I Am the New Black

by Tracy Morgan, Anthony Bozza

The outrageously funny, heartbreaking, and surprising story of Tracy Morgan's rise from ghetto wiseass to superstar comedian.
Who is Tracy Morgan? The wildly unpredictable funnyman who rocketed to fame on Saturday Night Live ? The Emmy-nominated actor behind the sly and ingenious character Tracy Jordan on the award-winning hit sitcom 30 Rock , whose turbulent personal life often mirrors that of his fictional alter ego? Is he Chico Divine, the life of the party--any party, anytime, anywhere, getting ladies pregnant everywhere he goes? Or is he a soulful, tender family man who emerged from a hardscrabble ghetto upbringing and against all odds achieved superstardom, raised a solid family, prevailed over a collection of lethal bad habits, and is still ascending new heights and coming into his own? The answer Tracy Morgan is all that. And then some. When he was just a boy living in the Coney Island projects, being funny was about survival. With the right snap, Tracy could shut down the playground bullies who beat up on him and his physically disabled older brother. And with a wild enough prank, he could exact revenge on whoever stole his Pumas at the community pool. Later, being funny was about escape--from the untouchable sadness of his father’s death, from the desperation of the drug dealer’s trade, from the life and death battles waged on the streets of the South Bronx in the age of crack. But these days being funny is about living his dream--a dream born in the comedy clubs of Harlem and realized on shows like Martin and Saturday Night Live , where he was a cast member for seven years, and in movies like The Longest Yard and Half-Baked . With brutal honesty and his trademark take-no-prisoners humor, Tracy tells the story of his rise to fame, with all its highs and its many lows--from the very public battles with alcohol and diabetes that threatened his career and his life to the private and poignant end of his twenty-year marriage. In his singularly warped and brilliant way he muses on family, love, sex, race, politics, ambition, and what it takes to bring the funny. Howlingly funny, inspiring, searing, and touching, I Am the New Black is a fascinating peek inside the mind of one of the most compelling and defining comedians of our time.

Genres: Nonfiction, Humor, Biography, Memoir, Audiobook, Comedy, Autobiography

198 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Tracy Morgan is an American actor and comedian, best known for his work on the TV series Saturday Night Live and 30 Rock on which he plays Tracy Jordan. (I'm just kidding Tracy!)

Reviews

[Fabian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not written well at all, it does remains a delectable anecdotal treat.

The comedian bares his soul; he's overly confident & suave. Nothing less to be expected from this SNL alum. And, although it is tremendously redundant in parts, a bit repetitive, it IS vulnerable, even (gasp!) heartbreaking.

[Naksed · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am not a big, big fan of Tracy Morgan. I have not watched a single episode of 30 Rock (yup, you can get out your pitchforks and run after me, I deserve it) nor have I ever watched his stand-up BUT I do love Saturday Night Live and I have always enjoyed reading behind-the-scenes stuff about this iconic TV show and pop culture phenomenon.

Disappointingly, Morgan glosses over his stint at SNL, and aside from some pretty rude comments about castmates Cheri Oteri and Chris Kattan, what he shared about that experience wasn't very memorable.

On the other hand, I have to credit him with his honest and open revelations about a nightmare childhood growing up in the projects of Brooklyn and the Bronx, and his heartfelt and agonizing relationship with his parents. He brought me to tears.

Overall though, this felt like a very disjointed, often rambling and raving, long-running anecdote heavy on the personal family stuff and pretty thin on his actual experience in the entertainment industry. Maybe he is saving that stuff for a future memoir?

I didn't start out this book being a superfan (though I have nothing against him as a comedian and found his SNL appearances amusing) and I certainly didn't conclude the book with any more insight or admiration for his sense of humor, though he has all my admiration for surviving such a harrowing childhood and achieving his dream despite all the odds against him.

[* · Rating 2 out of 5]

No longer using this website, but I'm leaving up old reviews. Fuck Jeff Bezos. Find me on LibraryThing: https://www.librarything.com/profile/...

I was totally blindsided by Tracy Morgan's I Am the New Black. I took a look at his goofy face and exposed belly on the cover, dressed in an expensive suit jacket and tie with bunny ears, with the ridiculous title and the name written enormous in golden lights above, and thought: This is going to be hilarious. Maybe he'd even write it in character as Tracy Jordan from 30 Rock!

