Book Review : Hustlers Ambition

Essay by EssaySwap ContributorCollege, Undergraduate February 2008

download word file, 8 pages 0.0

Growing up the hood can have it's up's and down's. Most people view the hood as the danger zone; land of the dead, ghetto and so on. In the early 70's heroin and cocaine were the drugs that had the United States in frenzy. People were getting high out of their minds; parties were like a one stop shop for drugs. There were major king pins that ruled the drug activity in the streets of Harlem, such as Nicky Barnes, Pee Wee Kirkland and many others. If you needed drugs of any sort they had the right people on their teams who could get it to you. The selling of cocaine and heroin slowed down by the time the 80's hit, there was a new drug that was starting to flood the streets; it's name was "Crack". Crack was a combination of baking soda, cocaine, and other substances, which brought the value of cocaine down because of its cut.

Crack hit the streets hard, people became strung out over this drug, the crime rate skyrocketed and people were dying as a result. Why is this particular drug so popular? Why is it so easy to sell? Let's ask Money Making Mike.

Michael James Jr. also known as Money Making Mike was born and raised in Harlem New York to Sondra and Michael James. Money was very essential by any means necessary back then due the craze of this new drug named "Crack". Mike Jr. grew up with his mother and father but lived with his grandparents from the age of seven in the Taft housing projects on 111th street and Madison ave, which was known as the heart of the drug trade. The streets were a breeding ground for up and coming drug dealers at that time. School wasn't really...