Reviews
The Thing About T.I.’s “Power & Beauty” Is…It’s Good
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“T.I. wrote a book?” That’s the first thing some readers will think when they see the name Tip “T.I” Harris on the cover of the rapper’s debut novel, “Power & Beauty: A Love Story of Life on the Streets”. Written with David Ritz, the book was released late last month.
At first glance, it appears to be your typical urban fiction novel: full of overly descriptive sex scenes, plenty of foul language and crime – something to be tossed in the bowels “African American Interest” section of your local bookstore without a second thought. But this isn’t just urban fiction – it’s urban fiction done right.
The story is centered around Power and Beauty – thankfully, those aren’t their real names – an adoptive brother and sister duo living in Atlanta. They are only teenagers when their world is completely turned upside down by the death of their mother, a beloved woman who happened to work for one of Atlanta’s most successful – and shadiest – businessmen, Charles “Slim” Simmons.
Slim takes the children in. Power is immediately drawn in by Slim’s money and power – and the women these things attract. Beauty, on the other hand, distrusts Slim. The both end up leaving Atlanta, separately. Power begins a sort of boarding school of the streets, spending years under the tutelage of different educators who teach him the ends and outs of all types of shady businesses. While Beauty, an aspiring fashion designer, begins her studies under more traditional mentors, but still has enough drama to satisfy readers.
Of course, the world is complete fantasy. The kids have fantasy lives handed to them, and some of the twists and turns the story takes are less than realistic. However, the fact that the main characters are so likable that makes the novel strong.
Power is thrust into a world of crime, drugs, and sex by Slim, who seeks to educate the boy in the ways of the world after he drops out of high school, but the street lessons don’t mar Power’s spirit. He’s smart and judicious about his own actions, but he isn’t overly judgmental of others. He’s loyal, but best of all, no matter how many wild and crazy sex-filled nights he has, he maintains this respect for women – even going as far as to patch things up with a club girl one of his teachers abuses after a night of partying.
Beauty’s character is a bit annoying at first. Her hatred of Slim seems over-the-top, even a little ungrateful, considering the fact that he took the two orphans into his home, and gave them everything. But eventually, readers will begin to understand.
Beauty’s good looks are a gift and a curse.. Every young guy that meets her wants to marry her. The older men, who are supposed to be helping her, want to bed her. Her looks incite lust in men and jealousy in women – two problems that can stop a teenage girl with dreams of working in a tit-for-tat field like fashion, from reaching her goals.
After their mother’s death, Power and Beauty engage in a night of semi-incestuous sex that leaves both of them confused for the majority of the book. They want each other, but the semi-wrongness of the situation makes them fearful. Beauty forbids Power to ever speak of it again, and he obliges, but neither can stop thinking of the other. Power is on a quest to find Beauty, and become worthy of her. And Beauty can’t get Power out of her head, no matter how hard she tries to avoid him.
“Power & Beauty” isn’t one-dimensional and static – both the characters and the story line have layers. For instance, Slim, one of the most nefarious criminals in the book, has a love for chess, and actually seems to have Power’s best interest at heart.
Overall, “Power & Beauty” is an addictive read, full of glamour, and drama, ending in a frustrating cliffhanger that will have readers aching for the second book.
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