I feel bad for saying that I was disappointed to see that this was not the case. Why not have a serious autobiography of a funny man? I'm sure there are plenty of folks that would want to read about the trials and tribulations of a young kid growing up in Brooklyn and what shaped his life into what we see on television today. Unfortunately for me, this is not what I thought I was signing up for when I downloaded the audiobook.

Tracy Morgan's life has been tragic, in a way that many lives are under the white supremacist capitalist patriarchal state. His father died of AIDS from a heroin addiction picked up in Vietnam. His mother gave him away to his grandmother, who also died when he was young. He experienced early childhood sexual abuse from a babysitter. He sold crack, but since his heart wasn't really in it, he turned to comedy. With some help from some very understanding women in his life, he has succeeded greatly in this venture.

This book is for you if you are sincerely interested in Tracy Morgan's life, not if you enjoy his comedy.

[Vannessa Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tracey Morgan’s I Am The New Black is one of the most honest and telling memoirs I’ve read this year!

Mr. Morgan takes us through a life of peril to a life of luxury never knowing how good his life had become until he lost his family to booze and partying. It took his hitting rock bottom to realize until he changed his former neighborhood mentality, mindset, to one of a successful businessman who made it out of the world of drugs, gangs, hopelessness, and people who blamed their defeatist attitudes on others as they limp through life, he’d never truly achieve success. He learned that money is not success but success is a mindset.

What I especially enjoyed about I Am The New Black is Mr. Morgan’s honesty. Not once did he blame anyone for his failures or the negative decisions he made. Something else that impressed me was Mr. Morgan’s confidence in thanking and promoting his friends and encouraging us to purchase their products.

Tracey Morgan’s I Am The New Black is a must read and not to learn about the bad boy but to see yourself and accept your faults then turn yourself around to become the best you can be.

My hat is off to you Mr. Morgan for your candid writing of a book that’ll serve as a guide to all of us for improving our lifestyles.

[K2 · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think he could have used a little assistance with this AutoBio😳🤭😂 OtherWise DeCent Read

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read quite a few celebrity autobiographies and this is one of the better ones. Here's why.

Look at Scar Tissue by Anthony Kiedis. Kiedis spends most of his book detailing EVERY SINGLE drug deal he ever took part in. And if that's not enough, he, for some reason, feels the need to tell us whenever he got laid. The whole book, the guy's doing drugs, buying drugs and having sex. It's over 400 pages long and he barely gets in anything about the Red Hot Chili Peppers' music. That's why I read the book, not to learn about what drug he was shooting up on some random day.

Drugs and sex were a part of Tracy Morgan's life. However, he doesn't feel the need to detail every single time he participated in those activities, which is wonderful. And he actually talks about what he's known for - his acting. He talks about SNL, 30 Rock and his stand-up and all of it is fun to read.

This isn't to say the book is devoid of those other subjects. Tracy talks about how he sold drugs and he spends a few pages on it. He talks about his family a lot, especially his dad. There's a good amount spent on his Alcoholism. But it works because he doesn't glorify it. Whenever Kiedis wrote about the drugs, he mostly talked about how much he loved them, like thought doing the drugs made him cooler. But Tracy tells how much the booze hurt him, his family and his career.

I Am The New Black is also a quick read. I can't tell you how much I hate a long book. A long book feels especially long and boring when you're just reading someone's life (Another area where Scar Tissue failed). I breezed through this in a day, which was nice.

But most of all, the book is just so inspirational. The fact that Tracy went from living in the ghetto, selling drugs and seeing his friends die, to becoming a cast member of Saturday Night Live (And later, 30 Rock), shows that anyone could do anything if they follow their dreams.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have a feeling this would be three or even two stars, had I read this instead of listing to it as an audio CD. Tracy Morgan is a rambler, and he jumps all over the place in time. He repeats himself and goes on and on sometimes when he should be getting back to some kind of narrative structure. But listening to it, I could always be doing something else too, so I would just tune it out when he was rambling and then pay attention again when he was back to a good story or being funny. And he is pretty damn funny in this book. Although again, would it have been so funny if he wasn't reading it to me? Doubtful. When he is talking about everyone making fun of the caterpillar, until it turns into a butterfly, and they call the caterpillar slimy, but it's the most driest creature in the forest...I was really enjoying listening to him. I also didn't remember that he was on 'Martin' and I hadn't really seen his standup, and while I was listening I would go on youtube and find clips. He's always been funny. But his persona is a really big part of his comedy, and without it, I don't think the book would be as good.

