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 Hip-Hop Fiction: When Old is New...and Real
by Joylynn M. Jossel, author of When Souls Mate
...In an attempt to hop on the bandwagon, a mass of people are writing these so-called "urban lit" and "street lit" tales and trying to pass them on to readers as hip-hop fiction. However, what few take the time to realize is that hip-hop fiction is a genre that stands alone. Unfortunately, many fail to realize that unless you've lived the life your characters portray, or come damn near close to living the life, then the lovers of this type of read are going to see right through you and your paper chasing scheme to get on board of what's Hot! True hip-hoppers are indulging in the overwhelming distribution of the popular reads. Perhaps, this is why an increased amount of young people are investing more of their allowance towards what they consider a good book, because it's something they can easily relate to.
Visit Amazon.com and read what some of the reviewers of these hip-hop fiction books are saying. It's amazing how many youngsters feel as though the characters were written about them or based on their experiences. The tide has changed and it's not just teenagers who are reading books of this genre anymore. In 1998, author J.K. Rowling roused a similar reaction in Harry Potter. Adults and children alike rushed to the stores in droves to purchase the Harry Potter novels and read what all the hoopla was about. Exactly one year later a similar occurrence took place. Readers were curious and wanted to be acquainted with The Coldest Winter Ever and True to the Game. Surprisingly a vast majority of the readers enjoyed what they found and are now addicted to the newly classified genre "hip-hop fiction."
Nowadays it's hard to get parents and their teens to listen to the same type of music let alone read the same book. But that is exactly what's happening with titles such as The Hustlers Wife, Let That Be The Reason, Gangsta and Bad Girlz just to name a few. If you take public transportation to work, look over your shoulder and see what your neighbor is reading and you'll be in for a surprise.
There's been debate about what's is hip-hop and what's not. Terry McMillan's Disappearing Acts, although is categorized as urban literature, is not hip-hop fiction. And just because a story is about a kid from the streets doesn't mean its hip-hop fiction either. It simply means it's a story about a kid from the streets. And don't deem a book hip-hop fiction just because it has a - let's say, ghetto title either. Several mainstream drama fiction authors are trying to fool the popular dominating reading audience by using urban slang in their titles. But these, mainly 16-25 year-old readers can't be fooled.
Hip-Hip fiction is a culture. The storytelling is penned from the hip, grimy and true to life survivors. It's not Hollywood and it's not the happily ever after fairy tale many mainstream fiction writers produce. It's not an escape from every day life…it is the life. Hip-hop fiction is a writing style that many store owners despise, though it pays the bills and has probably kept their doors open just a little bit longer than they might have been without the hype and sales. The constant use of "da, yo, and wit" is appalling to some and even referred to as the butchering of the English language by others. But guess what? The readers love it and that's all that matters in "dis heah game." READ MORE... | 
