The story of Demtrius 'Big Meech' Flenory and his legendary street crew, the Black Mafia Family (BMF), is one of a modern-day don who aspired to be something more: a credible name in hip-hop. It is a tale built on the seduction of vast sums of money - a seduction that pulled in hip-hop stars. But the seduction had a darker side. While BMF was able to attract increasingly mainstream stars, its crew members grew notorious for a cult of violence that threatened a host of other celebrities including the families of pop icon Bobby Brown and Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin. BMF's ruthlessness caused them to rise to incredible power, but wanting even more lead to their downfall.

Author Biography

Mara Shalhoup is a decorated journalist and a senior editor with "Creative Loafing," the preeminent alternative newsweekly serving the South. She started her writing career as a crime reporter at the "Macon Telegraph," and has gone on to earn such honors as a Clarion Award, two nominations for a Livingston Award, and recognition from the Atlanta Press Club as the city's Journalist of the Year. This is her first book. She lives with her husband in Atlanta.