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FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2020 Nelson George Weaves Trap Music, Human Trafficking, and Trump in Latest Mystery Series

BY WILLIAM HOBBS III, PH.D.

Occasionally a mystery series comes along that can be enjoyed superficially for plot twists and memorable characters. There are others, like Nelson George’s The Darkest of Hearts, that connects the dots to the seemingly desperate in a way that encourages readers to be detectives about their own realities.

Links between human trafficking, the fate of urban music, and the tyranny of President Trump seem like mere fodder for conspiracy theorists at the local barber shops until the world of D Hunter comes off the page. The fifth installment of George’s D Hunter mystery series moves from the trendiest hot spots in LA, NY, ATL as well as overseas. The landscape is packed with scarred and guarded characters willing to kill strictly for principle while looking fly as hell doing it.

Protagonist D Hunter steps beyond his expertise as a bodyguard for a go at being a talent manager. After signing Atlanta rapper Lil’ Daye to a profitable endorsement contract, questionable side deals and maneuverings has some of the worst aspects of his past haunting him at every turn.

“To me, the whole book is about, where are your values and what do you owe your constituency,” George told M·I·A magazine in a phone interview. “When you look at everything that’s going on with Ice Cube, it makes for a very contemporary conversation.”

Just as real-life gangsta rapper Ice Cube attempts to manage dangerous waters trying to hold both political parties accountable to the interests of Black people, D Hunter’s attempts for a better life and future creates uneasy alliances with the likes of a contract killer named Ice. This delicate dance comes from their mutual ties to a murder case threatening to be reopened by the FBI.

“The challenges that D is facing are real word

Nelson George

questions,” said George.

The veracity of the music world and taste makers rests solely on George’s lengthy career as a music and cultural critic of urban music and culture. The commentary on the stark changes in the culture of Hip-Hop and rap music can only come from one who loved the music from its inception. Although it is presented as D Hunter’s perspective, its nuanced analysis feels, at times, like a character of its own.

Nuance is also at the cornerstone of the moral questions each character must make. There are no convenient ribbons tied at the end where someone gets married and

n everyone does the electric slide together at the book’s conclusion. “Being older, a lot of wokeness is black and white… and I find a lot more gray in a lot of this,” George said. D Hunter’s world rocks the grays to the utmost. Far from a cheap set up for old heads to reminisce about the days of true lyricism, social commentary and a wider sonic landscape production-wise, The Darkest Hearts wrestles with the politics at play in the background of some of the most captivating stories dominating news cycles today.

Takedowns involving the Me Too movement and cancel culture’s impact give the narrative a Law & Order, straight-fromthe-headlines feel, but with the insider’s view of someone who knows what is left unsaid on Breakfast Club, DJ Vlad and Sway interviews. The undisputed charm of the series is how it not only reveals the souls of those who, in a way, are reminiscent of Iceberg Slim and Donald Goines, but goes further by validating urban America’s importance and reach to a world determined to diminish its creators and its people.

Dr. William Hobbs III is a creative writing professor at

Florida Memorial University in

Miami Gardens. He’s the chair of FMU’s Arts and Humanities

Department. Hobbs is the author of the fictional novel North of the Grove. He’s a conflict resolution expert who speaks to university students and young professionals.

Medium.com/@williamhobbs247 Northofthegrove.com