[Renee · Rating 1 out of 5]

I listened to the audio version of this book, and although Morgan’s story of rags to riches is somewhat interesting and inspiring, that is about all this book has.

Listening to him orate and his inability to talk in complete sentences with some mode of fifth-grade articulation was downright pitiful. If one knew nothing of Tracy Morgan, one would never know he was a comedian. Other than Morgan shouting “I am BIG funny” numerous times throughout the book, and comparing himself to comedy legends Redd Foxx, Richard Pryor, Eddie Murphy, comedy would not be associated with him.

Morgan talks in circles with the same stories and sentences repeated over and over and he has an annoying habit of saying full sentences two times in a row. In a row. See that's annoying. The book is also laced with meaningless "shout-outs" to fellow comedians, friends, junkies, his boyz, ho's etc.

After listening to this book, I got a much better appreciation for the talented comedy writers of Saturday Night Live and 30 Rock. Now they are BIG funny!

[Lee Anne · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was co(ghost)written by Anthony Bozza, who also co(ghost)wrote Artie Lange's Too Fat to Fish, and it has more than a few similarities. Both men had fathers who died young; both men have overcome (or tried to, in Artie's case) addictions; both books are written by comedians, but are sentimental more than they are funny.

Tracy Morgan is one of the funniest people out there right now, but this book made me laugh out loud exactly once. That isn't to say it's a bad book, but if you're expecting one of those stand-up comedian books in which all their best bits are recycled, this isn't one of those. It's again very sentimental, full of "I owe this person" stories, sad tales of his estrangement from his mother and divorce from his wife. It's occasionally repetitive, with jokes being awkwardly repeated within the same anecdote. But it sounds like his voice, which is good for a ghost-written memoir, and you learn a lot about him that you may not have already known.

[Douglass · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've been on an audio book kick lately...so this review is for the audio book version of "I Am the New Black".

Having said this, I'm not sure how the printed version would read. The audio book is read by Tracy Morgan...but I can't tell if he's actually reading the text or sort of free-form-ad-libbing. It comes across as if he's sitting across from you kind of rambling about his life. The audio book comes across as being fairly disjointed as a result.

It's interesting, I guess...sort of in the way that listening about almost anyone telling you about his or her life story might be...but that's really not enough to warrant a higher rating than just 2 stars.

[Norb Aikin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting read...not real heavy or anything, and not really full of earth-shattering revelations or juicy Hollywood gossip. The real disappointment comes to the reader if he or she chooses to try and read it in Morgan's voice...it feels like Anthony Bozza too often took out or cleaned up a lot of Morgan's delivery and storytelling. It'd be fascinating to hear this being read by Morgan himself, with his vocal inflections coloring the passages. Overall, a nice tale of someone overcoming some unfortunate circumstances to really carve a path for himself and his family.

[Dora · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book probably gets so many stars because I expected very little of it, and instead I was really moved and drawn in. Morgan's bio is much more thought-provoking than it seems on the surface. He (or possibly his ghostwriter) is able to tell a compelling story about his childhood and his life as a performer, creating a story arc weaving them together. Things mentioned in the very beginning become a part of his professional life.

In particular I was moved by the parallels between his relationship with his parents and his relationship with his kids.

He has some very intelligent things to say about the role of race in comedy... throughout the book are little blurbs about certain performers, talking about the influence Pryor and Murphy had on him, all leading up to the title of the book- his thesis, that he's taken all this history and personal experience and re-invented it, creating a whole new kind of black performer.

A really surprisingly good book.

[Che · Rating 3 out of 5]

The audiobook is "read" by him. It's very apparent that he isn't reading the book verbatim (I do believe he reads the introduction), but I think his personality shines when he's just speaking from the heart. I laughed out loud in a lot of this. But in length, it just wasn't enough. I'm contemplating actually reading the book, but I'm not sold on doing that, because what I love most about Tracy Morgan is the way he expresses himself. That's the reason why I waited for the audiobook rather than just reading the book itself. I'd recommend this to his fans because he delivers the comedy, even when he isn't trying. I also recommend the audiobook because it has original music from his father. I learned a lot about his life and what has shaped him as a man. If you're curious, pick up a copy. It's worth it.

