Brokedown Prophets

by S.A. Cosby, Kevin Hart (Narrator)

From Kevin Hart and Charlamagne Tha God’s SBH Productions comes the first full-cast audio production of an original work by New York Times bestselling author S. A. Cosby. Spanning seedy locales on the East Coast to the familiar grounds of the South (S. A. Cosby’s stomping grounds), this hard-hitting and punchy crime spree story dips into the author’s well-traveled and tumultuous themes: religion, sex, power, and love.

Meet Preach, Digit, and Maria, three lost and damaged souls trying to make it on the streets of New York City, running petty scams to stay alive. A twist of events changes their lives forever when they accidently kill a man connected to the mob and find a small fortune.

Now on the run, the trio tries to escape a notorious hit man called B-Boy. Along the way, they run into more shady characters and more trouble. Seduced by the siren call of the money and struggling with their own demons, Preach, Digit, and Maria will soon discover even the closest bonds can't overcome their past traumas as they race toward a dark, self-fulfilling prophecy of their own making. This fast-paced, down and dirty—and supremely witty—dark adventure will take you on the ride of your life the moment you hit play and the second these outlaws hit the road.

Genres: Audiobook, Thriller, Crime, Fiction, Suspense

5 pages, Audiobook

Published November 22, 2023

Reviews

[Demetrius · Rating 5 out of 5]

This audiobook was a MOVIE! Brokedown Prophets is one of the best audiobooks I have ever listened to! I can’t wait to check out S.A. Cosby's other audiobooks.

[Cindy (leavemetomybooks) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love S.A. Cosby’s books and would love them all to be turned into movies or limited series ASAP, please. This seemed like it would be amazing - full-cast recording, written specifically as an audio book, what could go wrong?

Um. Russian accents is where it went wrong. So very, very wrong. The other cast members were great - I would listen to whoever read Preach’s part read the phone book. So good. But the Russian accents - good lord - it was like a caricature of a caricature of Boris & Natasha. yikes.

I would love to listen to more stories like this from Cosby - just maybe leave the Russians out of it?

[Steph · Rating 4 out of 5]

The audiobook is an Audible Original which you can find on Audible. It has a full cast of narrators, the list of which was absolutely impossible to find online. And I’ve been looking for hours. So I finally made a list of my own, googled almost every single name on it to figure out if I was spelling the name correctly or not, and found success with most of them. The remainders will have to sit here, possibly spelled wrong or even heard incorrectly, until someone from Audible, SBH Productions, or one of the narrators tells me differently. I am terribly sorry for any misspellings on my part, and I did NOT mean them intentionally.

Narrators (more or less in the order of appearance):

Jonathan Majors - Preach
Brian Tyree Henry - Digit
Dascha Polanco - Maria
Jeremy Jordan - B Boy
Seth Podowitz - the John, Nicoli Pietrov,
Joshua Mesnik- Victor, Cop #1, truck driver,
Rome Green - Muffled Voice, Dispatcher, cabbie, Purple Iguana pool player,
Greg Reed - hotel clerk, Jamo (spelling?),
Kabir Singh - T, Byron,
Chanté McCormick - Bubbles, hostess,
Tomer David R - Mr Dimitri, Draven, Yuri, kitchen worker #3,
Daniel Henning - Alexi, diner patron #2,
Evan Sibley - dread-headed white boy,
Chris Paul Smith - Cop #2, train passenger, Jeremy’s friend,
T Hazel (tee?) - train agent, intercom voice, random man #2, party goer #1,
Dave Hunter - train engineer, security guard, Purple Iguana bartender,
Malik Rashad - Tank, Jeremy,
Toya Nelson - random woman, rental car agent, random street person #2,
Dennis Logan - random man #1, orderly,
Lee Osorio - transit cop, kitchen worker #2, gun shop employee,
Slick Shawn - Hoodie, random street person #1,
Joniece Abbott Pratt - Geena
Nicole Shelton - church worker
Jeremy Swift - Father MacDonald
S.A. CROSBY - Homeless man
Megan Holt - woman in the lobby, Patricia, diner patron #3,
Kay Iman - cashier, Matre D,
Caleb Summers - Chucky,
John Drew - diner patron #1
Danelle Rawlings - Deucy Mitchel
Lauren Luna Velez - Magdalene Muchado
Stephen Brun - kitchen worker #1,
Glynn Turman - Grandpa Joseph
Vanessa Bell Calloway - Grandma Lynn
Jason George - Uncle Chauncey
Candace Harry - Valerie the receptionist
Shea Taylor - Craig the mailman

I adored this audiobook and I wish it were longer. Yes it has some smallish problems, but it was action packed, and even sometimes quite funny. I absolutely adored how it was made, complete with sound effects. You even heard what sounded like people in a restaurant, someone taking a hit off a joint, someone taking a hit off a bong, and various other fun background noises. It was so well done, it sounded like I was listening to a movie..! I absolutely adore this SBH Production company, and I’m definitely going to seek out more Audible Original audiobooks that are made by them, soon.

