Diamond Drought [Paperback]

Brandon McCalla (Author)

Book Description

Series: Diamond | Publication Date: July 2004

Introducing America's First Hip-hop Soap Opera! Rich was once your typical drug-dealing street hustler with dreams of the music industry and chrome rims that keep spinning even when the car stops. Now he has finally anteed up. He’s acquired a new whip, more technology for his producing endeavors, and a less visibly active grip on his lucrative drug empire. He has bigger sights and a more legitimate dream ahead of him. Rich has grown weary of all the drug doings and bullet dodging. He secretly wants out of the game and has situated a financial endeavor with his partner Afta that will possibly pull him out of the grind. Rich’s plan seemed so simple—continue to produce the hottest beats and drop that album he’s been working on with the Legacy clique so he can buy that huge, capacious home his woman Leaya has her sights on. She always gets what she wants. But someone doesn’t want that to happen. Someone in Rich’s past wants him dead. An old nemesis that’s just as cagey and smart as he is. Someone who knows Rich just as well as he knows himself… DIAMOND DROUGHT walks you through a Hip Hop Soap Drama circled around Rich’s filthy existence with an incredible supporting cast and host of characters… The hazel-eyed thug Major The Prada brat Anna The black Erika Kane Shantel And the enigmatic Pimp Willie Green With a cameo appearance by the Dark Man himself DMX… DIAMOND DROUGHT, Book One of the Diamond Series. Walk with them… Review "An urban Soprano crime drama" -- Nikki Turner - A Hustler's Wife, Project Chick

Editorial Reviews

Review

"An urban Soprano crime drama" -- Nikki Turner - A Hustler's Wife, Project Chick

From the Publisher

Author Intro

Let me tell you where I grew up at/sip mo, threw up at/flip coke, blew up at/where fake thugs got they vests-s chewed up at… Brooklyn beef/who want that…?

BK Anthem, Foxy Brown

I had to quote her. I know what she was feeling when she was in the booth just about to spit those first 16 bars. When I wrote the first 3 chapters of this, I was like, I gotta rep it correctly. Mos Def and Talib Kwali know, Jay-Z definitely knows. Brooklyn is more than just the hood to us, it’s our province and hip-hop is our culture. Spawned in the boogie down Bronx, but the shit migrated and when it came to BK it never left. We went from break dancing to intricate lyrics about our environment over break beats to the Donald Goines route with it. So I had to base this book in Brooklyn, it was only fitting.

I’m very proud of the culture. Jay-Z signing Kanye West gave me more faith in it. I felt we were losing sight. I decided to go another way people; sure, I produce music, but my Triton’s in the closet now. We need more for us, an alternative direction to direct our minds… but I’m not the KRS type. I don’t teach nor want to. You don’t want me preaching. I could only spew sin from my jaws. My intention initially was for you to read this and get entertained. I tried to hit this urban literature market at a different angle, hold the H&K diagonal like in the movies and let off a few just so you would pay closer attention. I unloaded on the masses not giving a damn about how these other books were written by those other authors, I never read a single one. Why read about the life you’re already living, right? Then I read my own book and knew why. You will know soon enough…these books are hot. It’s rap but with about 60,000 more words… the run-on verse.

Now I read the competition (I still got that emcee mentality). I’m a fan. I won’t mention any names but Teri, whoops… I like your stuff. But it’s all about the sales, retail… feel me? Who wanna battle…!

My mother gets all the props because she’s my biggest supporter, PERIOD! No mushy shit, but thanks Mom… I’m going to Disney World and I’m taking you with me.

Earl Cox you deserve a trophy. This shit could not have been done without you. We all know this. Plus most of the time I’m not a team player, so those reading this should understand that me typing this is something real. I don’t like working with people, people get in the way.

Audra Shivers you took most of the illiteracy out of my manuscript and gave it more muscle. People with books they want published need to check you with dough… that’s all I gotta say about that. I didn’t like editors, till I met you.

Whoa! Wait, I got a few more heads. The people who were behind the project when it was just me writing this to amuse myself. G Double, Add A Lesson (my nigga), Kimsy, Christina (the white girl), Ta-Ta, and my ex-fiancé for making so many copies of the manuscript when it was just a fetus—I hate u bimbo (just kidding…?).

