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Sentences: The Life of MF Grimm
Underground hip-hop icon Percy Carey, a.k.a. M.F. Grimm, tells the true story of his life in the game, from dizzying heights to heartbreaking losses, in this raw, brutally honest graphic novel memoir. In SENTENCES, Carey chronicles his life in the sometimes glamorous, often violent world of hip-hop, from the first time he picked up a microphone a ta block party to the day he lost the use of his legs to gang violence, from his incarceration to his rise to the top of his game as a hip-hop grandmaster. No questions are left unanswered and no apologies are made, resulting in a truly groundbreaking graphic novel.
128 pages, Hardcover
First published September 5, 2007
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 76 reviews
August 15, 2011
Excellent stuff. Ron Wimberley's art is expressive and adept at depicting a wide range of everyday folks, even if some of the likenesses of famous hip-hop musicians wavers somewhat. The story is worth reading, just an interesting tale of this dude's life between crime and music related matter-of-factly and without melodrama. Worth checking out. And it was cool to see the intersection of his life with hip-hop lore I already knew about.
August 15, 2013
This graphic novel works like a great concept album and since it's about music, makes perfect sense. Ronald Wimberly's art, works like a composition from an old-school deejay, offering a template for the writer's story to flow. And flows it does, as an MC's rhymes-turned to bars-then to an album. Percy Carey narrates his autobiography with sincerity and demystification, especially regarding his life as a gangster.
January 17, 2016
I don't know much (read: anything) about hip-hop culture and was a little skeptical of this book based on the cover. The cover of this edition doesn't reflect at all how well written and drawn it is; I was surprised at how much I actually enjoyed the read, despite knowing none of the background information. Now I have to read more about MF Grimm. Any book that makes me want to read more books is a good book.
December 17, 2011
The art was perfect for the story and I'm always interested in the life of rappers (the ones that make it, the one's that don't and the ones that do a bit of both- like in this case). However, it felt like he was leaving a lot of the story out. It seemed as if he didn't want to look weak or vulnerable and THAT weakened the story. The story lacked a certain honesty. However, I wasn't surprised. Most rappers spend their entire careers trying not to look vulnerable, weak or unsure. When it comes to storytelling, that makes the story frustrating, hard to believe and less interesting.
June 16, 2014
Started off giving this three stars, but I can't stop thinking about it, so it's one of those books that is better than I thought it was, in that it's having an effect on me.
I'm grateful for this story being told--it seems like the comic format mostly works really well for Carey's story, but it still remains difficult to convey the pleasure of music through comics, and that holds this one back just a bit.
I'm grateful for this story being told--it seems like the comic format mostly works really well for Carey's story, but it still remains difficult to convey the pleasure of music through comics, and that holds this one back just a bit.
February 15, 2024
Underground rap icon Percy Carey is finally getting noticed...and then he is shot. Now he must adjust to living in a wheelchair. Powerful and realistic look at overcoming adversity. Really shows how one act can change the trajectory of so many people; and how you sometimes have to rely on yourself when everyone else has a different agenda.
October 8, 2008
Terry Gross interviewed Percy Carey on Fresh Air recently. It's a must-listen....and now I must read this book.
This was great. A very interesting story and executed very well in comic form.
This was great. A very interesting story and executed very well in comic form.
July 27, 2018
I am not one for writing reviews so, I will say great bio on MF Grimm. I enjoyed the graphic style of Ronald Wimberly. It’s a cautionary tale with a positive message.
March 2, 2009
MF Grimm (aka Percy Carey) is a rap singer and music producer who had a pretty rough time growing up. Although his mother and grandmother made sure he was educated and literate, he spent a lot of time running around with gangs and thugs, getting into trouble, selling drugs, and cutting school. He was often successful in his business enterprises – selling drugs for him was just like being any other kind of entrepreneur/businessman. What he most wanted, though, was to work in the music industry as an emcee (rapper). Just as he was offered a record deal, he and his close friend were caught in a shoot-out and Percy wound up in the hospital – paralyzed from the waist down. After his recovery, he went back to dealing drugs, and eventually wound up in prison. While he was there, he studied law (as related to his particular case) and was able to get himself out on a reduced sentence. He also helped other inmates - he read them their letters, penned replies, and helped them research their own cases. When he was released, Carey vowed to be a better person, and has since played straight. He wrote this graphic novel to let people know a little bit about what his life has been like. He hopes that others will read it and see it not as a model, but as a warning about how *not* to live their lives.
