My Manz and 'em Paperback - 2010

Growing up in The Elmwood Gardens West Second Street Housing Projects aka The New Projects, in Plainfield, New Jersey, Malik Jones has based his life and reputation in his hood on loyalty, love and respect. The son of a hustler, yet fatherless, Malik is raised by a single, working, mother of three. His life is impacted by these circumstances as he easily becomes influenced by his surroundings at a young and impressionable age. Teaming up with neighborhood friends, Malik chooses the wrong path and climbs the criminal ladder, gaining instant status in the underworld of the streets. Now a seasoned veteran in the game, Malik is ready to take he and his crew to the top. That is, until he is taught a valuable lesson by one of his closest comrades. After an inevitable lengthy prison sentence, Malik chooses to turn his negative situation into a positive opportunity. Not only does he discover new things about himself but also a religion that contributes to him becoming a better man. Now ready to re-enter society with the intent of climbing a new ladder and traveling down a different path, Malik has a new outlook on life. After coming home meeting Meesha Malik is determined to be the man he thinks she needs him to be. But as with anything else in life, Malik quickly realizes you must crawl before you can walk. See what Malik Jones is faced with as he struggles in a world where it seems the deck is stacked against him. And how he deals with his significant other trying to hold him down while his Manz And 'Em try to bring him down!