TALES FROM HIP-HOP

Where the Music Ends and the Story Begins

COMING OCTOBER 2026

NEW RELEASE

Why isn’t the greatest storytelling tradition of the last fifty years on the bookshelf?

TALES FROM HIP-HOP VOLUME 1

Where the Music Ends and the Story Begins

Ten original short stories descended from hip-hop’s storytelling tradition.

“[. . .] TFHH doesn’t just reference hip-hop culture. It understands how memory, music, pain, humor, and storytelling all move together.”

— Adrianne, Early Reader

Tales From Hip-Hop Vol. 1: Where the Music Ends and the Story Begins is a collection of ten original short stories descended from hip-hop's storytelling tradition. These are not adaptations or retellings. Each story inherits specific narrative traits from iconic hip-hop storytelling songs and builds something wholly new from them. From micro-fiction to novellas, all carrying the DNA that made you recognize the music as literature in the first place.

INSIDE VOLUME 1

  • The Sad, Sad Song

  • Echoes from King Street

  • Caseworker

  • if/imagine

  • See What Had Happened Was . . .

  • Come On, Let's Go

  • Rapture: First Frequency

  • Testify: The Queenpin's Coronation

  • An Apple for the Teacher

  • Goodnight Hip-Hop

  • TFHH VOL. 1

REACTIONS FROM THE UNDERGROUND

First Readers’ REVIEWS

RAPTURE: FIRST FREQUENCY

“Read the story about the Aether DJ connection with a greater sinister force this morning. Bro, I was locked in like Aether was playing in my house. Sheesh.”

— DJ Monk, Founder of West Michigan Hip-Hop

TESTIFY: THE QUEENPIN’S CORONATION

“The ending was disturbing and made me angry. Not at the author. Just angry that this evil woman won. That’s why this story was GREAT.”

— Early Reader

TFHH VOL. 1

“Yo. So far, so good with the book. What took you so long to do this? I'm very impressed and proud. The intro was deep and I'm glad you chose to express such a unique point of view from a hip hop perspective. It could be applied to jazz, blues, classical, etc. but you chose hip hop and that's pretty dope.”

— Jammie, Early Reader

THE SAD, SAD SONG
“After reading, I kept thinking of ‘We Wear the Mask’ by Paul Laurence Dunbar and Prince’s ‘Mary Don’t You Weep’ music video.”

— Mr. Crawley, Elementary Principal 

IF/IMAGINE

“I was reading in order, but had to skip straight to the Nas-based story. Sir… this is dope.”

— Susan, GR Lit Fest

TFHH VOL. 1

“I thought I was picking up a short story collection, but this felt bigger than that. Every story had its own atmosphere, its own rhythm, its own emotional weight. TFHH doesn’t just reference hip-hop culture. It understands how memory, music, pain, humor, and storytelling all move together.”

— Adrianne, Early Reader