Hats off to Sister Souljah.
The former rabble rousing self-proclaimed "raptivist" proved to be no fluke in the literary world with her latest book, 'Midnight,' which stormed 'The New York Times Bestsellers List' entering at Number 7 in its first week of sale. That's higher than a hip-hop hoe who is cashed in on the sexual exploits of famous black men, and even better than the former super-sized talk show host selling fairy tales of her success and marriage.
With very scant media attention, 'Midnight' --published by Atria Books, a division of Simon & Schuster -- was released on Nov. 4. It serves at the much anticipated follow-up to Souljah's massively popular debut novel, 'The Coldest Winter Ever,' which was published in 1999 and is now in its 20th printing with one million copies in print.
But as Souljah (born Lisa Williamson) told BlackVoices.com's very own book blogger Karen Hunter, this book (which also topped the BV Bookshelf list) is NOT a "sequel."
The College Survival Guide
A Fridge
Regardless of whether you have a wonderful sized meal plan, your fridge may come in handy with leftovers or when you feel like stocking it with bottled drinks.
Computer
The convenience of a computer is essential when sending your kids off to college. Forget the hike to the computer lab across campus students need a computer in the comfort of their room. A printer comes in handy as well. Depending on whether your child plans to carry his laptop around campus, you might opt for a desk top since they're lighter on the pockets.
Snacks
You will surely survive with off of a meal plan but it doesn't hurt to stock up on snacks when you don't feel like leaving your dorm room. Bottled water, pop corn, cereal and Ramen noodles are all low budget snacks to stock up on. Just be weary of the freshman 15.
Things from home
Some college students suffer from homesickness the first year. It's best to surround yourself with things like photos of the family, pillows or even stuffed animals. Anything that reminds your child of home.
MP3 Player
With all the stress that comes from school and exams, sometimes it's nice to block out the chaos in your life and even your roommate with music. It's nearly impossible to find students walking to class who aren't jamming to tunes.
Budget
Students who enter college often come in at the ripening age of 18. A great time for credit cards. Parents beware, your child may end up ruining their credit at a young age
Alarm Clock
When you're in college you don't have the luxury of getting awaken by your parents. It's now your responsibility to get to class on time so alarm clocks are a must. But keep your roommate in mind. You shouldn't wake him up ever morning with a blow horn alarm.
Cleaning supplies
Now you don't necessarily need to bring in the rubber gloves, mop and gas mask but it doesn't hurt to bring along Clorox all purpose wipes for spills or dust. Vacuums and brooms come in handy too depending if you have a carpeted dorm.
Bedding
What most parents aren't aware of is that most college beds are twin sized but extra long and require special sheets. When shopping keep your eye open for sheets that clearly state 'extra long' or else your child may come up short.
Shower shoes
You really don't know what some people do in the shower these days. College showers are known to be creeping with germs so spare yourself the fungus and purchase flip flops for the shower. You'll thank us later!
"I loved 'The Coldest Winter Ever,' I would be a fool not to love it. I wrote it. I imagined it. I put it into circulation. But I wrote it in a complete form -- a beginning, middle, and an end. (Read More Here.)
Whatever it is, it's an instant success.
The book revolves around Midnight, a secondary but intriguing character from 'The Coldest Winter Ever.' For this book, the former Epic Records rapper conducted extensive research and reportedly traveled to three continents to flesh out the story.
'Midnight' was acquired and edited by Souljah's long time editor, Emily Bestler -- the Vice President and Executive Editorial Director of Atria Books. "Since the publication of 'The Coldest Winter Ever,' readers across the country have had only one question, 'When is the next one coming?' We're thrilled to say now, that it's here," said Bestler.
And speaking of 'Coldest Winter Ever,' which many consider to be the book that jump-started the street literary scene, the film rights are up for grabs.
.
According to Souljah's website, the film rights "are owned by Souljah Story Inc. and are available for purchase. All rights to The Coldest Winter Ever are owned completely by Souljah Story Inc. This includes film rights, television rights, theatrical rights, and all ancillary rights. Rights are now available for purchase. All serious offers should be directed to Sister Souljah. All violations of The Coldest Winter Ever copyrights will be vigorously pursued, legally."
Actress Jada Pinkett Smith once owned the options for project with plans for development at HBO Films.
Sisters In The Name Of Rap
Yo Yo
Birthname: Yolanda Whitaker
Origin: Los Angeles, CA
Affiliation: Ice Cube
Hot Track: 'You Can't Play With My Yo Yo'
Factoid: Yo-Yo is an on-air personality for the Los Angeles hip-hop radio station KDAY.
Cool Vision
Lil' Kim
Birthname: Kimberly Denise Jones
Origin: Brooklyn, New York
Affiliation: The Notorious B.I.G., Junior M.A.F.I.A.
Hot Track: 'Not Tonight'
Factoid: The reality show 'Lil Kim: Countdown to Lockdown,' which was filmed before Kim headed to jail, became the highest rated premiere in BET history at the time, with 1.7 million viewers.
