“One of the greatest to ever touch a mic . . . a true artist. . . .He can put fear into your heart and also touch your soul at the same time.”—Chuck D, from his foreword

From Geto Boys legend and renowned storyteller Scarface comes a passionate memoir about how hip-hop changed the life of a kid from the south side of Houston, and how he rose to the top—and ushered in a new generation of rap dominance.

In Diary of a Madman, Scarface reveals how his world changed when he heard Run-D.M.C. for the first time, how he dropped out of school in the ninth grade and started selling drugs, and how he began rapping as the new form of music made its way out of New York and across the country. It is the account of his rise from the streets of Houston to the heights of the rap world—working with everyone from Kanye West to Ice Cube to Nas—as well as his battles with his own demons and depression.

Passionately exploring and explaining the roots and influences of southern rap culture, Diary of a Madman is the story of hip-hop—the music, the business, the streets—and life on the south side of Houston, Texas.

“A remarkable personal memoir.”—Los Angeles Review of Books