*I am in no way getting any compensation whatsoever from the SBH Production company or Audible Publishing or its conglomerates, for these remarks.*. They are only my opinion on this audiobook.

Mad respect for the making of this audiobook to everyone involved. Y’all did a spectacular job!

4 stars, and highly recommend.

[Xandriaaa 🌙🦇 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my favorite audiobooks I’ve ever heard. Love all SA Crosby’s books and this is no exception. Awesome awesome awesome. My only issue is what in tf happened with Digit in the end? Like is he alive or what?? 😒😒😔

[Lezlie The Nerdy Narrative · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have a non-spoiler review for this book on my BookTube Channel that you can watch
here.

You can find this review along with other reviews spanning multiple genres at The Nerdy Narrative or if you prefer video format, I do have a BookTube Channel

A heartfelt thanks to my Patrons on Patreon for their support towards my enthusiasm for reading and reviewing!

Special thanks to my highest level Patrons: Ev, Sharon, Andrew, Star, Amanda L., Kate, Gail, Amanda F., Lourdes, Tara, John, Ann, Chad K., Ashley E., & Jennifer M.

[Candice Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

(4.5) If you have enjoyed S.A. Cosby’s other books, you will love this one too. It’s a full cast narration with all the high-octane action, suspense and comic relief we love about Razorblade Tears and Blacktop Wasteland. Brokedown Prophets does not disappoint!

[Kim’s Kindle Reads. · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took a min to get into because this was such a production but once I did … straight 🔥. Literally a movie playing. My imagination is good but there were times I really wanted to see what was going on 😂 definitely looking forward to more of these.

The random scriptures from Preach were a plus 🤎

[Christopher M · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.3 Stars ⭐️

Let me start by saying this Audible Original production was phenomenal from the sounds effects to the voice acting (well…most of them). As someone who enjoys doing impressions and accents I was a tad turned off by some of the Russian accents used by aome of the voice actors in this production. I noticed a fellow reviewer had the same gripe so at least I’m not alone in that.

The main “villain” of this story kinda did a good job, the way it came together in my brain was a Russian dude who looked like Eminem or Dipset and also happened to have some fascination with old school rap music + a Hitman’s cool demeanor + psychotic tendencies. So um…yea a bit strange. The “crew” was where I felt was the worst accents. Other than this minor nitpick the remainder of the performances were ABSOLUTE CINEMA.

Now I do sort of wish this had an Epilogue or just a little more towards the end to tie everything up. It did feel that it ended a bit abruptly and leaves it vaguely up to the reader to guess what happens after it’s all over.

It’s a very quick story but I have to say I was impressed with how much character development and backstory we get across all of the three main characters (Digit, Maria, Preach). These characters although flawed in their own respective ways, felt so alive and in some cases can even remind you of people you may know in your every day life. There’s tons of ethical and moral dilemmas that this trio faces during their time on the run with all this newfound money. They deal with suddenly having all this money and not knowing where to start or what to get first.

Urban fictions I always find so fascinating and I’ve been hearing so much hype around S.A, Cosby and I’m so glad to have experienced one of his books, however I’m even more excited to move on to his more popular titles and seeing how they compare.

[Lulu · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had to get adjusted to the full cast recording, because it was a bit...it was a lot, but I loved this story!!

[Whitney · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story is a very familiar trope - small time criminals accidentally incur the wrath of professional gangsters, flight and fight ensue. But the great cast and witty dialogue make this a really engaging ride.

[Fatimah · Rating 3 out of 5]

So I needed something to listen to while at the gym. I found this on audible & saw it was by an author I enjoy. This was a quick listen & it was ok imo, I do think it ended abruptly & could have had a little more to it but I enjoyed the narrators & how quick the storyline was even though I thought it could use just a little more at the end.

[Aurora · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed every minute of this cast! The plot was crazy at times, but a ride I would take again!

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

Never thought I would see the day where I would listen to something by SA Cosby and not like it. Having read all his other novels, this near comedy of idiot criminals just doesn’t pass his usual muster.

