SOLVED. Book about two black guys in their early twenties, one of whom starts reading Maya Angelou's memoir [s]

[Ray]

Hi.

I read this book back when I was 15 or 16, so around 2010 or 2011. It follows the story of two African American guys in their early twenties. One is in college I believe, he sells drugs on the side and has a girlfriend whom he adores, who is murdered in the end by drug dealers. He has a problem with his light complexion and surrounds himself with other black people of a darker complexion.

The second guy is leaving street life or something, but what I remember most about him is throughout the book he is reading I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou and her memoir basically helps him decide to change for the better.

I want to say the title had "Hill" in it, but I'm not sure. There's lots of flashbacks to when the two men were younger . I thought the Maya Angelou bit would make it easy to find, but google is useless on this one.

I suppose the genre would be crime drama, coming of age? I remember getting it from the the adult fiction section.

Thanks in advance.

[Lobstergirl, au gratin]

This isn't fiction, but your description kind of reminds me of The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates.

Two kids named Wes Moore were born blocks apart within a year of each other. Both grew up fatherless in similar Baltimore neighborhoods and had difficult childhoods; both hung out on street corners with their crews; both ran into trouble with the police. How, then, did one grow up to be a Rhodes Scholar, decorated veteran, White House Fellow, and business leader, while the other ended up a convicted murderer serving a life sentence? Wes Moore, the author of this fascinating book, sets out to answer this profound question.

[Ray]

That's not it, but thank you for responding.

[Ray]

bump

[Lobstergirl, au gratin]

Was it set in any particular city, town, or state? (I assume U.S. )

Author male or female? Remember the cover? Did the book seem old or new when you read it?

[Ray]

Late to respond but the book was Capitol City by Omar Tyree. Thanks and I will be moving it to solved.

[Kris]

Thanks for the update, Ray. Here's the link - The Underground: Capitol City by Omar Tyree.