This was a really fine autobiography, and it lends itself well to the graphic novel format. Ronald Wimberly’s style is heavy and dark and expressive, and his drawings really complement Percy Carey’s incredibly articulate story (he’s probably the most articulate former drug dealer I’ve ever read). He understands why he did the things he did, and how much they wound up hurting him and other people around him. His insight into these things makes him that much more interesting and his story that much more important. One of the reasons that I didn’t like Reymundo Sanchez’s My Bloody Life is that he’s repetitive and doesn’t seem to have the same kind of breakthroughs. So often he falls back on excuses – I don’t know why I did it, I just did. And there’s a certain horror to that. Percy Carey steps up and takes responsibility for himself and his actions – he wants to do/be better, and he makes it happen. I wish there were more stories like this that are so well-written/made, and that really have something to say and show.
This was a really fine autobiography, and it lends itself well to the graphic novel format. Ronald Wimberly’s style is heavy and dark and expressive, and his drawings really complement Percy Carey’s incredibly articulate story (he’s probably the most articulate former drug dealer I’ve ever read). He understands why he did the things he did, and how much they wound up hurting him and other people around him. His insight into these things makes him that much more interesting and his story that much more important. One of the reasons that I didn’t like Reymundo Sanchez’s My Bloody Life is that he’s repetitive and doesn’t seem to have the same kind of breakthroughs. So often he falls back on excuses – I don’t know why I did it, I just did. And there’s a certain horror to that. Percy Carey steps up and takes responsibility for himself and his actions – he wants to do/be better, and he makes it happen. I wish there were more stories like this that are so well-written/made, and that really have something to say and show.
September 8, 2007
I really enjoyed this book. While I certainly don't agree that "Carey leaves no questions unanswered" as the back cover states, I found Sentences to be a really captivating read. I liked the art a lot, and I found the graphic novel format to be a great fit for the story.
The art reminded me a little of Boondocks at times, which is a good thing. There's a nice variety of techniques used throughout, from pencil sketches, to zipitone, to silouhette (a favorite of mine). The dialogue seemed realistic -- lots of slang, but it didn't feel forced, as it often does in comics. Inter-relationships between characters were palpable, and I always found myself rooting for Percy, despite his poor judgment again and again.
While portions of Percy's life were admittedly incomplete -- like he says "we've really just glossed the surface here" -- I found the biggest gap to be the lack of any mention of romatic relationships. There's a great section about his mama, but other than that...where're the ladies? Maybe 128 or so pages just isn't enough for THAT story.
In any case, I enjoyed the book so much that I'll probably read it again, and I want to check out MF Grimm's music, too, since I wasn't familiar with him before reading the book.
The art reminded me a little of Boondocks at times, which is a good thing. There's a nice variety of techniques used throughout, from pencil sketches, to zipitone, to silouhette (a favorite of mine). The dialogue seemed realistic -- lots of slang, but it didn't feel forced, as it often does in comics. Inter-relationships between characters were palpable, and I always found myself rooting for Percy, despite his poor judgment again and again.
While portions of Percy's life were admittedly incomplete -- like he says "we've really just glossed the surface here" -- I found the biggest gap to be the lack of any mention of romatic relationships. There's a great section about his mama, but other than that...where're the ladies? Maybe 128 or so pages just isn't enough for THAT story.
In any case, I enjoyed the book so much that I'll probably read it again, and I want to check out MF Grimm's music, too, since I wasn't familiar with him before reading the book.
November 20, 2009
I avoided this book for too long, because it looked like it was going to be dense and high-horsey. It was neither. The illustration style was dynamic, and filled up every page, but managed to be neither tedious, nor overstuffed, nor chaotic. It was surprising. And there were some surprising images - it started out with (after an initial gun battle) Carey's childhood experience of being on Sesame Street, and that Caroll guy in half of the Big Bird Costume wandering around backstage was a pretty weird start to a book that I thought was going to be about gangsters and prison.
It was also about those things, but it did a great job of setting the groundwork of childhood family, friends and school crews, and building the life of a rapper/drug dealer/other stuff up slowly so you could see how his probs were a combination of choices and bad luck. I liked how he didn't apologize for his choices, but did realize his errors, and redeemed himself by hard work and determination. And kept rapping!
Basically I thought this book was good because it didn't dip into a predictable story, but it wasn't trying to be too weird either. It was just sort of..true. Yep.
It was also about those things, but it did a great job of setting the groundwork of childhood family, friends and school crews, and building the life of a rapper/drug dealer/other stuff up slowly so you could see how his probs were a combination of choices and bad luck. I liked how he didn't apologize for his choices, but did realize his errors, and redeemed himself by hard work and determination. And kept rapping!
