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Nephew: A Memoir in 4-Part Harmony – An Urgent Poetic Story of Black Family, Gun Violence, and Hip-Hop Redemption
As urgent, resonant, and essential as The Fire Next Time and Between the World and Me , a poetic, raw, and inspirational love letter from the bestselling author of Buck, written to a nephew who was shot nine times and survived—a reflection on life, overcoming odds, finding your voice, and the power of music and family. Waiting in the emergency room at Temple University Hospital in North Philadelphia where his eighteen-year-old nephew, Nasir, lay unconscious after being shot nine times, M. K. Asante began pouring his heart and soul into a series of letters to a beautiful, dying Black boy so full of life. As Nasir fought for survival, M. K. realized there was so much—too much—that he had kept from his nephew, starting with the truth about his father, M. K.’s brother, Uzi, whom Nasir had never met. M. K. could no longer remain silent because in many ways, his nephew was repeating the mistakes of the past. M. K. began his confessional to repair family bonds—to save Nasir from the same streets that stole his father and to introduce him to the man and family history the young man had never known. The result is this beautiful, poignant, and honest family memoir. Nephew introduces us to two men, strangers to each other, whose similarities are astonishing. Both have red hot tempers, both struggle with opioid addiction, and most profoundly, both are lyrical geniuses whose raps are raw, powerful, and autobiographical. Yet neither had ever heard the other’s lyrics. As he tells his family’s story, M. K. draws vivid portraits of both Nasir and Uzi through their songs—lyrics that become the touchstone of their relationship. When father and son eventually meet, they confront each other and share a dialogue through their lyrics. An explosive, innovative memoir of family, faith, poetry, secrets, love, race, poverty, redemption, addiction, Philadelphia, hip-hop, jail, purpose, mental health, and violence. Nephew is fast-paced, intimate, lyrical, educational, and inspirational. It is the epic, painful, poetic, and miraculous redemptive story of a new generation—a new style of memoir for a new decade, the rhythmic story of a family in love, struggle, and verse.
208 pages, Hardcover
Published May 21, 2024
13 people are currently reading
221 people want to read
About the author
M.K. Asante
2 books159 followersMK Asante is a best-selling author, award-winning filmmaker, recording artist, and distinguished professor who the Los Angeles Times calls “One of America’s best storytellers.”
He is the author of five books including the bestselling Buck: A Memoir, which was praised by Maya Angelou as “A story of surviving and thriving with passion, compassion, wit, and style.” His latest book, Nephew: A Memoir in 4-Part Harmony, is forthcoming (Amistad/HarperCollins, May 21, 2024).
Asante studied at SOAS University of London, earned a B.A. from Lafayette College, and an M.F.A. from the UCLA School of Theater, Film, and Television.
He is the founder of Wonderful Sound Studios, a creative studio whose work has reached over 250 million viewers. Asante co-wrote the 2021 NBA Finals broadcast opens on ABC directed by Academy Award-winning director Spike Lee. In 2023, he wrote the official Monday Night Football anthem, “In the Air Tonight,” performed by Grammy-winning artist Chris Stapleton, Julie Blackman Santana, and Snoop Dogg.
Asante has lectured at Harvard, Yale, Stanford, as well as hundreds of other universities. He has toured in over 50 countries and was awarded the Key to the City of Dallas, Texas. He is featured in A Changing America, a permanent video exhibit at the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture.
Asante has been featured on hundreds of media outlets including the Today Show and The Breakfast Club. Hailed by CNN as “a master storyteller and major creative force”, he has published essays in the New York Times and USA Today. His inspirational story “The Blank Page” is featured in the #1 New York Times best-seller, Chicken Soup for the Soul.
Asante Executive Produced and Hosted the award-winning Snap original shows While Black with MK Asante and Free Tuition with MK Asante.
Asante was appointed Distinguished Professor-in-Residence at the MICA Business School in Gujarat, India. He is currently a tenured professor of Cinematic Arts and Sciences at Morgan State University where he is the recipient of the Distinguished Achievement Award.
He is the author of five books including the bestselling Buck: A Memoir, which was praised by Maya Angelou as “A story of surviving and thriving with passion, compassion, wit, and style.” His latest book, Nephew: A Memoir in 4-Part Harmony, is forthcoming (Amistad/HarperCollins, May 21, 2024).