Atlantic
Lauryn Hill
Birthname: Lauryn Noel Hill
Origin: South Orange, New Jersey
Affiliation: The Fugees
Hot Track: 'Doo Wop (That Thing)'
Factoid: Before she made history as the front-woman of The Fugees, Lauryn starred in the hit movie, 'Sister Act 2: Back In The Habit.'
Columbia
Nikki D
Birth name: Nichelle Strong
Origin: New Jersey
Affiliation: Queen Latifah
Hot Track: 'Daddy's Little Girl'
Factoid: Nikki D was the first female rapper signed to Def Jam Records.
Def Jam
Salt-N-Pepa
Birth name (s): Cheryl James, Sandra Denton
Origin: Queens, New York
Affiliation: Kid-N-Play
Hot Track: 'Push It'
Factoid: In 1995, Salt-N-Pepa won the Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance for the single 'None Of Your Business,' making them the first female rap group to win a prestigious honor.
VH1
Bytches With Problems (BWP)
Birth name(s): Lyndah McCaskill, Tanisha Michele Morgan
Origin: Queens, NY
Affiliation: Marc Sexx
Hot Track: 'Two Minute Brother'
Factoid: Reinventing herself as an actress, Morgan has starred in films such as 'New Jersey Drive' and 'Bulworth.'
Rasheeda
Birth name: Rasheeda Buckner
Origin: Decatur, Illinois
Affiliation: Lil' Jon and The Eastside Boyz
Hot Track: '(Got That Good) My Bubble Gum'
Factoid: She started out as a member of the teenage hip-hop trio, Da Kaperz; which led to her signing a solo deal with Motown Records, who released her debut, 'Dirty South,' in 2001
Leo Marshall
Roxanne Shante
Birth name: Lolita Gooden
Origin: Long Island, New York
Affiliation: The Juice Crew, Marley Marl
Hot Track: 'Roxanne's Revenge'
Factoid: Shanté retired from rap when she was 25 she went on to receive a Ph.D. in psychology, eventually running her own practice in New York.
Da Brat
Birth name: Shawntae Harris
Origin: Chicago, Illinois
Affiliation: Kriss Kross
Hot Track: 'Funkdafied'
Factoid: A protégé of Jermaine Dupri, Da Brat is credited as the first solo female rapper to go platinum.
Tonto RegginRazzi
Bahamadia
Birth name: Antonia Reed
Origin: Philadelphia, Pennyslvania
Affiliation: Gang Starr, The Roots
Hot Track: 'Uknowhowwedu'
Factoid: Her stage name is reportedly a combination of the Arabic words "badia" meaning "original creation" and "hamd'allah" meaning "thanks be to God."
Def Jam
Comments: (16)
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By: Ra on 11/21/2008 11:53AM
I just finished Midnight. It was a great book. I was not surprised. I do want to let readers no that although Midnight was introduced in the Coldest Winter... it is not a sequel. It is still a great, deep, meaningful story. I finished the book in 2 days it was so good. I love Sista Souljah's' writing and wish she would write more often. She is deep. her characters are deep. This is a good one!
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By: DEBRA JONES on 7/22/2009 4:32PM
I READ THE BOOK IN 2 WEEKS. I HAD A BUSY WEEK WHEN I FIRST BOUGHT THE BOOK. ONCE I PICKED IT UP IT WAS VERY HARD TO PUT DOWN. I WAS LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING BACK INTO MIDNIGHT'S LIFE WHILE I WAS AT MY JOB! A FEW OF MY FRIENDS BOUGHT THE BOOK AND PUT IT DOWN SAYING IT WASN'T AN EASY READ. I TOLD THEM HOW GOOD IT IS AND TO READ EACH LINE SLOWLY BECAUSE EACH SENTENCE HAS A MEANING. LOVED THE BOOK AND WAITING PATIENTLY FOR PART 2.
