Aaron Bebo’s Change For A Dollar Examines Character Metamorphosis Over the Accumulation of Bling

By Nikki D. Bosompem.

Authors of urban literature, also known as street literature, have steadily made a formidable presence on bookshelves since its humble beginnings in the early 1970’s.  The pioneers of urban literature boast such authors like Iceberg Slim and Donald Goines who opened the doors to a world of survival on the streets by doing whatever was necessary.  For them, that meant unabashedly writing stories about what really went on in their lives as hustlers.  Their form of employ certainly could not be compared to the norms that most Americans experienced in their work environments.  Goines and Slim needed to tell their stories.

Urban literature is typically and preferably written by those who have actually been a part of the mores and mechanisms of urban life.  Anyone who attempts to write a piece on urban literature who has not experienced the unique culture of street life will find a critical and unforgiving audience; there are elements to urban literature that must be satisfied within the writing to convey a genuine and convincing read.  Boldly stepping up to those expectations is author Aaron Bebo with his novel, “Change For A Dollar”.  Having emerged from street life himself, Mr. Bebo knows firsthand what it takes to write a book about urban culture that stays true and upholds the standards already set by the first trendsetters within the genre. However, Mr. Bebo’s writing is a little different.  He offers more of a look into the mind and circumstances of a hustler and gives reasons such drastic changes are made for money and status. I recently caught up with Mr. Bebo to talk about his novel and the why he will be doing something very different in conjunction with its’ release: Providing an accompanying soundtrack with the book.

Born and raised in New York State in the 1970’s, Aaron Bebo’s life was catapulted into the confines of drugs and violence early on.  However, he took the cards he was dealt in life and used them to his advantage.  Being in the streets from such a young age could have ended in disastrous results but for this urban literature author, those nascent experiences gave him the materials he would need to write the compelling piece that “Change For A Dollar” is.

For example, being in the streets calls for the ability to engage in sharp observations of people and surroundings in order to survive.  Therefore if you are astute, you become a master of gauging human behavior, mannerisms, and conversations.  Mr. Bebo takes the experiences he learned in the streets and seriously applies that knowledge to the development of his characters and to the plot. By the end of the novel, you intimately know his protagonist, Malcolm Andrews and can appreciate the metamorphosis Malcolm must undergo in order to become successful on the block.  Mr. Bebo has found that in urban literature, some authors choose to focus on the act of selling drugs, the cars, and the money that come with it.  It cannot be denied that these things, which Mr. Bebo calls “surface stuff,” are central elements of the lifestyle, but what about the emotional and mental workings that go hand and hand with hustling?  What about the person or people themselves?  What is different about this novel is that Mr. Bebo shifts the focal point from the material gains that most Urban Literature seems to be concerned about to the deeper, more abstract concepts that readers may not have considered before.  This new and more substantial subject matter coupled with the excitement and intrigue that accompanies the urban lifestyle gives readers the best of both worlds.  Mr. Bebo gives readers the superficiality of the material gains if one chooses to skim the surface of the novel and he gives readers who wish to examine the deeper layers of the piece what they need to dig in.

Additionally, Mr. Bebo wants to make sure he reaches those who may not be excited about reading his novel simply because they do not like to read or possibly cannot.  In order to reach a wider audience, Mr. Bebo’s plans to implement the innovative idea to release his book along with a soundtrack that follows the plot of the piece.  Music is a huge part of the urban scene and having a CD along with the book further represents the culture Mr. Bebo is writing about.

During my talk with Mr. Bebo, I learned that another concern for him was the craft of writing itself and the fact that credibility is key to producing a great product.  He feels that there are too many authors within the urban literature genre who do not understand that with good writing comes a responsibility to give readers a story that is convincing. Rushing to get a story down without thought and proper development makes for a book that will be lacking. He admonished that writing takes time and does not bring the instant gratification he was used to when he was in the streets.

Mr. Bebo does not look at the lack of instant gratification as a hindrance as he has gone through a metamorphosis much like some of the characters in his book. Those changes have lead him to where he is today as a hustler turned author.  Mr. Bebo can write about the changes that occur in life because he has experienced them and “Change For A Dollar” is his proof of that.

To learn more about Aaron Bebo go to his website at www.kingpen.biz for excerpts of other projects he is currently working on. You can also listen to music samples and read his essay, “Thangs Just Ain’t the Same For Gangstas,” which gives Mr. Bebo’s position as a writing educator and adviser.

Mr. Bebo currently resides in the Atlanta metro area.

Tags: Atlanta, Author, books, CD, music, Nikki D. Bosompem, street literature, urban literature

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This article was published on Friday, February 19th, 2010 and is filed under Artists, Atlanta Character, Author, Beliefs, Philosophy, Reviews. You can follow any comments to this article through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a comment, or trackback from your own site.