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The Crack Era
- The Rise, Fall and Redemption of Kevin Chiles
- Narrated by: Richard Ray Esq.
- Length: 11 hrs and 5 mins
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Publisher's Summary
The Crack Era: The Rise, Fall, and Redemption of Kevin Chiles chronicles one of the most treacherous periods in New York City’s history. As told by a man The New York Times once described as, “the biggest drug lord in Harlem since Nicky Barnes”, the book lays bare the harrowing exploits of the narcotics trade Uptown during the late ‘80s and early ‘90s - a world where the lust for freebase cocaine set off a veritable gold rush that turned ghetto boys into young millionaires almost overnight.
“Baseheads” wreaked havoc on the Black community. What’s worse, upper Manhattan became the epicenter of murder and mayhem as drug-related killings pushed the city’s annual death toll well into the thousands. A teenager at the time, Kevin earned a rep as a boss among bosses, and along with a handful of hustlers from his ‘hood, he would directly influence the very music and fashion that ushered in the golden age of hip hop.
The crack epidemic parlayed money, power, and respect for Kev, but it also took his freedom as well as the lives of close friends and family. Now, this candid memoir exposes liars, dispels urban myths, and sheds light on an otherwise dark epoch that has bittersweet implications for many today. Having seen and survived it all, one of America’s most iconic street figures recounts a bygone era of fast cash and high stakes hustling in Harlem.
What listeners say about The Crack Era
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Boo Roq Nodrama
- 10-26-20
CUT...REDO
The narrator's lack of enthusiasm and EXTREMELY unprofessional style of narration reflects badly on the publisher.
6 people found this helpful
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- Eric S.
- 03-24-21
Excellent work.
Kevin's life serves as a cautionary tale to the street life, but also a reminder that you can always turn your life around no matter the circumstances. Despite all of the unfortunate lows in his life (losing his mother, prison etc), he was able to bounce back and start a successful legitimate business with his wife Tiffany. I was also a huge fan of Don Diva growing up!
2 people found this helpful
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- Pop
- 10-30-20
Great listen
I’m a Harlem kid so the story was very familiar. It felt good to hear it first hand.
2 people found this helpful
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- Trish
- 11-09-21
Great story but Redo with experienced reader and editor
This book’s greatness is overshadowed by the inexperienced reader. The editor who reviewed for final cut missed several errors throughout the chapters. For example, Chapter 10/Ballin is riddled with the reader saying “cut, redo.” There are also background noises and sounds in the studio. This was distracting and cannot be ignored.
1 person found this helpful
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- dmcstudent
- 04-07-22
Interesting but hard to understand
This is an interesting story. The reader is awful. A fast mumbler makes it hard to follow and understand.
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- Vahnee
- 03-26-22
I can’t do it
Unfortunately, the story is lost with the narrator. The narration is terrible. The narrator’s voice is very boring. At times the reading is too fast and all jumbled together. It’s very hard to listen to. I’m done with this book. I only made it to Chapter 4. Thankfully, I was able to return it and get my credit back.
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- JustBootsie
- 01-24-22
Nostalgic 70s-90s
Narrator gets an A-, spoke to fast at times and few instances - bad enunciation
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- Bee
- 01-06-22
Terrible narration
I'm from Harlem... me and Kev is the same age... I knew a lot of those guys that he was talkin about and I root for this kid... but I don't know how in the world that audible let this narrator slip through the cracks. What in the hell is going on with proof listening? Other than that... the book was excellent!
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- Orlando
- 12-20-21
Good story, bad Aurator.
The story is great. The reader is horrible. I recommend the paper version only, unless the reader is changed.
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- Great Reviewer
- 12-03-21
Great Reviewer
Very informative and interesting! Very well read! I will recommend this particular book! Thought provoking!
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- Olson
- 12-19-21
Time machine!
This book really plunges you into the crack era. Kevin Chiles does a great job at describing the environment during this period of time. Great book and gripping story.