Chronicles & Memoirs Of An Original Gangsta: Chronicles & Memoirs Of An Original Gangsta (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9781480108042)

Abdul Chappell is an articulate new author who puts a bold face on one of the millions of young Black men subjected to modern day slavery by virtue of the war on drugs. A former gang leader, Chappell was convicted for 33 grams of powder cocaine. A crime that warranted 33 months in jail in his home of Fort Worth, TX, Chappell was charged with a 20-year sentence in the federal penitentiary instead! He has since served 11 years of his sentencing. His debut book release, "Chronicles & Memoirs of an Original Gangsta" from his publishing house, Chappell Publishing, is a mini-manifesto which expertly breaks down and analyzes the vicious cycle of street life affecting so many youth today. Written behind bars, "Chronicle & Memoirs of an Original Gangsta" is the account of a man who has fallen prey to the streets. Similar to Claude Brown's classic, "Manchild in the Promised Land," "Chronicles" is a coming of age saga that delves into the social, political and economic conditions behind street life. A stream of thought that takes us from boy to man, street gangsta to liberation advocate, Abdul's voice intelligently addresses the afflictions of our urban communities. Redefining and repositioning everything one may think they know about the dilemma, Chappell holds nothing back in an indictment of not only a society that glamorizes senseless materialism, but also a people who do not know themselves, their history or their true souls. Chappell's insightful observations about gangs, race, politics, religion and spirituality serve to enlighten, educate and inform as he not only decodes the problems but also offers solutions. A concise 160 page read, "Chronicle & Memoirs Of An Original Gangsta" shoots bullets into hip hop's romanticized version of the thug prototype and reveals the lifestyle for what it is; a road riddled with misery, confusion, dishonor and death. A correction in the crack cocaine drugs laws will see Chappell leave prison in 2013. He has written eight books, of which "Chronicle & Memoirs On An Original Gangsta" is the first. His second release "Resurrection Of A Dying Breed, Birth Of A Black Ghetto Messiah" is a fast paced fictional account of a drug dealer turned street legend intent on uplifting the hood. With "Chronicle & Memoirs Of An Original Gangsta," he emerges from the depths of darkness inside the penal system to shine light on an atrocity that affects every sector of society.