Basically I thought this book was good because it didn't dip into a predictable story, but it wasn't trying to be too weird either. It was just sort of..true. Yep.
January 31, 2015
This was pretty awesome. You don't see many comics dealing with hip hop or urban culture, and of those that exist, few are any good. So color me surprised that I was totally captivated by this. Now, I'm predisposed to liking this, because I'm a hip hop head, and it was neat for me to see how Percy's/MF's life Rosencrantz and Guildensterned through a lot of hip hop history. More than that though, this was an interesting story, because MF has lead an eventful life.
That's all well and good, but this wouldn't have worked half as well as it did without the exceptional art of Wimberly. I never heard of him before, but his art was perfect. It was like a cross between Aaron McGruder, the painting from the beginning of Good Times, and Kungg-Fu movies. That doesn't make sense now, but it might if you read the book.
The only thing I can say bad about this book, is towards the end if felt like if fell into the "and then this happened, and then this happened, and then that happened" trap. Still, this is a great comic gem.
That's all well and good, but this wouldn't have worked half as well as it did without the exceptional art of Wimberly. I never heard of him before, but his art was perfect. It was like a cross between Aaron McGruder, the painting from the beginning of Good Times, and Kungg-Fu movies. That doesn't make sense now, but it might if you read the book.
The only thing I can say bad about this book, is towards the end if felt like if fell into the "and then this happened, and then this happened, and then that happened" trap. Still, this is a great comic gem.
October 22, 2015
Hip-Hop Heads,
So when I came across this I nearly lost my mind in excitement, but I made sure to calm down to give it an unbiased read. With that being said, the graphic autobiography was REALLY well done. It would be really hard to mess up MF Grimm's crazy life story, but he does so in his own authentic voice and let's the lessons in his narrative present themselves without being bolstered with flowery literary devices. His life in the music industry was deep (prolific ghost writer, worked with Snoop, Dre, Nas, Supernatural, etc.) and his life in the streets was deep (multiple shootouts), and he talks about his experiences in the same candid, straightforward manner I felt when I read Malcolm Xs autobio (without Religious ethos). The illustrators work had clear hip-hop influences and a tone that reflected the heaviness of Grimm's life circumstances. I definitely gotta cop this and make some of my kids read it! VERY well done.
So when I came across this I nearly lost my mind in excitement, but I made sure to calm down to give it an unbiased read. With that being said, the graphic autobiography was REALLY well done. It would be really hard to mess up MF Grimm's crazy life story, but he does so in his own authentic voice and let's the lessons in his narrative present themselves without being bolstered with flowery literary devices. His life in the music industry was deep (prolific ghost writer, worked with Snoop, Dre, Nas, Supernatural, etc.) and his life in the streets was deep (multiple shootouts), and he talks about his experiences in the same candid, straightforward manner I felt when I read Malcolm Xs autobio (without Religious ethos). The illustrators work had clear hip-hop influences and a tone that reflected the heaviness of Grimm's life circumstances. I definitely gotta cop this and make some of my kids read it! VERY well done.
April 26, 2010
This is a great story made even better by reading it on my fire escape in NYC just a few blocks from where Percy grew up. I would definitely recommend this book for a book club with young boys. Percy witnesses the rise of rap music in the 90's and produced music along side many of hip hop's greats. Percy's life takes a slightly different path than Dr. Dre, Tupac, and Snoop Dog, even though he definitely has the talent.
Above all this book has relevancy. This book would provide an academic platform to discuss urban poverty, violence, and choice- issues that weigh heavily on the minds of my students.
Nominated for Eisner award for Best Reality Based Graphic Novel.
Above all this book has relevancy. This book would provide an academic platform to discuss urban poverty, violence, and choice- issues that weigh heavily on the minds of my students.
Nominated for Eisner award for Best Reality Based Graphic Novel.
December 4, 2010
I read this book and then spent a couple hours watching old rap battles on youtube. I really liked it, for some reason. I found it interesting if a bit dull, but then, it's a history.
It's the autobiography of one of those gangsta rappers who was always getting shot in the early 90s. This is a period of American history that I was present and aware for and still completely clueless about.
The story actually begins with a snowstorm that I remember quite well, in 1994. It is sort of interesting how completely different that snowstorm was for me than it was for the author. Life is strange, and I am from suburbia.
It's the autobiography of one of those gangsta rappers who was always getting shot in the early 90s. This is a period of American history that I was present and aware for and still completely clueless about.
The story actually begins with a snowstorm that I remember quite well, in 1994. It is sort of interesting how completely different that snowstorm was for me than it was for the author. Life is strange, and I am from suburbia.
