Since the re-emergence of Street Lit in the late 80's a litany of Urban Fiction books have been released. Some of them good and some of them bad. The rejuvenation of the Urban Fiction genre has been spawned by the release of thousands of novels and a whole industry has sprung up around them with its own culture of celebrity authors, hip-hop fiction beefs, six-figure book contracts and million-dollar publishing houses.
With authors selling tens of thousands of copies of their titles independently, the big publishing companies have taken interest. But for now let us lets take a look back at the classic books that made this genre what it is today.
ARC BOOK CLUB INC. www.arcbookclubinc.com
#1. Dopefiend - Donald Goines
#2. The Coldest Winter Ever
- Sister Souljah
#3. Harlem Girl Lost
- Treasure E. Blue
#4. B-More Careful - Shannon Holmes
#5. Push - Relentess Aaron
#6. Grimey - KaShamba Williams
#7. Block Party - Al-Saadiq Banks
#8. Gangsta Lean - Rochan Morgan
#9. Dollar Outta Fifteen Cent
- Caroline McGill
#10. Thugs and the Woman
Who Love Them - Wahida Clark
#1. True to the Game - Teri Woods
#2. B-More Careful - Shannon Holmes
#3. Dutch - Kwame Teague
#4. A Hustler's Wife - Nikki Turner
#5. Thugs and the Woman Who Love Them
- Wahida Clark
#6. Squeeze - Joe Black
#7. Larceny - Jason Poole
#8. A Hood Legend - Victor L. Martin
#9. Dirty Red - Vickie Stringer
#10. Caught em Slippin - Al-Saadiq Banks
RAWSISTAZ www.rawsistaz.com
#1. The Coldest Winter Ever - Sister Souljah
#2. True to the Game- Teri Woods
#3. Thugs and the Woman
Who Love Them - Wahida Clark
* Every Thug Needs a Lady
- Wahida Clark
#4. Thong on Fire - Noire
#5. Gangsta - K'wan
* B-More Careful - Shannon Holmes
* Thug Matrimony - Wahida Clark
* Trick Baby - Iceberg Slim
#6. Let That Be The Reason
- Vickie Stringer
#7. Desperate Hoodwives by Meesha Mink
and De'Nesha Diamond
#8. Pipe Dreams - Soloman Jones
#9. Daddy Cool - Donald Goines
#10. Harlem Girl Lost - Treasure E. Blue
* Indicates a tie
URBAN REVIEWS www.urban-reviews.com
#1. The Coldest Winter Ever - Sister Souljah
#2. Caught em Slippin - Al-Saadiq Banks
#3. Life - Leo Sullivan
#4. B-More Careful - Shannon Holmes
#5. Supreme Clientele - Ashley JaQuavis
#6. White Lines - Tracy Brown
#7. Betrayal of a Hustler - B.L.U.N.T.
#8. Little Ghetto Girl - Danielle Santiago
#9. Gangsta - K'wan
#10. Game Over - Tu-Shonda Whitaker
OOSA BOOK CLUB www.oosaonlinebookclub.com
#1. Black Girl Lost - Donald Goines
#2. The Coldest Winter Ever
- Sister Souljah
#3. B-More Careful - Shannon Holmes
#4. Ghetto Sam and Glory of
My Demise - Kwame Teague
#5. Block Party - Al-Saadiq Banks
#6. Hustlin' Backwards - Mike Sanders
#7. A Dead Man Vengeance
- B.L.U.N.T.
#8. Drug Dealer - isadore Johnson
#9. The Apostles - Y. Blak Moore
#10. Dollar Outta Fifteen Cent
- Caroline McGill
COAST 2 COAST READERS www.coast2coastreaders.com
#1. The Coldest Winter Ever - Sister Souljah
#2. B-More Careful - Shannon Holmes
#3. True to the Game- Teri Woods
#4. Dutch - Kwame Teague
#5. The Ex-Factor - Tu-Shonda Whitaker
#6. Block Party - Al-Saadiq Banks
#7. Little Ghetto Girl - Danielle Santiago
#8. Torn - Keisha Ervin
#9. Eastside - Caleb Alexander
#10. Hood Rich - Crystal Perkins-Stell
TAYLOR NIX The Urban Book Source/Journalist
#1. The Kenyatta Series - Donald Goines
#2.
The Coldest Winter Ever
- Sister Souljah
#3. B-More Careful - Shannon Holmes
#4. Dutch - Kwame Teague
#5. A Hustler's Wife - Nikki Turner
#6. Harlem Girl Lost - Treasure E. Blue
#7. Pimp - Iceberg Slim
#8. Gangsta - K'wan
#9. Let That Be The Reason
- Vickie Stringer
#10. True to the Game - Teri Woods
APOOO BOOK CLUB www.apooo.org
#1. The Coldest Winter Ever - Sister Souljah
#2. C.R.E.A.M. - Solomon Jones
#3. Mommy's Angel - Miasha
#4. Black Girl Lost - Donald Goines
#5. A Hustler's Wife - Nikki Turner
#6. Dirty Money - Ashley JaQuavis
#7. Dark - Kenji Jasper
#8. Snow - Kenji Jasper
#9. Death Around the Corner - C-Murder
#10. Bitch - Deja King
AALBC (AFRICAN AMERICAN
LITERATURE BOOK CLUB) www.aalbc.com
#1. Pimp - Iceberg Slim
#2. Manchild in the Promised Land
- Claude Brown
#3. Dopefiend - Donald Goines
#4. Cotton Comes to Harlem - Chester Himes
#5. The Coldest Winter Ever - Sister Souljah
#6. Let That Be The Reason - Vickie Stringer
#7. True to the Game- Teri Woods
#8.
A Hustler's Wife - Nikki Turner
#9. Gangsta - K'wan
#10. Push - Relentless Aaron
RHONDA CROWDER Call and Post Newspaper/Reporter
#1. If Beale Street Could Talk
- James Baldwin
#2. The Street - Ann Petry
#3. Dopefiend - Donald Goines
#4. The Dutch Series - Kwame Teague
#5. The Coldest Winter Ever - Sista Souljah
#6. White Lines - Tracy Brown
#7. B-More Careful - Shannon Holmes
#8. Let That Be The Reason
- Vickie Stringer
#9. A Hustler's Wife - Nikki Turner
#10. True to the Game - Teri Woods
Aimee, you are a hater. LET THAT BE THE REASON you don't return to this website.
Aimee :
Posted 661 days ago
I don't know how in the world "Block Party" is on the top list of all-time? Urban Book Source are you really serious??? Or whoever else voted. Block Party was full of redundancy and errors. Let That Be The Reason as well.
I Get Money :
Posted 662 days ago
Niecy: Your right, but because something was ground breaking doesn't mean that it was the best.
Niecy :
Posted 662 days ago
A foundation could not have been laid if books by authors like Iceberg Slim, Claude Brown and Donald Goines had not come before Sister Souljah's Coldest Winter Ever. Please don't foget that. You can't lay a foundation without breaking ground first.
Tasha :
Posted 664 days ago
The Coldest Winter Ever laid the foundation for all of these other street-lit titles to walk on. It was and still is definitely "the best of all times". Latasha Vice President of B~more Readers with W.I.S.D.O.M Book Club Baltimore, Maryland www.myspace.com/bmorereaderswithwisdom b_morereaderswithwisdom@yahoo.com
Tara Black :
Posted 664 days ago
I know this is all opinion, but some of these sources picks are really bogus!! I'm surprised Donald Goines, is not on more lists. But hey.
Relentless Aaron :
Posted 664 days ago
Props to all of those "first movers" in the game, To have a head start in this (so called) race is a PLUS. And congrats for the work you've done to get your writing into the wanton hands of so many connected and disconnected souls throughout the world. If I could turn back the hands of time to reach more people with my books, I wouldn't want this any other way. I like it just the way it is. The list is great, and I'm thankful to all of those who have voted me onto it, at whatever level. Word.
I Get Money :
Posted 664 days ago
Rosalyn: I think if that is the case, every source should have put the "real" author for #3. And, do you know who the real author is?
Rosalyn :
Posted 664 days ago
You should have put the real author for #3.
Diva :
Posted 665 days ago
Love your top 10. You got my vote!
Aimee :
Posted 665 days ago
The Coldest Winter Ever is the top urban/street tale of all-time. Just got my vote.
I Get Money :
Posted 665 days ago
Okay, I agree with the top final 10 books. But wow! I'll be back . . .
THE URBAN BOOK SOURCE IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY COMMENTS THAT ARE POSTED. IF A COMMENT IS DEFAMATORY, PLEASE CONTACT US AND APPROPRIATE ACTION WILL BE TAKEN.
Latasha
Vice President of B~more Readers with W.I.S.D.O.M Book Club
Baltimore, Maryland
www.myspace.com/bmorereaderswithwisdom
b_morereaderswithwisdom@yahoo.com
Word.