The storyline was shaky at best. The narration was fine, save the Russian accent embarrassment. Honestly, just leave the Russian accents to people who are from Russia or can pull off a convincing accent… and this is coming from someone who grew up in rural US.

I kept waiting for the characters to become less insufferable. They never did. Not much redeeming qualities amongst any of them in my opinion.

I can’t in good conscience recommend this to anyone. I will still read anything Cosby puts out, heck, even Stephen King has dropped a few duds. I’m a big fan of Cosby and this blip of a book won’t change that. Read his other works, this one is completely fine to skip.

[Coffee&Books]

Hate to say this… I did not enjoy this. It was like listening to a movie. It’s like a live action, full cast type of situation, and I was expecting an audiobook. I couldn’t parse what was really happening….

[ChaeLynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.75 ⭐️ This would make for a really good tv series. Fast paced, engaging, and entertaining! Production was incredible!!

[Mere Hruby · Rating 2 out of 5]

This isn’t the rating I expected to give this book. I have really liked (sometimes adored) everything else I’ve read by Cosby, four books, and so I came in with high hopes. I discovered Cosby with Blacktop Wasteland and enjoy his writing style. He’s a masterful wordsmith able to invoke emotion, and make characters who are vastly different from myself relatable.

If this book will be your first exposure to Cosby; STOP, don’t pass go, and start with a different book. Everything that is beautiful about his other books is lacking in this one. Here’s my favorite quote from Blacktop Wasteland, I emphatically urge others to try that instead.

“Talk didn’t mean anything. Talk didn’t drive the car. Talk was just noise. He had one thousand dollars in his pocket. It was all the profits from the last two weeks at the garage, after most of the bills had been paid. He was $800 short on the rent for the building that housed his business. It had come down to a choice between the rent or glasses for his youngest, which wasn’t really a choice at all. So he had reached out to his cousin Calvin and asked him to find out where the nearest street race was being held. Calvin still knew some guys who knew some guys who knew where the money races could be found. … He needed someone who would look at the duster and see an easy payday, look it’s stripped down exterior and assume it was a pushover. … From here to the oak tree that’s split down the middle. … They took off for the split tree a quarter mile down the road, Beauregard hadn’t seen any other driver since they arrived. Most people avoided this stretch and used the four lane highway that snaked its way from the interstate up through shepherds corner proper. Progress had left this part of town behind. It was abandoned just like the store. A blacktop wasteland haunted by the phantoms of the past. … the engine sounded like a pride of lions … the secret ain’t about the motor, that’s part of it, the real thing - the thing most people don’t want to talk about is how you drive. If you drive like you scared you gonna lose.
… you don’t want to have to rebuild the whole engine, you gonna lose …
You gotta drive like don’t nothin’ else matter ‘except gettin’ to that line. Drive like you fucking stole it.
Beauregard heard his daddy’s voice every time he drove the Duster. Sometimes he heard it when he was driving for crews. In those moments it offered him bitter pearls of wisdom, nonsensical chatter that reminded him not to end up like his daddy, a ghost without a grave.”

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had this audible short story lined up for dialysis today and for the first time ever time flew by. It was exactly as long as I needed to begin the book as soon as my needles were in place and I finished about 3 minutes before my alarm said I was done with dialysis. Perfect timing! SA Cosby is such a great writer that I was immersed in the book very quickly and I did not miss a word. Some bad language, a super bad guy, some women who made a living working on the dark sides of the streets. There were deaths, there were scary moments and prayers with a selection from the Book of Revelations playing a role, and many interesting conversations.

Three friends inadvertently kill a man and when they see how much cash he has, they take off with the money. Along follows the very bad guy who wants not just his money but also retribution. Along with the chase for his money he manages to maim or kill more than one poor soul.

This book shocked me with the intensity of many parts but also with the sweetness of others.

SA Cosby writes best sellers but these are not just good books,
They are great books. The kind of reading experience that makes everything else seem boring or bland. I pity the next selection I make because I might be expecting too much if I compare it to this short and perfect book.

[K · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m working my way through SA Cosby’s backlog because I love his work so much. Every book I’ve read of his so far is a 5 star and in my list of top books ever. Unfortunately, Brokedown Prophets will not be on that list. Overall this was just okay but I can’t say I’ll recommend it. I’m not sure how to explain it but this story felt like it was SA Cosby’s idea but then someone else actually wrote the script. It definitely didn’t didn’t meet the very high expectations I have for his books. The dialog between the characters told the whole story and I felt like it could have benefitted from a narrator filling in the gaps - it also would have felt less cheesy.

[Gabby Penn Farmer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this audio!!!