Asante studied at SOAS University of London, earned a B.A. from Lafayette College, and an M.F.A. from the UCLA School of Theater, Film, and Television.
He is the founder of Wonderful Sound Studios, a creative studio whose work has reached over 250 million viewers. Asante co-wrote the 2021 NBA Finals broadcast opens on ABC directed by Academy Award-winning director Spike Lee. In 2023, he wrote the official Monday Night Football anthem, “In the Air Tonight,” performed by Grammy-winning artist Chris Stapleton, Julie Blackman Santana, and Snoop Dogg.
Asante has lectured at Harvard, Yale, Stanford, as well as hundreds of other universities. He has toured in over 50 countries and was awarded the Key to the City of Dallas, Texas. He is featured in A Changing America, a permanent video exhibit at the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture.
Asante has been featured on hundreds of media outlets including the Today Show and The Breakfast Club. Hailed by CNN as “a master storyteller and major creative force”, he has published essays in the New York Times and USA Today. His inspirational story “The Blank Page” is featured in the #1 New York Times best-seller, Chicken Soup for the Soul.
Asante Executive Produced and Hosted the award-winning Snap original shows While Black with MK Asante and Free Tuition with MK Asante.
Asante was appointed Distinguished Professor-in-Residence at the MICA Business School in Gujarat, India. He is currently a tenured professor of Cinematic Arts and Sciences at Morgan State University where he is the recipient of the Distinguished Achievement Award.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
August 27, 2024
The author discusses his brother's story in his first book, "Buck." This is his second memoir, an explosive, intimate, and innovative story written as a love letter to the author's teenage nephew after he survived being shot nine times. Sitting by his nephew's bedside, the author, MK Asante, began pouring his heart and soul into a series of letters. He realized that his nephew needed to know the truth about his father, MK's brother, Uzi, whom Nasir had never met, so he would not make the same mistakes.
"Nephew" is written vertically, so if you want to read it left to right, you have to tilt the book (or your head) on its side. "Nephew" teaches us about grace, love, compassion, inner peace, and forgiveness. It also sheds light on mental health, drug usage, and its impacts on families, friends, and the community. The end result is an incredibly unique story that is a multi-sensory experience of pain, history, and love, all wrapped up in a compelling read. The author tells a powerful story through poetics and lyrics.
To listen to my interview with the author, go to my podcast at:
https://zibbymedia.com/blogs/transcri...
"Nephew" is written vertically, so if you want to read it left to right, you have to tilt the book (or your head) on its side. "Nephew" teaches us about grace, love, compassion, inner peace, and forgiveness. It also sheds light on mental health, drug usage, and its impacts on families, friends, and the community. The end result is an incredibly unique story that is a multi-sensory experience of pain, history, and love, all wrapped up in a compelling read. The author tells a powerful story through poetics and lyrics.
To listen to my interview with the author, go to my podcast at:
https://zibbymedia.com/blogs/transcri...
June 9, 2024
After teaching it for 8 consecutive years, I've read Asante's Buck about 25 times, yet each fall that I dust it off, I'm not tired of it: I'm reminded how great it is. I was eager, then, to read Asante's second memoir, but it really fell flat for me.
Where Buck is vibrant and vignette-oriented, Nephew feels like a random assemblage of quotes. Instead of evocative language, it's dotted with "for instance," "in addition," and "These quilts were extraordinary and sacred for four reasons." I understand the attempt at a polyvocal letter to fill in some of the silences of Nasir's life, but it creates a gaping silence for the secondary audience: Asante himself, the melody. Four-part harmony needs something to drive it, to hold it together, and that--Asante's distinctive voice--was conspicuously absent.
I thought Nephew would be in conversation with James Baldwin's letter to his nephew or Ta Nehisi Coates's Between the World and Me, but the epistolary format here was blurry, and the wisdom felt more regurgitated than organic. (In fact, lots of letters and passages were pulled verbatim from Buck.) It seemed the audience was not always Nasir, in a confusing rather than artistic way.