Everyone who purchased this THANK U…! If you just borrowed this… unless you just couldn’t afford it…

I know… like I never borrowed a book before, right? I’m an author now, it’s all different to me now… buy my fucking book.

Peace.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Writersandpoets.com, LLC (July 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0970380364
• ISBN-13: 978-0970380364
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,927,551 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Hip Hop Drama? - Yes, Literary Advancement - No, June 23, 2005

By 

Loose Leaves Book Review (Atlanta, GA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Diamond Drought (Paperback)

 Diamond Drought is the first book in the hip-hop soap opera, Diamond Series. This book is definitely hip-hop fiction. The excessive use of foul language and ghetto slang detract from the reading. This soap opera unfolds on the streets of New York, with the story centered on "Filthy" Rich and his illegal activities. Rich is heavily involved in the drug trade and directs the crime family that runs the avenue with no questions asked. Major, Afta, and Prime are the soldiers who protect Rich, manage the dealings on the avenue as well as operate the club, Diamonds, and the small music studio, Ghetto Sounds. Rich plans to quit the drug trade and turn music producer which will in turn propel his boy, Prime, into the limelight as a rap superstar.

The other players in the melodrama are females and commonly referred to as B%&*$'s. Rich's girl is Leaya, a chick down for whatever when it comes to her man. Leaya is an "around-the-way-girl" who uses Rich's money to floss on the avenue every day. Anna, Leaya's best friend, is a ghetto college student in love with designer labels and men who can fund her spending habits. Shantel, labeled the black Erica Kane, is a cutthroat high-class businesswoman determined to get exactly what she wants in business and in men. Monique is a refined sista who catches the train to read and drink coffee at Starbucks. The other players are Willie, the pimp extraordinaire; Germany, the white girl rapper; and Sparkles, the stripper.

The drama is about sex, drugs and rap music. The story intensifies when gunshots are fired at the club. Who is behind the shots? Which person is supposed to die? What role does Willie play and why does he hate Rich so much? Most of the questions will be answered in the end but some loose ties were left for those readers who will be interested enough to buy the second book in this series. This is definitely a story for those in the hip-hop generation and if you are not familiar with slang used on the East coast forget about understanding the language used. The idea of a hip-hop soap opera is interesting but the story did not have multi-dimensional characters or depth. I have to mention that the author states in the area usually reserved for thanking those instrumental in the development of the work for readers to "buy my %$#& book". Kinda sets you back, huh. What the heck was he thinking? I will definitely have to be strong-armed to read the next installment in this series. Hopefully, it will have more literary value.
Reviewed by M. Bruner for Loose Leaves Book Review

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars TOO MUCH FOR ME!, March 8, 2005

By 

Just My Thoughts (The Windy City-Chi-Town) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Diamond Drought (Paperback)

Maybe I am too old for all this "hip hop" slang stuff. Diamond Drought had so much unnecessary slang that I lost focus on the plot. All it talked about was bling bling and expensive cars. I see where Brandon McCalla was trying to take it, but my advice to you Mr. McCalla is that your book will be read by more than just rapping hip hoppers. For anyone interested in this piece, make sure you're not over 30! For the 30+, be careful about reading this one, you won't understand all the language. Speaking of which, it is full of bad language. I didn't like this one at all.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Full Soap Opera Cast!, February 8, 2005

By 

LOCKSIE "ARC Book Club Inc" (Mt. Vernon, N.Y./Coram, N.Y.) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Diamond Drought (Paperback)

It's street drama, where what you wear says who you are. The women better be good looking with a fat a**, and a rap or two to go with it. Rich is a street hustler trying to go straight with his recording business, but he has not completely let go of the streets. He has his crew (don't they always) and his woman Leaya, who does not really trust her man fully. Rich would give her the world if he could, but there is someone watching Rich's every move, and this person wants Rich to go down...in a two by four!
This drama moves along fast with a host of colorful characters to keep up with, but if you are a avid reader you can handle it. The story has a lot of layers which start to unfold as you get deeper into the book. All the characters were richly developed and added their own flavor to the story. I can honestly say I did not know what the out come of this book would be and I was pleasantly surprised. I did not like the rap versus (the story did'nt need so many of them) and too many brand name dropping!!!! I have a couple of questions for Mr McCalla but I will wait and ask him in an online chat. Otherwise I enjoyed the story. The book has an excellent cover and I am looking forward to Brandon's next book in the Diamond series.