Description
"I Hate Being Black", written by Hip Hop pioneer Spyder D, is a direct derivative of his song of the same title. The song was written based off of his real life personal experiences, and was further elaborated on during the writing of the book. Spyder D, as he is known in the entertainment industry, was born in 1960 and raised since 1964 in the Queens section of New York City. In this book he delves into real life experiences of himself and Blacks in America in general. Historical events in America during the turbulent civil rights era of the 60's, 70's, 80's up to today's events are the backdrop from which he paints a portrait of what it is like to be Black in America over a half century period of time.
Each chapter is titled after a line of his poetic rap from the recording that was released on April 1st on his own Newtroit Record Label, which he released a single in 1980, making him be the first rap artist to successfully produce and master his own recording and released on his own label. "Opportunities are slim or none, that's right son/Chances are you'll die by the gun" is one of the scathing rhymes from the recording that he turns into a chapter, with real, gritty, forthright narration of actual events and how it affected him personally, and Black America in general.
"The book", he says, "is meant to be used as a mirror for Black America, to look at how we deal with what we go through and the choices we make as a race...and, provides the rest of the world with a window into what it has been like, and what it is still like, being Black in America. Hopefully, for those who are still uncomfortable discussing race relations, this can open up a civil, but frank dialogue on how we can all do better, no matter what race, creed or color we are".