Fresh, hip and inspiring, Athletes & Emcees brings motivation to the heart of the inner city. Entertaining the reader with his true stories, he delivers a much-needed message using his experiences as an athlete and a rapper to unveil ways that today’s teens can overcome challenges and create success. Whether on the court or behind the mic, Cole encourages youth to rise above poverty, stigmas, and pressure to be the best they can be.
Often without options, inner-city youth escape the realities of a bleak future on the basketball court or by listening to hip-hop music. They accept where they’re at because that’s the only place they’ve ever been. But Jahmal Cole dared to dream for more. Hustling and grinding his way, Cole defied the odds and left the inner-city streets of Chicago to pursue college, a basketball career, and his love for writing rhymes that spoke of real life emotions and challenges. Athletes and Emcees is a compilation of the lessons he learned and how he used his two favorite pastimes to further his education and break the cycle of poverty and hopelessness which plague many of today’s urban teens.
Jahmal Cole is a spirited, hilarious, and charming writer. He has a knack for creating memorable turns of phrase, and there is something improvisational and informal about his prose style that really appealed to me. I liked the fact that he solicited quotes from ordinary people to print on the back cover and when I took a minute to visit his website, I found that it looked quite professional. I saw immediately that where marketing is concerned, the author is both ambitious and enterprising, two qualities that will stand him in good stead as he pursues a wider readership.
Writer’s Digest
From my initial meeting of Jahmal until today I have been nothing less than impressed with this extraordinary young man. His vision, determination, and positive attitude are rare these days among young people, and it’s especially refreshing to see such traits come from someone with a challenging upbringing such as Jahmal. I have forwarded his book Athletes & Emcees on to my younger siblings and some of my peers, as well, as a testament to determination, and as he puts it, “to hustle or grind” no matter the circumstance. Without arrogance, flash, or attitude, this young man has achieved amazing accomplishments and will only continue to do so. He will truly be an asset wherever he may end up.
Chicago Sun-Times
Rory Foster/Advertising Director
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