1The Devil's Lyrics is my first novel, and it tells the supernatural tale of an ordinary boy named Dre whose life takes a dramatic turn when his father dies. Dre has a natural gift for making rap music, but his newfound life in poverty incentivizes him to want to become a hip hop sensation by any means necessary. Dre thus decides to strike a deal with an extremely powerful, mystical being who can rid him of his struggles and morph him into a man whom many would envy.
I decided to write this novel because growing up I always had a love for rap music. As I got older, I realized more and more that many of the themes expressed in rap music can prove damning to the listener's well-being. This book is a complete work of fiction, and in no way shape or form do I intend to attack anyone who exists in the real world. Hip hop remains to be my favorite musical genre, but I think I would be remiss not to express that the genre simply isn't appropriate for some folks who may enjoy it. For example, it may be acceptable for some elementary school children to view rated-R films because watching those films has no long-term effects on their actions in society. However, the motion picture content rating system still exists for a good reason. Some children who witness graphic violence or obscene pornographic content ultimately will become murderers and rapists because they never achieved the maturity to properly understand what their feeble minds were attempting to process. Regardless of age, the easily-influenced are certainly at risk when the music they listen to constantly glorifies drug use, committing crimes, and having a lack of respect for women. Tip Harris (a great American hip hop artist) once said something along the lines of it's hard to see the bullshit, hear the bullshit, and be surrounded by the bullshit without eventually becoming a part of the bullshit.
Again, I truly do have love for rap music as it remains an art form for people dealing with real hardships to effectively express themselves. I just want readers of my novel to realize that none of the characters in it are real, and I'm definitely not one of those people who is using this story in some indirect way to expose the music industry. It just so happens that the themes in Deandre's tale may prove relatable for some even though the story is completely made up. Most importantly, I hope everyone who reads my novel is entertained. But if you happen to get a little more than you bargained for from reading this story, even better.