[BossyLadi · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars

this was just ok. it didn't feel like an audiobook. more like a movie without the pics.

all three of the "prophets" were annoying asf. so was the white dude. otherwise, story was ok

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 stars! Digit, Maria and Preach are hustlers trying to make some money. Maria lures a Russian mobster (who she didn’t know was a monster) to a hotel room and he was he was hoping to have a good time with her. When the mobster realizes it is a set-up, a fight ensues and they wind up killing him. They look through his bag and see a bunch of money that they want to keep, but the people that the cash belongs to are in pursuit of trying to find the three of them and kill them. We also learn more of their backstory and why they are in the position that they’re in.

This book read like a movie and I was here for all of it! There was sadness, seriousness and humor throughout this story and the narrators were fantastic! I definitely recommend.

[Amber Swanson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Why did this make me laugh so much. This was good. It’s a full production! It’s like listening to a movie.

[Jane Goldberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

This audiobook is much like a theater production. Which makes it even better than if a single narrator performed the book.

Since it’s Black History Month, I’m pleased to recommend this audiobook version over the written version of the book.

S.A. Cosby is a Black author who writes about Black experiences in usually urban settings.

In this book, three maybe 20something friends make the extremely bad decision to unalive a Russian gangster and relieve him of his possessions. Within minutes they understand that they need to run away as far and as fast as they can. But all good plans have flaws.

The suspense is real, the danger is real. If you want to live vicariously through what it’s like to be on the run from very dangerous people while sitting safely in your house, this book will take you on the run of your life!

[Teresa Brock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brokedown Prophets
S. A. Cosby
Audible Original
11/22/2023
Narrators: Jonathan Majors, Brian Tyree Henry, Dasha Polanco, Jeremy Jordan and others

Brokedown Prophets is an immersive, full-cast audio production that brings the story to life with expert-level performances. The sound design and narration are so rich and cinematic, it feels like you're watching an Oscar-winning film. Every character is brought to life, with each voice adding depth and emotion, making it a truly unforgettable listening experience. Sound effects and music draw you deeper into the world of Preach, Digit and Maria.

(Note – I could talk about this for days.) The name of the story gave me something to think about before it even started, but as the story progresses and we get to know Digit (who talks too much, is impulsive and hungry) Preach (has a big heart, carries a lot of burden with him and isn’t sure if he can trust God, even though he knows the Bible as well as he knows the back of his hand) and Maria (the newer addition to the group in the most unlikely way; who is full of attitude and no one you would want to double cross).

These three have a business plan of sorts where they lure men into a hotel room and take their money. Things go sideways when a Russian mobster shows up, becomes aggressive and ummm… he dies. In the wake of his death, they find a bag full of money, but attached to that money is a slew of problems! Preach, Digit and Maria meet a new challenge at each juncture while they are being chased by B-Boy – the Russian clean up/hit man. (I cant even with B-Boy. He’s a douche.) As their story progresses Preach, Digit and Maria change and grow and we get to know a little more about them at every stop and why they have made the choices they have made.

There is a lot to unpack and to think about as you get each person’s background, and a lot goes into the choices that all of us make and why we make them every day. Give this a listen. You won’t regret it.

[Robyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

While I am a professed S.A. Cosby fangirl, this Audible Original did not work for me at all. Four hours of my life I can't get back. My issues as follows:

1. FORMAT - This listens like a movie without a screen. It has full sound effects. I found this distracting. One of the joys of reading is imagining your own background. Will I change my mind on this, maybe. Is this the future of audiobooks, possibly. Do I sound like an old dog afraid of change, probably.

2. ACCENTS - There are several Russian characters, the accents are horrendous.

3. CHARACTERS - These characters are stupid, really stupid. I think I could have moved past issues 1 and 2 above if the characters were better. Cosby normally builds a rich, complicated nuanced character, I am not sure what happened here. I had zero interest in Preach/Digit/Maria for the duration of this book. This book is a series of one unbelievable decision after another. Imagine meeting three adult humans who had never interacted with another adult human and managed to get to adulthood without learning that every action has a counter action or consequence and that humans are fairly predictable. Honestly, I kept waiting for one of the characters to say, "guys, the sun came up at almost this exact same time yesterday. can you believe it?" I just can't accept that Cosby wrote this book as he is soooo much better than this.

4. SLANG - This book is littered with slang, which is perfectly appropriate for this kind of book. However, with every slang phrase used, the same character then immediately follows-up with the actual meaning of the slang phrase. For example, when a character says, "bounce with the paper", the same character then says, "I mean steal the money". Ugh, this drove me bananas.

