Crack

Rock Cocaine, Street Capitalism, and the Decade of Greed

By: David Farber

Narrated by: Kerry Shale

A shattering account of the crack cocaine years from award-winning American historian David Farber, Crack tells the story of the young men who bet their lives on the rewards of selling "rock" cocaine, the people who gave themselves over to the crack pipe, and the often-merciless authorities who incarcerated legions of African Americans caught in the crack cocaine underworld.

Based on interviews, archival research, judicial records, underground videos, and prison memoirs, Crack explains why, in a de-industrializing America in which market forces ruled and entrepreneurial risk-taking was celebrated, the crack industry was a lucrative enterprise for the "Horatio Alger boys" of their place and time. These young, predominately African American entrepreneurs were profit-sharing partners in a deviant, criminal form of economic globalization. Hip Hop artists often celebrated their exploits but overwhelmingly, Americans - across racial lines - did not. Crack takes a hard look at the dark side of late 20th-century capitalism.

©2019 David Farber (P)2019 Cambridge University Press

He got it right

You never know exactly if an author penning a book like this actually cares about the root of the story. I’ll say this one does. I was born in 76 and was very much on deck during cracks rise and reign. The book really gives you perspective on drugs in America in the 20th century and how it lead to the crack years. It also digs into the day to day reality of why guys like some of my boys sold crack. The hip hop connection is also a good chapter as gangsters have long used the record industry to clean their money. And I like the ending. There is at times way too much romanticizing about the crack era. It was brutal. NOTHING in 2022 or 2015 or 2008 can compare. Anyone who thinks we are even remotely approaching the 90’s level of violence either wasn’t old enough to know what was going on in the streets -were of age but was in the house most of the time or was too old then to really know the ins and outs. A few years back in my old hood I had to stop and think -I hadn’t heard guns shots in a while…that’s the measure of how bad things were. Sure the violence is still in the hood. But it’s not anywhere near what it was back in 1992.

The crack era’s arms race let that horse outta the barn and it ain’t never going back.

Also the same economic conditions that produced crack has -as Slim Charles from “The Wire” said gotten more fierce. Broke people and easy access to guns (legal or not) is a bad combination.

These days the kids are doing scams, makes sense. You need less than you did with crack. Who doesn’t own a computer or a smart phone? And there are no shootouts for turf.

The only thing not discussed was the flipping money out of state phenomenon. That was huge. Most of my boys who hustled made a boat load of money “OT”. For example a quarter key (fishscale) copped in New York for $3000 could be flipped (and was) by my closet homey for 9-11 G’s. New York crews were hated for “Wal Marting” the local drug markets in the South and upstate. That would’ve been a fascinating topic to discuss.

Don’t forget these were still young boys, 16-17 going to cities and towns -far from home -they never knew of or never been to-to hustle crack! Absolutely bonkers!!!

Good book

Appreciate Farber’s research and the scope of the book. Important work. The reader’s impersonation of AA men and women bordered on disrespectful and comical. He sounded like a 1970’s black exploitation film pimp. It was embarrassing to listen to his version of black males and females. Choose better next time…

Excellent overview of a dramatic era in drug control

Very good concise history. Only one compliant, for the love of God do NOT allow narrators to perform dialogue. It’s distracting, condescending, and they often sound ridiculous. Really detracts from listening experience

voice acting really bad

The content of the book was good, but the voice acting was condescending and without range.

Progressively horrible.

He starts out with an academic approach to content which is very informative. As he progresses and uses black accents I found it insulting. These attempts at “Ebonics” were unnecessary and totally inaccurate. He seemed to relish in using this style of talk and it did not differentiate no matter the black person he was quoting. Horrible.