In this striking new novel by the critically acclaimed author of
Allegedly and Monday's Not Coming, Tiffany D. Jackson tells the
story of three Brooklyn teens who plot to turn their murdered friend
into a major rap star by pretending he's still alive.
Brooklyn, 1998. Biggie Smalls was right: Things done changed. But that
doesn't mean that Quadir and Jarrell are cool letting their best friend
Steph's music lie forgotten under his bed after he's murdered--not when
his rhymes could turn any Bed Stuy corner into a party.
With the help of Steph's younger sister Jasmine, they come up with a
plan to promote Steph's music under a new rap name: the Architect. Soon,
everyone wants a piece of him. When his demo catches the attention of a
hotheaded music label rep, the trio must prove Steph's talent from
beyond the grave.
As the pressure of keeping their secret grows, Quadir, Jarrell, and
Jasmine are forced to confront the truth about what happened to Steph.
Only, each has something to hide. And with everything riding on Steph's
fame, they need to decide what they stand for or lose all that they've
worked so hard to hold on to--including each other.
"Jackson scores a bullseye with her passionate homage to Black city
life in the late '90s." (Publishers Weekly, "An Anti-Racist Children's
and YA Reading List")