Carmello

by Rahsaan Ali, Tony Isabella (Reading)

When you're in the game, nothing is ever sacred. Ever!

"My word is bond" is the phrase most commonly stated among the hustlers. The cutthroat styling of the haters is masqueraded by hugs, pounds, and love. Loyalty ain't nothing but a word some dick made up to protect his head from the diseased, poverty-filled world of karma. And the only back niggaz got is the line they stand on before being sent back up North.

This is the game where anybody can be a winner and everybody's always a sore loser. The doe is fast and women come in abundance like ripened green bushels of plantains at the West Indian day parade. It can be good when everybody is getting it together. But if you start making even just a dollar more than the next man ... Just prepare yourself to spend time either in jail or in the cemetery because niggaz is snitching.

Keep your friends at a distance because it's not always your enemies you need to be keeping close. The block is a microscope and you're always under it.

1 pages, Audio CD

First published June 25, 2012

About the author

Rahsaan Ali was born at Brooklyn Hospital and was raised in Saint Albans, Queens before moving to Suffolk, Long Island. His first novel, Nasty, originally titled Selfish Intentions, made Essence's bestsellers list four months in a row.

Reviews

[Keisha‼️ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Badly written. The story was decent but it moved entirely too fast. And the characters are some of the dumbest drug dealers I’ve ever read about

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mr. Ali's writing style is excellent. He has a way with words and metaphors. His writing captures your attention with each page. This book had so many twists and turns you end up just as confused as the characters. So many great paragraphs in this book. My favorite is this thought from Carmello "It's funny how you set out with the right intentions but always come up fifty cents short of an honest dollar. I know who I am and that ain't gonna change. All the fancy talk and vast vocabulary don't mean s$#!." Costello is such a tortured soul with the Tupacesque mentality of always seeing death around a corner. Destined for college until the slaying of his parents changed his path. Every step of the way exposing the corruption and greed from government agents to the cartel. In the end he still remains Carmello.

[Tasha Broadous · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read

My first time reading his work. Well thought out story line. Full of suspense and action, a few unexpected emotional moments. Very unexpected ending. I look forward to reading more of his work.

[Rahsaan Ali · Rating 5 out of 5]

Me, myself and I

It's been a minute but I shall soon return. I've seen a lot of books come and even more go. This is a gift given and if not crafter to its fullest potential. It will be snatched just as quickly as it was received.