A Thousand Thugs: A Gritty Street Tale

By: Darryl E. Buchannan

This story unfolds in the streets of Lowell, MA, a city north of Boston. Harlem Valentine is the leader of the NC5’s (North Common 5’s), a local gang beefing and warring with other gangs throughout the city over drugs, drug turf, and drug money. Harlem wants to be a rap star, and spends crazy time between the studio and the block. Growing up in an environment where his role models are pimps, gang members, criminals and drug addicts, everything around him tells him he is nothing, and will never be nothing. He has a father he barely knows serving a life sentence at the state prison for killing a man over $40 of heroin. His drug addicted mother is in and out of detoxes and rehabs battling her own demons. Still, he struggles to keep his dream alive of one day standing on stage at the Tsongas Arena rocking the mic. Instead the streets pull him closer to his nightmare, and he finds himself locked inside of an 8 x 12 prison cell fighting for his life. As you read this story, a kid is killing another kid for as little as stepping on his Jordans. Darryl Buchannan writes Harlem’s story hoping to convince kids to make the RIGHT CHOICES!