Publishers Weekly

June 29, 2009

Fifteen-year-old Tory Tyson knows that finishing high school isn't going to help him launch his hip-hop career as “Terror Tory” or vault him into fame and fortune. He doesn't understand why his mom is pushing him to finish school and to get him to understand the Christian faith she discovered five years ago. All he wants is to get a record deal as a rap music producer—so he pins his hopes on the “Unsigned Hype” demo contest at a local radio station. What he hasn't bargained for is all the attention he starts receiving after his beats are played, when only his family continues treating him the same, and that the one girl he truly wants isn't impressed by his newfound celebrity. This debut novel has an authentic voice, taking readers into the world of New York City hip-hop through the wide eyes of a kid who's still refreshingly innocent…readers will come to love the characters who mentor him along the way, despite the novel's didactic moments.
 

Library Journal
February 17, 2009

Verdict: Firmly rooted in hip-hop lore, it will have huge appeal for urban teens and belongs in all metropolitan libraries’ YA and Christian fiction collections.
 

Publishers Weekly
BEA Show Daily – Day 2
May 30, 2009

Hip-hop music and street lit aren’t typically associated with moral edification. But Booker T. Mattison would like to change that, and he’s got the street cred to do it. Mattison’s first novel, Unsigned Hype (Revell, June), about a teen who thinks high school is a distraction from the bling that comes with music world success, was a natural development from the author’s career as a film and music video maker; Mattison’s music videos have aired on BET and other channels.

Some of the book’s material also comes from Mattison’s life experiences, which he was fortunate to outgrow. Mattison is aiming at the audiences who like street lit; he wants to give them something to read that doesn’t champion vice and that can also be stocked at libraries. “I wrote this as an antidote to the street lit phenomenon,” he explains. He’ll be using some of the same grassroots marketing techniques that street lit thrives on, selling his book at two street vendor epicenters, near 125th Street in Harlem and Fulton Street Mall in Brooklyn.

Black Beat magazine
May 2009

Tory Tyson is ready to take a giant leap in his life: he’s pursuing his hip-hop career full-force. The high school student faces a roadblock though: he’s still in school. But Tory sees that as no obstacle. When school lets out next month, he won’t return because focusing on a production career is a full-time job. For the fledgling beatmaker, drastic times call for drastic measures and he needs to chase his dream. While others will be hitting the books, he’ll hit the “Unsigned Hype” music contest, the perfect place to launch his career. Taking readers directly onto the nitty-gritty streets of New York City, follow Tory as he experiences the pros (and cons) of fame and fortune he do desperately seeks.

On Assignment Reviews Blog
Saturday June 22, 2009

In the words of Etta James – At Last!

At last there is an author willing to write a book that is not only relevant, but dares to challenge the mantra of ‘keeping it real’ within a genre in desperate need of a diversity transfusion.

Tory Uncharted Terror Tory Tyson has inherited his father's love for music. Using what is in his hand, he wins a coveted radio contest. His belief that he has made it is challenged by a chain of events that will reshape what he believes to be his pre-planned future.

Whether endowed with street wisdom or somewhat shielded by suburban life, neither demographic will find it hard to follow the storyline, language or examples set forth in this impressive novel. Both demographics will be able to identify with the fact that following the rules will not always insulate you from the predatory practices of others.

Unsigned Hype by Booker T. Mattison is not the quintessential story of a teen’s love for the Hip Hop culture. What it is is a well-written and entertaining ministry that opens eyes to the necessity of moving through life with faith and a lifestyle rooted in true integrity.

Au Courant Blog

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Unsigned Hype Review

Music Was Visible In Unsigned Hype

Unsigned Hype: A Novel
By Booker T. Mattison
Pub. Date: July 2009
4.5 out of 5 stars

At the young age of 15, Tory Tyson aka “Terror Tory” already knows what he wants to do for the rest of his life. While he is known for his unbelievable turntable talent and hot DJing for both young and old in the community, the music industry has yet to discover him. Hopefully, that is about to change. Fat Mike and Terror Tory partner up to enter the Unsigned Hype demo contest ran by the Nation’s #1 Station, Power 97. With Fat Mike’s lyrics and rapping and Terror Tory’s beats and producing rolling through the radio speakers everywhere, fame and fortune no longer seem so out of reach. As Tory struggles to stay down to earth and focused, opinions and friendships alter and street fights hit to close to home. Why is it that whenever there is a lover, there is also a hater?

Unsigned Hype astonished me. I was amazed at how someone so culturally different than me could actually be relatable and REAL. It further impressed me with a mature teenager, Tory, as a main character.

This book was heavily based on character and integrity. Tory was faced with many moral decisions along his journey and his inner battle between selfishness and selflessness was clearly depicted. A battle which every teenager faces. He didn’t want to become stuck up and self-righteous or prideful of his humbleness and his less than impressive neighborhood. More than anything Tory wanted to keep his outlook grounded. As Robert Teitel said, “Tory keeps it real, but also keeps it right.” Because of his ongoing fight to do what’s right, he is a positive role model for teen boys (and girls).

The producing of rap beats is completely foreign to me. Yet, every stage of the process described in the book was amazingly clear. I could see the overlaying of old tracks. The addition of everyday noise, like rain or trains, seemed effortless and flowed from one raw beat to the next. It was full of depth and power. Music was visible in Unsigned Hype.

At times, I stumbled over some of the dialogue. It was written in, how do you say, a lighter dialect of street talk (like Moms instead of Mom), but by page 3 I had my footing again.

Unsigned Hype uniquely illustrated a rapping world full of fame and fortune through the eyes of a level-headed talented guy who wished to do what’s right.

Date Reviewed: June 6th, 2009