CHAPTER 1: EARLY MORNING

            Uptown. Harlem, New York, sleeping in a cozy apartment was DeVante, a brown-skinned African-American male and high school senior. At exactly 6:30 in the morning, 2Pac’s “I Get Around” song serenaded the room waking him up. He opened his eyes and gazed at the sunlight streaming into the room. The sunlight seemed to give him the needed energy to get up. Sitting up in his king size bed DeVante looked at all his posters of his favorite hip-hop artists: 2Pac, Biggie, Jay-Z and Cam’ron.

            “DeVante! You had better get up! You’re going to be late for school!” His mother shouted.

            “I’m up!” DeVante responded.

            “Get up!”

            “I’m up, ma.”

            DeVante went to the closet to decide what to wear. He pulled out his favorite designer clothes, baseball cap and sneakers. This should do, he said to himself. After that, he quickly went to the bathroom to take a long hot shower.

            While he took his shower, DeVante had the radio on Hot 97 playing on a medium volume. That was something he did every morning since 1995, listened to Hot 97 while taking his shower.

            Moments later, DeVante was at the table finishing his pancakes with bacon and eggs. He grabbed the remote control and put on MTV to see if he could catch some music videos, he had not seen yet.

            “DeVante, you have a telephone call!” His mother’s voice was loud and clear.

            DeVante walked into the kitchen and picked up the phone. “Hello.” It was his best friend, Jordan. “What’s up, playboy?”