[Cory · Rating 1 out of 5]

I listened to the audio version of this, and it was bananas. In the first place, I haven't compared the audio to the print version, but I refuse to believe that Tracy Morgan read directly from the book. I'm guessing that he took what was written in the book and used it as a jumping-off point for his ramblings. There's no way that he was reading it verbatim.

The other odd thing is that he chose the weirdest things upon which to focus his attention. By the end of the book, I knew far more about what was in the poop he spitefully left in the public pool than I did about, say, the birth of his son, or how he succeeded in standup, or his relationship with his family.

[Frank · Rating 2 out of 5]

What do you expect from a book whose author's name is twelve times bigger than the title?? The ghostwriter for Mr. Morgan seems to just be transcribing interviews with Tracy - four letter's and all! Man! I left that S#@t! in high school! As to the rest of the book, it does offer some insight and opinions about fellow SNL members and some inkling of the process,
but gets repetitive towards the latter part of the book. Overall, not bad, but the ghost writer has also produced articles for Rolling Stone,
a column in which would have probably been a better choice for Tracy Morgan.

[Meghan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unfortunately, this wasn't as funny as I had hoped and definitely didn't offer much in the way of "behind the scenes" SNL information. Morgan and his ghostwriter put forth a positive tale of hard work and hardship, but there is so much repetition and so many tired analogies that it got old. Despite the mediocrity of the writing, I can see a lot of teens and young adults, especially in the African American community wanting to pick this title up at the library.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are a Tracy Morgan fan, you will enjoy this sometimes silly, sometimes tragic, and yes, loopy account of where he came from and what he believes in. In particular, I recommend the audio book which he narrates with all of the passion and all of the joy that come with his somewhat sideways way of looking at the world.

[Liz Pardue-schultz · Rating 4 out of 5]

SO many famous-people’s memoirs show that they have zero idea how to translate their public persona to the written word; this is not the case for Morgan, who selves into his personal past and current demons with lovable candor. In this work, he went from a goofy genius I enjoyed to one I thoroughly admire.

[Stacy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oh Tracy Tracy …. Tracy; what sweet hell was that?

Tracy Morgan narrated his own audio and this was not a good move. Verbiage was choppy, confusing (timeframes were all over the place), and he repeated sentences/ideas through out audio.

I gave two stars over just one because I believe he had some good messages and life lessons that he shared and those were not a total loss

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wish it was better.
Super quick read, it hits all my bio requirements.
Nice details about the come up, gets pretty gory but it’s probably too short.
Not enough snl stuff but he does say something about it. I guess. I wanted more of the nitty gritty about the show when he was on it. He didn’t say anything about snl I didn’t already know from seeing his dvd.
He does rip on a few people pretty hard. Not crazy in depth but he doesn’t hold back when he tells a few people they suck. He uses more choice words but Chris Kattan, Sherri o’teri and Rick Ross catch it. Paris Hilton as well which I guess is just a sign of the times when it was written.
He gets pretty introspective about his place in life and why he does the things he does. Kudos to him for staying true to who he is, which is kind of a dummy with a decent heart, but he’s definitely stupid. And then reading the wiki about whatever happens to him after this, shit gets way more intense for him after. 30 rock keeps going, then he has a brutal accident and almost dies. He seems recovered and not a complete idiot now, but anytime you see him not on a talk show in a semi real life thing he seems disgruntled. Life will do that I guess.
You can probably skip it. But it was a decent read. If I wasn’t all about snl I wouldn’t have touched this. Also if it wasn’t a dollar at the thrift store I wouldn’t have touched it. His comedy never really did it for me so it’s no surprise the book didn’t either, but also I guess I was never his target audience. Anyways. For a one trick pony I think he’s done well and the book hammers that note, just like he does. and why not? He is what he is and I’m just a hater reading his book. I’m not a hater really… I’m just not all about him. Does that make me a hater? Probably. But I’m really not.

[BookDrunkard is on storygraph as bookdrunkard78 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't know what to expect when I decided to listen to this audio. I know I wasn't expecting the honest, heart-breaking, straight talk that was found here. The reader is left feeling like Tracey is talking to his best friend rather than narrating an audio book. There are parts that are funny, raw, heart-felt. Morgan lays his soul bare in a way only he can.

