An account of youth-gang activity that demystifies their culture and explains why children are turning to gangs.

Slow L was marked by death at a young age when his stepfather is murdered and mother shot down in front of him. Eight years passed and still trying to outdistance this tragedy but haunted by it every step of the way. Lack of trust made him jump off the porch a little sooner than most kids. Once he learned the Milwaukee streets had real people that acted in the form of animals and orangutans among the living, he knew then he needed to adapt to the Mil-jungle, or get peeled, or eaten alive. Nobody was to be trusted—not a priest, not the police, not his childhood friends, or closest relatives. They made him a gangsta with no explanation as to why.

Welcome to the mean city streets of Chicago, Illinois; where the rising dope game and all its treacheries are an abundant way of ghetto life. Meet Vontay Scott, -aka- Insane; born and raised in the heart of the Englewood neighborhood. A leader by nature, and aspiring to snatch his crew and family out of the grasp of the hood. Insane stumbles upon the connect of a lifetime. And if he could only get a one year run, he could go completely legit. His high school sweetheart and ride or die chick Ericka is expecting. And with a family of their own forming soon, can Ericka convince Insane to quit the game for good, and move on before the envious streets could swallow him whole.

This book is the story of the reality of New York street gang in the late 90s to present. It is about the violence, the passion, the despair, the pain, the loyalty, and the disloyalty. It is the true story of the destruction of families caused by violence, incarceration and racism. It is about murder, rape, betrayal, and the injustice of the justice system. This is a society that fails to protect, defend, educate, rehabilitate, and inspire young people to succeed and families to grow and flourish. It’s the Bronx and rawness of the ghetto. It’s the true life story of actual individuals with their identities masked to protect them from further harm. Blacks, Dominicans, Puerto Ricans, Latin Americans, Muslims, Israelites, and the police are all engaged in a battle to dominate and to survive. The backdrop is the Bronx, the inner city and one of poorest congressional districts in the United States. It is about a failing school system, the question of race, the history of conflict, and the brainwashing of a society to ignore the truth and keep living a lie. The games they play out in the street pit females against females, and the cost is not being able to trust anyone or anything. Ask yourself the question, Could you survive this world? Can anyone survive this world? This is the world that some people live in, some people fear, and some people have never heard of. It is also the world that those in power don’t want you to know about so that they can continue to profit off the misery and suffering of people fighting, trying, and doing their best to keep each other down. They’re down lower than you can ever imagine or believe someone can go.

DEMOCRATIC EMPIRE DEMOCRATIC EMPIRE The United States Since 1945 Democracy and empire often seem like competing, even opposing, concepts. And yet, since the end of World War II, the United States has integrated elements of both in the process of becoming a dominant global power. Democratic Empire: The United States Since 1945 explores the way democracy and empire have converged and been challenged both at home and abroad, surveying the nation’s recent cultural, political and economic history. This account pays particular attention to mass media, the fine arts, and intellectual currents in the era of the American Dream. Concise and engagingly written, Democratic Empire presents a unique analysis of US history since 1945 and the egalitarian and imperial forces that have shaped contemporary America.

In its 114th year, Billboard remains the world's premier weekly music publication and a diverse digital, events, brand, content and data licensing platform. Billboard publishes the most trusted charts and offers unrivaled reporting about the latest music, video, gaming, media, digital and mobile entertainment issues and trends.