My students always beg for answers at the end of Buck, desperate to know how everyone's lives turn out, and while they would get some answers about Uzi, I don't think they'd enjoy sifting through the patchworked quotes to discover them.
Where Buck is vibrant and vignette-oriented, Nephew feels like a random assemblage of quotes. Instead of evocative language, it's dotted with "for instance," "in addition," and "These quilts were extraordinary and sacred for four reasons." I understand the attempt at a polyvocal letter to fill in some of the silences of Nasir's life, but it creates a gaping silence for the secondary audience: Asante himself, the melody. Four-part harmony needs something to drive it, to hold it together, and that--Asante's distinctive voice--was conspicuously absent.
I thought Nephew would be in conversation with James Baldwin's letter to his nephew or Ta Nehisi Coates's Between the World and Me, but the epistolary format here was blurry, and the wisdom felt more regurgitated than organic. (In fact, lots of letters and passages were pulled verbatim from Buck.) It seemed the audience was not always Nasir, in a confusing rather than artistic way.
My students always beg for answers at the end of Buck, desperate to know how everyone's lives turn out, and while they would get some answers about Uzi, I don't think they'd enjoy sifting through the patchworked quotes to discover them.
September 6, 2025
Earlier this year I read Buck, by the same author. That book was a masterpiece, but it left me with a few questions. The book, Buck, was about a teenager named Malo, whose older brother (Uzi) went to the penitentiary. His dad ended up leaving, and his mother went through severe depression. I was so glad to hear that the author followed it up with “Nephew”.
This book contains a series of letters from Malo to his brother’s 18-year-old son Nasir, who was shot nine times and lay unconscious in a hospital.
This book has the same premise as “The Fire Next Time” by James Baldwin and “Between the World and Me” by Ta-Nehisi Coates. I gave both five stars.
This was a good read, but I had one issue with it. Sometimes it wasn’t clear who the author was talking to. It was supposed to be addressed to Nasir, but it felt like he was talking to the reader. There were a lot of memorable parts, but some felt regurgitated from Buck.
I'll leave you with a quote.
“It isn’t actually Mississippi; it’s America. There’s no Mason-Dixon Line—it’s America. There’s no such thing as the South—it’s America.”
This book contains a series of letters from Malo to his brother’s 18-year-old son Nasir, who was shot nine times and lay unconscious in a hospital.
This book has the same premise as “The Fire Next Time” by James Baldwin and “Between the World and Me” by Ta-Nehisi Coates. I gave both five stars.
This was a good read, but I had one issue with it. Sometimes it wasn’t clear who the author was talking to. It was supposed to be addressed to Nasir, but it felt like he was talking to the reader. There were a lot of memorable parts, but some felt regurgitated from Buck.
I'll leave you with a quote.
“It isn’t actually Mississippi; it’s America. There’s no Mason-Dixon Line—it’s America. There’s no such thing as the South—it’s America.”
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June 27, 2024Notables 2024 #55
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August 3, 2024Nephew is a uniquely written letter from an uncle (MK Asante) to his nephew (Nasir). Eighteen year old Nasir has just been shot and MK is writing the letter from the emergency room lobby at Temple University hospital as he awaits news of his nephew’s condition.
MK’s letter is a journey into the Asante family, particularly Nasir’s father Uzi, who is MK’s older brother. Nasir was raised without Uzi. MK believes now is the time to tell his nephew about the father he has never known. Yet, shares so much in common with. MK ties three generations of men together through letters, hip-hop lyrics and journal entries. My favorite part was reading the journal entries and letters.
A lot of important topics are discussed such as drug abuse, abandonment, black on black crime, suicide, depression, colorism, forgiveness, the power of manifestation, the power of words, and so much more.
Hip-hop references are woven throughout the book. For example, MK tells his nephew to be careful of the lyrics he write because words can become your destiny. He then uses Tupac and Biggie as examples to prove his point. I’m a hip-hop head, so I was able to appreciate these references.
Just as with MK Asante’s first memoir 𝐁𝐮𝐜𝐤, I learned a lot about the Asante family in 𝐍𝐞𝐩𝐡𝐞𝐰.
