PositiveBooklistHe recounts battles with addiction, poverty, racism, and loss, and how he was able to draw on the gifts of faith, music, and family as creative and spiritual tools to defeat the darkness that threatened his very existence.
Garrett Hongo
PositiveBooklistHongo dives deeper and deeper into his audio heaven, reveling in the marvels of the equipment or celebrating the music, or considering the poetic influences of his mentors.
Dan Charnas
PositiveBooklist... a detailed, well-researched, and passionate analysis of the music and life of the influential hip-hop composer, producer, and musician James Dewitt Yancey, aka Jay Dee or J Dilla. Charnas has written not simply a biography but, rather, an unconventional, journalistic documentation of musical sounds and their progressions in history and culture, whether originating in Africa, Europe, or elsewhere.
Meriel Schindler
RaveBooklist... [an] extensively researched and vividly rendered memoir ... Schindler seamlessly weaves together the historical and personal, offering fresh revelations.
Omar Sharif
PositiveBooklist[Sharif] uses his grandfather’s inspirational, complex, and poignant advice as a guide through his life’s unique challenges and shares his yearning to fully be himself while also gaining acceptance and accomplishing his goals ... Sharif survives many trials and tribulations on the way to revelation.
Raekwon, with Anthony Bozza
PositiveBooklistRaekwon...tells the unvarnished truth about his life growing up in the Park Hills area of Staten Island ... Raekwon’s story is one of perseverance, discovery, and vision as he strives to become a better man and outstanding musician.
Danny Trejo and Donal Logue
PositiveBooklistTrejo is boldly forthcoming about even the most painful aspects of his life ... This gripping autobiography recounts a flawed hero’s journey as Trejo digs his way out of tragedy, temptation, and the toxic masculinity of his youth. Trejo’s true power far exceeds that of his tough-guys roles.
