The Crack Era

The Rise, Fall and Redemption of Kevin Chiles

By: Kevin Chiles, Richard Ray Esq.

Narrated by: Richard Ray Esq.

Length: 11 hrs and 5 mins

Publisher's Summary

The Crack Era: The Rise, Fall, and Redemption of Kevin Chiles chronicles one of the most treacherous periods in New York City’s history. As told by a man The New York Times once described as, “the biggest drug lord in Harlem since Nicky Barnes”, the book lays bare the harrowing exploits of the narcotics trade Uptown during the late ‘80s and early ‘90s - a world where the lust for freebase cocaine set off a veritable gold rush that turned ghetto boys into young millionaires almost overnight.

“Baseheads” wreaked havoc on the Black community. What’s worse, upper Manhattan became the epicenter of murder and mayhem as drug-related killings pushed the city’s annual death toll well into the thousands. A teenager at the time, Kevin earned a rep as a boss among bosses, and along with a handful of hustlers from his ‘hood, he would directly influence the very music and fashion that ushered in the golden age of hip hop.

The crack epidemic parlayed money, power, and respect for Kev, but it also took his freedom as well as the lives of close friends and family. Now, this candid memoir exposes liars, dispels urban myths, and sheds light on an otherwise dark epoch that has bittersweet implications for many today. Having seen and survived it all, one of America’s most iconic street figures recounts a bygone era of fast cash and high stakes hustling in Harlem.

©2019 Kevin Chiles (P)2020 Kevin Chiles

CUT...REDO

The narrator's lack of enthusiasm and EXTREMELY unprofessional style of narration reflects badly on the publisher.

Excellent work.

Kevin's life serves as a cautionary tale to the street life, but also a reminder that you can always turn your life around no matter the circumstances. Despite all of the unfortunate lows in his life (losing his mother, prison etc), he was able to bounce back and start a successful legitimate business with his wife Tiffany. I was also a huge fan of Don Diva growing up!

Great listen

I’m a Harlem kid so the story was very familiar. It felt good to hear it first hand.

Terrible narration

I'm from Harlem... me and Kev is the same age... I knew a lot of those guys that he was talkin about and I root for this kid... but I don't know how in the world that audible let this narrator slip through the cracks. What in the hell is going on with proof listening? Other than that... the book was excellent!

Good story, bad Aurator.

The story is great. The reader is horrible. I recommend the paper version only, unless the reader is changed.

Great Reviewer

Very informative and interesting! Very well read! I will recommend this particular book! Thought provoking!

Please re-record this book

Great story, poorly produced!!! You should give me a refund on the retakes alone!!! i would recommend this book to someone else if it's re-recorded.

Great story but Redo with experienced reader and editor

This book’s greatness is overshadowed by the inexperienced reader. The editor who reviewed for final cut missed several errors throughout the chapters. For example, Chapter 10/Ballin is riddled with the reader saying “cut, redo.” There are also background noises and sounds in the studio. This was distracting and cannot be ignored.

Great story, but the narrator….

The narrator voice goes in and out. The book is constantly skipping and there are long pauses to the end of each chapter. But I’m a fan of true crime drama and the true G in this story is real! Stand up G! But narrator drags the story and it sounds like he’s reading versus telling a story.

This must not be a finished product

Narrator has a horrible cadence and there are multiple edits indicating this wasn’t completed or screened. Narrator has to stop and restart multiple times during several chapters

Time machine!

This book really plunges you into the crack era. Kevin Chiles does a great job at describing the environment during this period of time. Great book and gripping story.