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By: T.J. on 11/21/2008 3:56PM
SLAVERY HAS BEEN AROUND SINCE BIBLICAL TIMES AND IS STILL LAWFULL A/O LEGAL IF PRACTICED PROPERLY. IT'S KNOWN TODAY AS BOND SERVITUDE ALSO KNOWN AS WORKING FOR ANOTHER. WHAT THE UNITED STATES DID DIFFERENTLY BACK IN THE DAY WAS TO PURCHASE(LEGAL)SLAVES FROM THEIR CAPTORS AND BRING THEM OVER HERE FOR USE IN THE FIELDS(NON-PRACTICAL)ON PLANTATIONS. SLAVERY IS CAUSED BY THE DEFEAT AND CAPTURE OF ONE PEOPLE BY ANOTHER. THE VICTORS CAN EITHER KILL,ENSLAVE OR CAUSE THE DEFEATED TO BE BANISHED FROM THEIR LAND NEVER TO RETURN EVER AGAIN. WHEN THE UNITED STATES BROUGHT SLAVES OVER HERE THE U.S. BECAME IT'S OWN WORST ENEMY BECAUSE RATHER THAN KILL THEM OR USE THEM AS SLAVES IN AFRICA WE BROUGHT THEM ONTO LAND THEY WERE NEVER ORIGINALLY ON AND THEREFORE MADE IT PART OF THEIR OWN AS WELL, MAKING BANISHMENT IMPOSSIBLE, UNLESS THEY DECIDED TO LEAVE ON THERE OWN. ONCE WE ENDED UP SHEDDING THE BLOOD OF OVER HALF A MILLION AMERICANS IN OUR CIVIL WAR, THEY BECAME OUR LIABILITY TO SUFFER WITH BECAUSE OF OUR STUPIDITY OF BRINGING THEM OVER HERE. I SAY OUR LIABILITY BECAUSE THERE HATRED IS BOURNE OF THERE HISTORY WITHIN THESE UNITED STATES, WITH SLAVERY, SEGREGATION BY THE DIXIECRATS OF THE SOUTH AND FINAL ENSLAVEMENT BY THE DEMOCRATS IN THE VOTING BLOCKS OF OUR NATIONAL ELECTIONS. IGNORANCE BREEDS HATRED KINDLED BY MISINFORMATION IN THE FORM OF OUR SCHOOLS AND NATIONAL MEDIA, REWRITING HISTORY TO KEEP THE FLAMES OF HATRED ALIVE AND POINTED IN THE WRONG DIRECTION. M.L.K. JR. WAS A PRACTICING REPUBLICAN DURING HIS CLASHES WITH THE DEMOCRAT CONTROLLED SOUTH OF THE 40'S 50'S AND 60'S. THE REPUBLICANS VOTED IN THE MAJORITY FOR THE EQUAL RIGHTS AMENDMENT THE DIXIECRATS(DEMOCRATS) WANTED NOTHING TO DO WITH IT. PRES. CLINTONS, "OUR FIRST BLACK PRESIDENT", MENTOR WAS AN AVOWED SEGREGATIONIST. SO WAS AL"IT'S INCONVIENT TO TELL THE TRUTH"GORES MENTOR. IGNORANCE IS NOT ALWAYS BLISS !
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By: tojo on 11/21/2008 6:32PM
Yassuh! All deeze bit*h's gwine rite gud books now since Obama be in powah. An all us bucks gwine git a wealfaih check evva munth wid out dooi'n no wurk two!
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By: Riki on 11/21/2008 6:42PM
I think that it's great. While everyone is over there going nuts over "Twilight" here is a person with real literary depth who has something to say. Thankfully, she's not in the fantasy fiction realm where she would have to compete with yours truly and my Everland trilogy, which features one of the first major Black characters in a young adult fantasy novel. Find out more at http://www.everlandonline.com
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By: Duchess Soule on 11/21/2008 9:54PM
I know this book is not a sequel however I feel highly disrespected by a woman who wrote a book titled no disrespect this book Midnight degrades black women the african men in this book state that all we are good for is oral pleasure and that black women should have a speedometer on their head so a man can see how run through we are and all the while she is glorifying a marraige of 2 14 year old children give me a break if you call yourself exposing black women please by all means expound on the factors that make them that way did she forget that a large percentage of the million books sold were sold to black women not by the japanese who's women are so much better than us as a woman I don't want to read abook that belittles me, love outside yor race is fine but it doesnt mean shoot us down in the process Sistah Souljah is no sister of mine!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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By: BABS on 11/22/2008 2:23PM
I would think a writer for Black Voices would have some education before being hired to such a prestigious job, but its hard to believe Mr. Karu F. Daniels attended such training. If he did he missed some classes, not only in school but home training. I am highly disappointed in the statement calling a sister a hoe. Please expand your vocabulary and respect your black sisters. How can we condemn other races for disrespecting us when we do it to ourselves.
I truly enjoy the stories covered but I abhor this writer.
That's higher than a hip-hop hoe who is cashed in on the sexual exploits of famous black men.
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By: blind old man on 11/22/2008 10:32PM
I sit here and ponderwhat the hell youare all talking about-it appearsto me that everyonethinks that their place on this planet is the same as everyone else.I don't know Harem/China town/ Pine Ridge S.D. or any other place from bum -f-Egypt.I do think this -we know have a chance in my life time to make things better.Lets join with the new President and his group of people to help not hinder what will be a difficult and rewarding time for eveyone-no matter what back ground your from.Thank you-A Blind old man
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By: TANEK on 11/23/2008 6:49AM
i hhave the book still dont have as of yet iam in the
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By: Jessica on 11/23/2008 7:59PM
This is in response to Duchess Soule's message. What you are failing to realize is that the point of view that this book is written from is that of a muslim man. Their values, beliefs, and principles are different than ours. And truth be told, some of us should have a speed-o-meter on our foreheads. And if you feel the book belittles you, then maybe you should change some of your morals.
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