50Cent to Publish Street Lit' Books Rapper Launches Imprint to Stop “Wanksta� Writers

[Jahness]

Satire: Fiddy-Cent to Publish Street Lit' Books;
Rapper Launches Imprint to Stop “Wanksta�
Writers from Plagiarizing Real G's

By Trina Truthtella,
Correspondent-at-Large

(July 5th - New York City) The street literature (street lit) explosion and recent allegations of plagiarism against some of its authors has inspired rapper 50 Cent to enter the publishing game. The rapper reportedly inked a deal with Harper-Collins to helm an imprint called 9 Shots Press.



The imprint seeks to take advantage of the massive resurgence of novels about pimps, strippers, kingpins and other underworld characters currently popular with urban youth. Although many hip hop artists have published their bios with major houses, and the debut novel The Coldest Winter Ever by “raptivist� Sista Souljah is credited widely for renewed interest in fiction about street life, the launch of 9 Shots Press marks the first time an artist has ventured into the literary world at the executive level.

“The publishing industry’s getting just as shady as the music business, and I’m here to clean it up,� said the drug-dealer-turned-multi-platinum rapper at a press conference at the McDonald’s across the street from the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. “Just because a nigga’s illiterate doesn’t mean he ain’t got a damned good story to sell. But you got these wankstas out here jacking a real G’s bio, passin’ it off as fiction, and keepin’ all the loot. I’m finna to put an end to that.�

The rapper refers to the recent wave of lawsuits accusing novelists in the genre of plagiarism. In the most notable case, Stagg R. Leigh of Albion Correctional Facility in New York claims to be the true author of the novella "My Pafology" which appears in the novel "Erasure" written by Percival Everett. Publisher’s Weekly praised Erasure as “an over-the-top masterpiece about an African-American writer who ‘overcomes’ his intellectual tendency to ‘write white’ and ends up penning a parody of ghetto fiction that becomes a huge commercial and literary success.� The parody written by Everett’s protagonist under the pseudonym Stagg R. Leigh is "My Pafology" and appears halfway through the novel.

“Parody my ass. That’s my life story,� said Leigh. “I writ that shit.� If his lawsuit against Everett is successful, 9 Shot Press will move to re-publish "My Pafology" for its inaugural release as a stand-alone title. The author of twelve critically acclaimed books, Everett insists that he penned My "Pafology", and that it’s mere coincidence that his main character’s alter ego and accuser share the same name. “Meanwhile, Erasure didn’t even do that well,� he said from his office at the University of Southern California where he teaches English. “I think it sold one hundred copies at best.�

No stranger to prison, 50 Cent vows that 9 Shot Press will only publish novels by authors whose criminal records could be verified “to ferret out poseurs.� When asked if he also intended to edit the manuscripts he acquired, the rapper quickly responded, “Fuck nah! That’s not keepin’ it real. Besides, I don’t know what the fuck you talking about.�

After pausing to confer with literary agent Stephan Fetchit, the rapper reconsidered. “Well, maybe we’ll do like the music industry does with CDs. Print a few copies with the curses deleted, you know, for the chirren. ‘Cause the more they read the better'n shit.�

“But we’re still keepin’ it gangsta,� he pledges. And that’s precisely what worries some in the African American community. The literary equivalent of gangsta rap, street lit has been attacked by African American leaders within and outside publishing for its gratuitous use of sex and violence, glorification of criminal behavior and perpetuation of stereotypes. Dr. Zora Morrison, the executive director of the Schomburg Center which denied 50 Cent’s request to announce his new venture at the world-renowned library said, “[Defenders of street lit] like to say, ‘Hey, at least kids are reading now. They’ll read My Pafology today then read Native Son tomorrow,� said Dr. Morrison who holds a doctorate in African American literature. “Now you try telling a decent parent, ‘Let your twelve-year old watch BET today, and she’ll turn on PBS tomorrow.’ It’s preposterous.�

“There was a time in this country when a Black person could be killed for knowing how to read. Not too long ago in order to get a poorly written novel published you had to be white.� he said. “Sometimes Black folks forget their history, and then the hatin’ begins.� On that point, Morrison couldn’t agree more.

“I’d like to pump nine bullets into him right now,� she said.

Trina Truthtella is a writer based in New York City. Her essay When Cubans Become Vegans appears in the anthology The Unsavvy Traveler: Women’s Comic Tales of Catastrophe published by Seal Press. She can be reached at trinatruthtella@excite.com.

[NewJerusalem]

LMAO...Horrible picture.

Make that money Fiddy.

[Jahness]

Greetings NewJerusalem

Thanks for checking out the post. I also found the article
to be humurous when I read it.

Some days we have to take a break a laugh at some of this
stuff that goes on a life. :o

Peace & Blessings

[Denise X]

Oh my DORK!!! These fools CAN'T be serious! Instead of writting books to help stimulate the minds of young people the POSITIVE way........

They'd rather right about things that are so retarded, stupid and childish. Then, these dudes (hell half these new generation of kids), expect people to pacify their behavior and except this bullshit.

50cent need to grow his ass up! As if it wasn't enough for him to defame another rappers career to get rich, now he's [trying] to get books published that contribute nothing to Black people as positive reinforcement except filth. Black people in the music/sports industry, period, need to grow up and quit letting money rule their creativity.

[Nesayem]

Peace,
I am a fan of Sister Souljah, I feel that she has shed some light on the situations and circumstances that happen around the hood, so to speak.Many of us a familar with books by Iceberg Slim, Nikki Turner? ( The Hustler's Wife) and now 50 cent. I think this concept is going a little to far . Me personally I have lived through enough in the streets to the point that I refuse to pay 15 dollars to hear someone eles take on it.

I'm am very concerned about our young peole and what we allow them to see, listen to , and read. I dont think it sends the right message to our children. They are already fighting for their lives in the street they dont need to read a cheap novel by 50 cent that makes going to prison and selling drugs look like a glamourous thing.

They will give anyone a book/music deal if there's some profit in it. Queen Jahness, you wont find this novel on my table.