In summary, if you have read all S.A. Cosby's books and are a superfan like me, you will likely want to skip this Audible Original. My 2-stars are generous.

[Lesley · Rating 3 out of 5]

3⭐️

Full cast audio production, I love multiple narrators all doing their own parts in full. I don’t need all the sound effects though, it feels a bit over stimulating. Plus I found it difficult to hear what the actors were actually saying due to the speed and lack of clarity of speech at times when things were frantic. I even tried reducing the speed it was easier for me at .9. The sound effects over the voices made it even harder for me to hear clearly what was being said. I found the Russian voices, don’t know how many there were, hard to distinguish from each other, the accents were a bit naff. I also had problems identifying some of the male voices. There were just too many characters. Interesting that Cosby has a small voice part as the homeless man ( the performance credits are at the end, there’s even more producers than voices!). There are far too many characters. The whole story is dialogue based so it’s more of a play than a story I’m not keen on this format.

Action packed funny at times down and dirty fast and furious, at times frenetic street thriller. Preach,Digit and Maria end up on a crime spree while on the run after they accidentally kill a man connected to the Russian mob while trying to hustle him. They are very much hapless criminals.

I can’t say that I really enjoyed this, I was disappointed as I love S A Crosby’s writing style usually.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars:
As a huge fan of novelist S.A. Cosby, I picked up “Brokedown Prophets”, an audible original story. With audible original stories, the listener is treated to a high-quality production, akin to listening to a play. The production is a collaboration between Kevin Hart and Charlamagne Tha God’s SBH Productions. The production company is perfect for Cosby’s quick-witted prose.

Narrators Jonathan Majors, Brian Tyree Henry, and Dascha Polanco must have had fun making this audio. It’s a story of a trio of scammers who find themselves in a heap of trouble when they rob the wrong person. It’s the story of the trio trying to outrun the mob as they travel from NYC to seedy locales along the East Coast traveling to the South.

This is a gritty tale, so listeners beware of gritty street language (which lends to the authenticity of the story). This is one of the more highly rated audible original stories. It was silly and tragic in equal measure. It’s a little over a four hour listen.

[Arra Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Let Me Start By Saying This Was My First Full Cast Audible. It Caught Me Off Guard Completely, & Took Some Getting Use To, Because Of The Actual Background Audio. This Is My First S.A Cosby Book As Well, But When I Say This Is The Suspense & Edge I Need. I Loved It.
Preach Used His Senses & Most Importantly His Brain Throughout, Which I Was Happy With. If Not, Preach, Digit, & Maria Would’ve Been Dead Much Sooner.
Digit Was A Fien Honestly & Didn’t Have Any Instincts Whatsoever, Which Was Surprising To Me Because Of His Background.
I Was So Happy When Preach Was Finally Honest With Digit About Their Situation. Moving Forward Digit Allowed Preach To Take The Lead. Thank Goodness
Maria Was A Lady Of The Night, & Put Preach & Digit On To The Things They Were Doing. Honestly. Was Glad To No That She Hung In & Used Her Head When It Was Best For Them All.
Overall The Storyline Kept Me Going & My Blood Pressure A Little High. I Recommend

[Ennamora · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF (had an hour left of the audiobook at 1,5 speed)

This is my first Cosby book and.... I'm not impressed. This book was recommended by me and I was just bored.
It started out great, loved the funny banter, but it went downhill quickly.
How can THREE ADULTS be so clueless? They made THE dumbest decisions. Especially after killing someone. And one of them, I'm not sure which one, Preach or Digit, acted like a damn child through all of it.
The romance between Maria and the other dude also was cringey as fuck. It was not believe worthy and did nothing to me.
Aside from the beginning and after it went downhill quickly, I just stopped caring.

The only good thing in this book was one of the Russians calling out the MAGA, saying the US was never great.
Okay, the narrators also did an amazing job, so I guess that makes two things. It was really immersive, but that's where it ends.

[Sherri Burrell · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book should be called, Dumb People and other Dumb People, doing Dumb Shit. This story was intense and fast paced, however, the main characters did some dumb shit! They were wanna be gangsters, hustlers, and what else you wanna call them and their hit goes left and then they proceed to make every single wrong decision you can make. It was also a little cat and mouse subplot and cat was a living, breathing wanna be Eminem. Listen, S.A. Cosby cannot do wrong in my eyes, the story was crazy and the best part was the audio production, it was amazing! The sound effects, music, narration, it was top tier...I blame Kevin Hart and Charlamagne da God. EIther way, it held my attention for the entire afternoon and it was free from Audible.