It took me a while to complete this book. And that’s because it contains a lot of talk about addiction. The topic of heroin addiction is very triggering for me. Many years ago I lost the love of my life to a heroin overdose. Reading the journal entries of a heroin user was difficult for me. Eventually, I had to put the book down because it felt like I was reading the exact words of my dearly departed fiancé. But once I got up the strength, I went back in again and completed the book.
Thanks to Amistad for gifting me ARC. I enjoyed the journey.
MK’s letter is a journey into the Asante family, particularly Nasir’s father Uzi, who is MK’s older brother. Nasir was raised without Uzi. MK believes now is the time to tell his nephew about the father he has never known. Yet, shares so much in common with. MK ties three generations of men together through letters, hip-hop lyrics and journal entries. My favorite part was reading the journal entries and letters.
A lot of important topics are discussed such as drug abuse, abandonment, black on black crime, suicide, depression, colorism, forgiveness, the power of manifestation, the power of words, and so much more.
Hip-hop references are woven throughout the book. For example, MK tells his nephew to be careful of the lyrics he write because words can become your destiny. He then uses Tupac and Biggie as examples to prove his point. I’m a hip-hop head, so I was able to appreciate these references.
Just as with MK Asante’s first memoir 𝐁𝐮𝐜𝐤, I learned a lot about the Asante family in 𝐍𝐞𝐩𝐡𝐞𝐰.
It took me a while to complete this book. And that’s because it contains a lot of talk about addiction. The topic of heroin addiction is very triggering for me. Many years ago I lost the love of my life to a heroin overdose. Reading the journal entries of a heroin user was difficult for me. Eventually, I had to put the book down because it felt like I was reading the exact words of my dearly departed fiancé. But once I got up the strength, I went back in again and completed the book.
Thanks to Amistad for gifting me ARC. I enjoyed the journey.
March 27, 2024
Kudos. Inspiring. Harrowing. A love letter to his Nephew, but also love letters to and from his family that gives us a glimpse inside a Black family, and as all families have mess, no matter if there are prominent members or not, the mess is messy. And MK Asante boldly and heroically exposes the family mess, in a heartfelt well. “The tragedy of secrets is the blindness it perpetuates. When we keep them, we don’t learn from our history—global, national, or familial— and we end up repeating avoidable mistakes and failing to learn the touch and texture of the extraordinary cloth from which we’re cut.”
A particular standout of this book are the letters from Bob to GOD, it may be the best anti-drug message in recent literature and more effective than any book length treatment of drug abuse.
Those letters are absolutely harrowing. This is certainly a new style of memoir and MK Asante is breaking new ground, perhaps opening a portal for others to tell their story through poetics and lyrics and letting the family dynamic speak for itself through their own exchanges and experiences.
MK Asante brings the noise
And he does it with poise!
Thanks to Netgalley and Amistad Press for an advanced
DRC. Book drops in May! Get ready!!
A particular standout of this book are the letters from Bob to GOD, it may be the best anti-drug message in recent literature and more effective than any book length treatment of drug abuse.
Those letters are absolutely harrowing. This is certainly a new style of memoir and MK Asante is breaking new ground, perhaps opening a portal for others to tell their story through poetics and lyrics and letting the family dynamic speak for itself through their own exchanges and experiences.
MK Asante brings the noise
And he does it with poise!
Thanks to Netgalley and Amistad Press for an advanced
DRC. Book drops in May! Get ready!!
February 15, 2025
There is so much power in a re-read. When I first read this in November, I didn’t give it the attention it deserved.
However, I couldn’t figure out why I couldn’t explain my dislike for this book. It’s because I needed to read it again! This second time bought me to real tears! The talk about addiction, Nas (my favorite rapper), the loss of his child Wonderful, the consistent history lessons, the fact he was born in Zimbabwe! All he did was hit me with more knowledge and understanding of why Buck was so powerful.
My favorite chapter focused on the power of manifesting your life. This spoke to me in a way I didn’t realize I needed. It’s so important to create what’s real and important to you because I was touched by this book.
I recommend!
However, I couldn’t figure out why I couldn’t explain my dislike for this book. It’s because I needed to read it again! This second time bought me to real tears! The talk about addiction, Nas (my favorite rapper), the loss of his child Wonderful, the consistent history lessons, the fact he was born in Zimbabwe! All he did was hit me with more knowledge and understanding of why Buck was so powerful.
