Stone’s Best Music Books of 2015 From Geto Boys legend and renowned storyteller Scarface, comes a passionate memoir about how hip-hop changed the life of a kid from the south side of Houston, and how he rose to the top-and ushered in a new generation of rap dominance.
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- Who it’s for
- Scarface’s memoir brings hip-hop’s music, business, and street life into one candid account.
- Themes
- Roots of rap culture, Rise in the rap world, Battles with depression
- Genres
- Musicians' Lives, Rap & Hip Hop, Black & African American Lives
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One of Rolling Stone’s Best Music Books of 2015 From Geto Boys legend and renowned storyteller Scarface, comes a passionate memoir about how hip-hop changed the life of a kid from the south side of Houston, and how he rose to the top-and ushered in a new generation of rap dominance. Scarface is the celebrated rapper whose hits include "On My Block," "Mind Playing Tricks on Me" and "Damn It Feels Good to be a Gangsta" (made famous in the cult film Office Space).
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The former president of Def Jam South, he's collaborated with everyone from Kanye West, Ice Cube and Nas, and had many solo hits such as "Guess Who's Back" feat. Jay-Z and "Smile" feat. Tupac. But before that, he was a kid from Houston in love with rock-and-roll, listening to AC/DC and KISS. In Diary of a Madman, Scarface shares how his world changed when he heard Run DMC for the first time; how he dropped out of school in the ninth grade and started selling crack; and how he began rapping as the new form of music made its way out of New York and across the country. It is the account of his rise to the heights of the rap world, as well as his battles with his own demons and depression. Passionately exploring and explaining the roots and influences of rap culture, Diary of a Madman is the story of hip-hop-the music, the business, the streets, and life on the south side Houston, Texas.
Rap’s Southern Roots
Scarface’s memoir brings hip-hop’s music, business, and street life into one candid account.
Come here for
- A firsthand view of Southern rap’s rise
- Reflections on music, ambition, and personal struggle
Expect
- A story rooted in Houston and rap culture
- A frank account of success and battles with depression
Where it sits
| Musicians' Lives | 74% |
|---|---|
| Black & African American Lives | 63% |
| Rap & Hip Hop | 55% |
Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.
Publisher categories
- Art History
- American Art
- Studying Artists
- Musicians' Lives
Show all 8 publisher categories
- Fashion Biographies
- Black History
- Rap & Hip Hop
- Musicals
- Authors
- Brad "Scarface" Jordan, Benjamin Meadows Ingram
- Publisher
- HarperCollins
- Published
- April 21, 2015
- Format
- Print & ebook
- Theme
- Roots of rap culture · Rise in the rap world · Battles with depression
- Reading lane
- Art History