Booker T. Mattison is a writer and filmmaker who wrote the screenplay for and directed the film adaptation of Zora Neale Hurston’s “The Gilded Six Bits,” which aired on Showtime. His films have been screened at the Smithsonian Institute, the Library of Congress, the Directors Guild of America, and Harvard University. He has also written and directed music videos for Grammy-nominated the Cross Movement, as well as other Christian rap and R&B artists. His music videos have aired on BET, MTV Europe, the Gospel Music Channel, and TBN. Mattison lives in Newburg, New York, with his wife and four children. Unsigned Hype is his first novel.

Unsigned Hype: A Novel
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Paperback: 224 pages
Publisher: Revell (June 1, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0800733800
ISBN-13: 978-0800733803

“A story that anyone growing up in the urban landscape can relate to. . . . A fresh account of life in the streets, in the music industry, and in the home, but most of all in the heart of a young teenager wrestling with what it takes to become a man.” —DJ Essence, hip-hop producer, DJ, and CEO of Lamp Mode Recordings

Told from the perspective of ambitious, aspiring hip-hop DJ and producer Tory Tyson, Unsigned Hype takes readers onto the streets of New York and gives them a glimpse into the realities of life on the block. Author Booker T. Mattison knows this world well, having been mesmerized the first time he heard the beats and rhymes of rap in 1979. Since then, he’s embraced this world of hip-hop, as a filmmaker and writing and directing music videos that have aired on BET, MTV Europe and TBN.

Tory Tyson may only be in high school, but he knows what he wants out of life—a successful music career. And he’s not going to learn about that at school. So when school lets out next month he’s not going back. He’s finally ready to stop spinning records at parties and start laying down his own beats—and the Unsigned Hype music contest is the perfect place to launch his career. But will he be able to handle the fame and fortune he seeks?

The story of Tory Tyson is an inspiring one that pulls back the curtain on the urban young-adult experience, with its fresh voice and true-to-life rendering of the hip-hop world. Capturing the delight of teen and older adult readers alike, Booker T. Mattison delivers an insightful and inspiring story that trumpets hope and is staged to become an anthem for this often misunderstood generation.

Related Links

Booker T. Mattison Website
http://bookertmattison.com/