My favorite chapter focused on the power of manifesting your life. This spoke to me in a way I didn’t realize I needed. It’s so important to create what’s real and important to you because I was touched by this book.
I recommend!
May 12, 2025
Asante Jr., a talented musician, filmmaker, and professor, has poured his heart and soul into his inspiring memoir, Nephew. Written as a heartfelt letter to his eighteen-year-old nephew, Nasir—a young man bravely battling for his life in a Philadelphia hospital after a harrowing shooting—Asante aims to share the profound story of Uzi, the father Nasir never got the chance to know.
This memoir takes readers on an emotional journey, celebrating the incredible healing power of music and language woven through the fabric of a powerful family legacy. Asante's storytelling beautifully captures his deep relationship with Nasir, whose challenging upbringing has tragically led to a near-fatal encounter with gun violence.
“Your heartbeat is your drum, your voice is your sound—and music is supposed to put you in tune with nature.”
With keen insight and compassion, the author lays bare the social struggles faced by his brother and nephew. By intertwining poignant poetry, personal letters, and candid reflections on suffering and hope, Asante sheds light on the daunting realities of Black America, while also showcasing the transformative strength of art and resilience.
This memoir takes readers on an emotional journey, celebrating the incredible healing power of music and language woven through the fabric of a powerful family legacy. Asante's storytelling beautifully captures his deep relationship with Nasir, whose challenging upbringing has tragically led to a near-fatal encounter with gun violence.
“Your heartbeat is your drum, your voice is your sound—and music is supposed to put you in tune with nature.”
With keen insight and compassion, the author lays bare the social struggles faced by his brother and nephew. By intertwining poignant poetry, personal letters, and candid reflections on suffering and hope, Asante sheds light on the daunting realities of Black America, while also showcasing the transformative strength of art and resilience.
February 25, 2025
4.75⭐️/5⭐️
I absolutely devoured this memoir. A gripping, multi-generational story of addiction, trauma, repentance, and connection through music. The author did a great job of intertwining rap lyrics from both his family members and well-known artists to emulate the emotions of each vignette.
I loved that this memoir was written as a letter to the author’s nephew and served as a way to share their family history in a way that was relatable to him. The chapters focused on addiction were harrowing and eye-opening. My favorite chapter was when his mother shared with him about double-dutch when she was a girl and how it changed her life. Will definitely be reading Asante’s other book, “Buck” next.
I absolutely devoured this memoir. A gripping, multi-generational story of addiction, trauma, repentance, and connection through music. The author did a great job of intertwining rap lyrics from both his family members and well-known artists to emulate the emotions of each vignette.
I loved that this memoir was written as a letter to the author’s nephew and served as a way to share their family history in a way that was relatable to him. The chapters focused on addiction were harrowing and eye-opening. My favorite chapter was when his mother shared with him about double-dutch when she was a girl and how it changed her life. Will definitely be reading Asante’s other book, “Buck” next.
September 27, 2024
A beautifully written book. I'm going to read his other books as well. It's hard for me to write a review when a book hits me so hard. I feel like words are props for emotions that can't be expressed. I teach yoga to at risk youth, so this book has informed me even more. Keep on writing M.K. The world needs your voice.
April 30, 2024
What a beautiful, heartbreaking, life-affirming piece of art. I was on the journey with MK from the hospital waiting area to the landscape of his memories. I appreciated this love song to family - in all its beauty and messiness.
Gratitude to NetGalley for the ARC!!
Gratitude to NetGalley for the ARC!!
June 3, 2024
“Dustin is from North Philly, Twentieth and Lehigh, two blocks from where you were born and raised, and three blocks from where you were shot. I introduced you to him to show you what’s possible, who’s accessible, and to put you on game.”
June 2, 2024
Where do I start with how bad this book was. Did it start with the stereotypical cliches or the constant needless rap lyrics of an aspiring rapper.
August 13, 2024
An absolute rollercoaster of emotions!! This is a must read for a memoir in 2024! It dives into so much into culture and family, which was both very sweet and very bitter.
September 6, 2024
A powerful successor to "The Fire Next Time" and "Between the World and Me."
March 7, 2025
I'm in love with this book
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews