Antebellum
Authors: R. Kayeen Thomas
Z
ANE PRESENTS
A thought-provoking novel about African-American culture seen through the eyes of a famous rapper who is transported to the days of slavery and forced to experience it firsthand.
W
hen Da Nigga is sent back in time, he finds himself a slave forced to live the life of his ancestors. A rapper in current time, Da Nigga must confront the reality of the African-American experience as slavery challenges everything he holds dear from his fellow rappers and their lyrics, to the executives and their motives.
Antebellum
is the hard-hitting, gritty story of Da Nigga. From rap superstar to broken slave and back,
Antebellum
will have readers on the edge of their seats and keep them talking long after they put it down.
“In the spirit of Octavia Butler's
Kindred
, R. Kayeen Thomas has given us a nourishing literary gift. He has taken a bold and unapologetic step in connecting hip-hop culture with the tragedy of American slavery. If there is a generational gap in the African-American community,
Antebellum
is a sturdy bridge. This brilliant book deserves to be read and read again!”
â Dr. Michael Eric Dyson, one of
Ebony'
s 100 Most Influential Black Americans, author of sixteen books, and professor of Sociology at Georgetown University.
PRAISE FOR R. KAYEEN THOMAS'S
LIGHT:
“In
Light
, Kayeen Thomas has bridged the boldness of hip-hop with a brash and original literary voice, to create a collection of urban stories that brilliantly depict the joys and pains of a new generation. So deft, so cool, so unashamedly writerly, he just may be the most gifted author under twenty-five in America.”
â Kwame Alexander, founding director of Book-In-A-Day, Inc. and author of
Acoustic Rooster and His Barnyard Band
R. Kayeen Thomas
self-published his first book,
Light: Stories of Urban Resurrection
, during his junior year at Carleton College. Now, at age twenty-seven, he is an author, poet, playwright, hip-hop artist, journalist, and social justice advocate. He resides in Washington, D.C. with his wife and daughter.
MEET THE AUTHORS, WATCH VIDEOS AND MORE AT
THE SOURCE FOR READING GROUPS
COVER DESIGN BY MARION DESIGNS ⢠COVER PHOTO BY KEITH SAUNDERS ⢠AUTHOR PHOTO BY ARANTES STEPHEN
Dear Reader:
I have to give you the background of how I discovered R. Kayeen Thomas and this novel,
Antebellum
. I volunteered to teach high school English one day at my daughter's school and Mr. Thomas was the teacher. During the lunch break, he told me that he had written a couple of novels and had one published work. I asked him could I see them. His first book,
Light: Stories of Urban Resurrection
, immediately caught my attention. TWO of my male friends had given me copies of the book a few years before but I never got a chance to read them. Both of them said he was an excellent writer and that I was sleeping on him.
That evening, my youngest son had Little League practice. I was sitting there watching him and decided to grab the binder that Mr. Thomas had given me at lunch. I started reading
Antebellum
and got so caught up that I went home that night and finished reading the entire manuscript. I was amazed at his gift of storytelling and his ability to give readers a much-needed wakeup call. The one word that sums up his talent is “gifted.” After reading this book, I am sure you will agree. Be prepared to become completely submerged from the first page because this is one of the most innovative novels that I have ever read, or published.
As always, thanks for supporting my authors and Strebor Books. We strive to bring you prolific authors who think outside of the box and lift our imaginations to a higher level. For more information on our titles, please visit
www.zanestore.com
and you can find me on my personal website:
www.eroticanoir.com
. You can also join my online social network at
www.planetzane.org
.
Blessings,
Zane
Publisher
Strebor Books
www.simonandschuster.com
Strebor Books
P.O. Box 6505
Largo, MD 20792
http://www.streborbooks.com
www.SimonandSchuster.com
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
© 2012 by R. KayeenThomas
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means whatsoever. For information address Strebor Books, P.O. Box 6505, Largo, MD 20792.
ISBN 978-1-59309-425-6
ISBN 978-1-4516-5998-6 (e-Book)
LCCN 2011938443
First Strebor Books trade paperback edition June 2012
Cover design:
www.mariondesigns.com
Cover photograph: © Keith Saunders/Marion Designs
The Simon & Schuster Speakers Bureau can bring authors to your live event. For more information or to book an event, contact the Simon & Schuster Speakers Bureau at 1-866-248-3049 or visit our website at
www.simonspeakers.com
.
This book is dedicated to the trinity of women in my life â Marilyn, Monee, and Zion
Content
I would first like to thank God, who saw fit to give me these words. I am honored to be a vessel, and I pray I do not disappoint you. I would like to thank my wife and my best friend, Monee, for always supporting me and encouraging me in any and all situations. Truly, without you, this book would not have been possible. To my daughter, Zion, who has had to share her father with a laptop, I thank you for always making me smile, even when the words don't come. To my parents, Marilyn and Weldon, whose support and love in the months leading up to this book has been nothing short of miraculous, I thank you for all you have done. To my brother, Daniel, the master chef, I thank you for reminding me to never take life too seriously. To Zane, who will never know how nervous I was when I handed her this manuscript, I thank you for believing in me enough to make my dreams come true. To Charmaine, my publishing director, who has put up with my missed deadlines with the utmost charm and grace, I thank you for all your support. To Strebor Books and Simon & Schuster, thank you for taking a chance on me. To Dr. Helton, who predicted my success and stood by my inspirations, I thank you. To my church family at Israel Metropolitan CME, who has shown me more love than I sometimes feel I deserve, I thank you. And to everyone over the years who told me not to quit, to keep writing because the world needs to hear what you have to say, I owe you all everything. Thank you all.
“He's a'comin', y'hear? He's a'comin'!”
The crowd of slaves threw their bodies to and fro with reckless abandon, sending their petitions up to heaven.
The dark sky welcomed their pain, their shouts, their moans and groans, with open arms. It wrapped around them, hugged them as they lost themselves in the frenzy. The only light came from the few torches that were brought, and it jumped around with the slaves, casting its glow on whomever it chose. The faces highlighted were frozen in expressions that would haunt any child's nightmare. There was agony chiseled in cheekbones and jawlines. Despair coated women's faces like over-applied makeup. And the cries...there were no words for the cries...