*INTERVIEW*

My name is Jihad I'm the author of the true life street saga Street Life and my next book Baby Girl comes out Oct. 1 2005

How has your real life experiences helped you with writing your novels?

I lived the life, been shot, stabbed, paralyzed from neck down in wheel chair, millionaire on top of the world before I was 21, before I took a fall and went to the federal Pen for over 7 years, started reading about African-American and African culture and psychology and my eyes opened so I started to write.

What is your opinion on the current state of urban/street lit fiction?

On one hand it's beautiful because it's getting our young folks into reading, hell if it weren't for Donald Goines I never would have read Dr. John Henrik Clarke and the likes on the other hand I fear some of the youth will get mixed messages when they read negativity without a positive message and like some hip hop music it will brain wash them

What makes your books stand out from the rest?

I write what I like to call wake-up fiction or conscious street reality. My books could be made into a reality show because they are real I deal with the streets on the level that shit really goes down, but I show how the most desperate situations can be overcome thru faith in the creator and self-education. You could say I'm the Kanye West, The Common, Mos def, Nas, Jada Kiss, Talib Kweli of the writing game.

What advice would you give aspiring writers?

Just do it. Don't look for shit. Follow your dream publish your work and believe in yourself enough to hustle your work like the brush hustle Final Calls and Bean pies. Giving up should not be an option. Focus, research, read, study, and reach out and take your star.

If your life was a reality show, what would be the title and why?

Revolution: because that's what I'm doing. I'm starting a revolution of critical thinking street scholars. I'm creating an atmosphere for a new human rights movement, nit civil rights, because that was a big mistake, you can't have civil rights if you don't have human rights. My writing will get our youth to learn how to think and the most dangerous thing to oppression is a free will thinker.

How can readers learn more about your books and get in contact with you?

Amazon.com or www.jihadwrites.com and bookstores everywhere. And if there is a minority owned bookseller please shop at their store.

Love and Life

Jihad