The Day Eazy-E Died

B-Boy Blues #4

by James Earl Hardy

"Hardy proves Black love is just as dizzying and gratifying when boy meets boy,"- Vibe At the end of If Only for One Nite , Raheim Rivers' and Mitchell Crawford's love had been tested by ghosts of the past; now it will be tested by the very real spectre of AIDS. As Raheim juggles his increasingly hectic schedule as a supermodel, he is rocked by the news that one of his idols, NWA founder Eazy-E, has AIDS. Raheim gets tested, but keeps it a secret. Meanwhile life swirls on around him, as his son struggles with his new school, his ex-wife announces her impending marriage, and Mitchell becomes increasingly concerned by Raheim's withdrawal. Hardy masterfully draws his fascinating and very human characters into the ferment of urgent societal issues. He has created a powerfully real look at the issues facing young people of all sexual persuasions, particularly young black men who are disproportionately at risk for AIDS. As the date for disclosure of his test results draws near, Raheim's fear and the stigma of the disease push him towards conflicting decisions. James Earl Hardy is the author of the best selling books B-Boy Blues, 2nd Time Around , and If Only for One Nite, , as well as a biography of Spike Lee and a portrait of Boyz II Men. Hardy's writings have appeared in The Washington Post, OUT, Essence, The Advocate, Essence, Newsweek, Entertainment Weekly , and Vibe . Born and raised in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn, he currently resides in Gramercy Park in Manhattan.

Genres: Fiction, Gay, LGBT, Romance, Gay Fiction, African American

Hardcover

First published July 26, 2001

About the author

James Earl Hardy is the author B-Boy Blues, which has been praised as the first gay hip hop love story. The novel was a 1995 Lambda Literary Award (Lammy) finalist for Best LGBT/Small Press Title and was prominently featured in Spike Lee's Get on the Bus. The book is required reading in contemporary African American fiction courses and gay & lesbian studies programs at colleges and universities across the globe.

Hardy has also written a stage adaptation of B-Boy Blues, which sold out when it debuted Off-Broadway, as well as a one-man show Confessions of a Homo Thug Porn Star (which is based on the life of adult film actor Tiger Tyson).

An honors graduate of Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism, Mr. Hardy is also an entertainment feature writer and cultural critic whose byline has been appeared in many national magazines and newspapers. His work has earned him numerous grants and awards.

Reviews

[Jennifer Collins]

More of a rambling dramatic monologue than a carefully crafted novel, this is a piece of entertainment that isn't badly written, but isn't particularly engaging either. The drastic level of slang in the narrator's voice is nearly unbelievable, especially when paired against his lover, who speaks in an overly formal voice which is itself unbelievable. Those distractions were tough for me to overlook, as was the lack of tension. Supposedly, the book is built around the narrator's worry about taking an AIDS test and then waiting for the result, but that so-called worry disappears for most of the book, though early on (and later on) he claims that it consumed his life. Theoretically, HIV/AIDS is at the center of the work, but if anything, the book argues that there's really no need to worry after all since both characters had indisgressions, neither got tested, and neither worries all that much about it or faces any results, judging from the narrative.

In all, I have to say that I found this an easy read, but a frustrating one. There wasn't much to it beyond a rambling narrator who varied between being incredibly immature and the wisest one in his circle, and much of the plotting and characterization here just wasn't believable.

Unfortunately, not anything I'd recommend.

[She-ra's A' DragQueen]

Whoa... A novel with "Eazy-E" in the title should NEVER be a gay black romance novel.

[Aundreas Masters]

i think this book is quite cool about Eazy-e died with aids which is quite sad but i think it's a good book to read.

[Mesha E]

This book was okay. As of book four, I am lessening and lessening my belief and faith in this relationship. Raheim and Mitchell are.... I don't know. As much as I rooted for them at first, that has quickly declined. I am not even looking forward to the next book, but I have enough interest to continue.

The story itself is addictive, but I am just not excited for what's next.

[Lupin V]

an easy and light read, hit the punch, more of storytelling and narration without a lot of drama and plot twist.

[Bruh]

Continuing the BBB series....

[Juancarlos Martinez]

eazy- died in a 64 impala lowrider yeahhh boiiiiiiiiii