That being said, I didn't think this well-written at all. I don't know if the physical book would be better, but if it's written how the audio is spoken, leave it alone and stick to the audio. I'm not sure I can necessarily recommend it like I normally would. I really felt connected to the man after listening to this, but if you are wanting a high quality memoir, this isn't it. I'm giving it 4 stars because I walked away feeling as though the comedian let me in on his inner most secrets.

If you like audios where the author sounds like he is talking to YOU, where you are left feeling intimately connected, if you like Tracey Morgan enough to listen to him narrate his life for 4 hours, then give this a try. If not, skip it.

[Marlena Debreaux · Rating 3 out of 5]

After listening to the memoirs of Ta-Nehisi Coates and Issa Rae, I am admittedly a bit spoiled. This is neither. However, what the memoir lacks in organization and fluidity; it makes up for with honesty and vulnerability that at times feels cathartic. In the narrative, Morgan recounts his personal history from childhood, early romances and sexual experiences (including a rather casual mention of his own rape at age 8 by a babysitter), and trauma. His candidness along with the book's more technical shortcomings made this book particularly difficult to listen through at times, however, I would argue; that it is still worth that listen.

[Sam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tracy Morgan writes an inspirational memoir about how he came to be part of a new generation of Black Americans "the New Black" who are realizing their own development and success through personal choice and hard work--with the awareness that mainstream society will not help them. The stories are arranged mostly chronologically and by subject thereafter. The audiobook is read by the author, and it includes two song recordings written and performed by his father too. Readers sensitive to adult language and stories about sex, sexual activity, or drug use might want to skip this book. Otherwise, readers seeking candid and thoughtful reflections about growing up in Brooklyn and the Bronx (after the Vietnam War, in 1970s-1980s New York), being Black in New York, crack culture, loosing family members to AIDS, becoming a comedian, becoming a father, working as part of Saturday Night Live, becoming drug-free, and becoming an award-winning actor, should have their expectations exceeded.

[Regan Owen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can’t get enough of these former SNL memoirs. I love Tracy Morgan - truly since he was on SNL in the 90s. 30 Rock is iconic. This was written in 2009 so there’s some interesting insight into how he approached that character, but the majority is about his upbringing and family life. He certainly is a family man, even if (as he acknowledges) he’s fucked up from time to time. There are some of his “observations” here that are definitely problematic in today’s culture, but even after all that, I still walk away with a greater appreciation for who Tracy is and the kind of man he wants to be.

[Beth · Rating 1 out of 5]

I strive to expand my horizons, challenge my assumptions and perceptions and be open to different ways of seeing things. That’s the mindset with which I began this book. Morgan’s story telling—both what he said and how we said it—was a quick turn off for me. His language, attitude about sex and how he talked about what he did (and didn’t) want to do with women was a mismatch for my life experiences and viewpoints. Frankly, I was disgusted by much of what was said.

[Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to this book in audio book form and enjoyed it more than I thought I would. I've never been a huge fan of Tracy Morgan but always remembered first seeing him on Martin as Hustle Man. Tracy is also narrating this book so it felt like he was talking directly to you. I think he did a beautiful job being raw and honest about some of the most disheartening things that happened to him. this was a good read, and would definitely recommend.

[Morgan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I listened to the audiobook version of this as read by Tracy Morgan. It is definitely not suitable for work. Which is where I listened to it with headphones. It gave a good overview of his life and led to insight of the individual. It held my attention. I'm not sure that I would recommend it to anyone. I also have no desire to read it again.

[Kerry Pickens · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Tracy Morgan. Nobody makes me laugh harder. I listened to this book on Audible read by Tracy, and the story of his Brooklyn childhood where his father was a drug addict was heartbreaking. His message is young black people can overcome their background and become successful. I just wish my foster kids would listen to his story.

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Tracy Morgan. The prose of the this book was fun and easy to read, and just like biographies do for me, it opened my eyes to some life situations that I didn't really understand. He has a good retelling ability.

The other part that I liked was the insight to SNL and what good friends he had made. A good actor and a pretty good biography to enjoy.

[John Nondorf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tracy Morgan is a really funny dude. This book is not funny--it's not meant to be, but I really dug it anyway. It's an honest and open biography that gives some insight into Morgan's characters. I'm glad he got out and that he owns his own messes and has been able to move on from them without losing the funny.