February 7, 2017
"If I can help one person, then this project has been a success."
I used to help tutor kids in an Alternative School in Asheville, and the talent and passion that I saw in those kids always broke my heart when circumstances didn't work out for them. I saw a school system tell these children that they didn't matter. I saw resource officers betray the students' trust and perpetuate a negative image of the color blue. If I would have known about this book back then, I would have tried to buy them all copies of this book! Wherever I go in teaching this book will now remain by my side. I am truly grateful for Mr.Percy Carey and Mr. Ronald Wimberly for this book.
I used to help tutor kids in an Alternative School in Asheville, and the talent and passion that I saw in those kids always broke my heart when circumstances didn't work out for them. I saw a school system tell these children that they didn't matter. I saw resource officers betray the students' trust and perpetuate a negative image of the color blue. If I would have known about this book back then, I would have tried to buy them all copies of this book! Wherever I go in teaching this book will now remain by my side. I am truly grateful for Mr.Percy Carey and Mr. Ronald Wimberly for this book.
January 17, 2011
The life of rapper MF Grimm tracks and overlaps with the history of hip-hop. It's a gut wrenching story of a man with boatloads of talent that doesn't turn himself around until he hits rock bottom - paralyzed from the waist down and sentenced to life in prison.
This book is an autobiography in graphic novel form. The story is for real and the art is a perfect complement.
You've seen movies that feel like this book - it's hard to believe that someone actually lived it.
You don't have to be a fan of hip-hop to pick this one up.
This book is an autobiography in graphic novel form. The story is for real and the art is a perfect complement.
You've seen movies that feel like this book - it's hard to believe that someone actually lived it.
You don't have to be a fan of hip-hop to pick this one up.
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February 27, 2014This book was amazing,I didnt think i was going to like it but i did. I like how the whole book was about his life and somewhat depressing and everything didnt workout the way he wanted to. The character went through a lot of frustration and it was a very honest book. I didnt think i was going to like this book because i judged it by its cover, I really got into it as soon as I started reading it. The book was also a graphic novel it showed many pictures of the character, there was also a part where they had the character Percey Carey, how he got shot it looked very realistic .
March 2, 2016
When I started reading, I wasn't surprised by it's story progression. Many Hip-hop artists spend their entire careers trying not to look weak or sassy. When it comes to storytelling, that makes the story less interesting. After reading this book, I spent sometimes watching old rap battles on YouTube. I gotta be frank about it, I really liked it, for some reason. This book is a history.
Story: 3.5/5
Art: 4/5
Story: 3.5/5
Art: 4/5
March 31, 2009
Sentences is a no-nonsense memoir of a turbulent life in Hip-Hop culture, a snapshot of a time and place. It's very plain-spoken, realistic, and doesn't resort to flash, which would be easy given the subject matter, or even a sympathetic portrait of the narrator/author. M.F. Grimm doesn't ask for either pity or adulation, which makes it all the more credible.
December 22, 2010
I really enjoyed reading MF Grimm's story and it is completely relevant to the culture of hip-hop, and really, if you are into hip-hop ... this is a good read. If you work with youth, or folks in prison, this is also a good read. It's a story of redemption, with the understanding, that he is still redeeming himself and his career.
September 25, 2010
It was a very inspirational story. There were plenty of sad moments, but I had to admire how he kept going through it all. I was really impressed by the writing, and even more impressed by the art. I hope they both do more work together soon.
March 17, 2011
A well-respected MC tells his life story, in a very raw storytelling style with accomplished illustrations accompanying. His story is a reminder of how easy it can be to fall into the drugs and crime in a bad neighborhood, even for very talented people who may have a way out.
September 20, 2011
An intense, gritty depiction of the 90s hip-hop and gang scenes (which are often the same) with gorgeous artwork and a gripping story. Carey has no fear of portraying his past sins, and doesn't seem to worry how unlikeable he seems – which, oddly, makes him more likeable.
November 14, 2007
a wonderfully illustrated and very frank and honest look at the world of dealing and ghetto life
October 22, 2008
I think that the book was good and very intersting and informative. Thr pictures in the book are amazing and easy to understand.
March 30, 2009
he miss death 3 times in his life, he rap and had gangs.what i like about this book that its based on a true story.
April 17, 2009
Awesome drawings + hip hop history + lyrics + totally appealing to reluctant readers.
April 28, 2009
Picked it up mainly for any MF Doom references which there are....but surprised by how good the story is...he's honest about his story, and I like that.
March 19, 2011
There's just something about biographical graphic novels, particularly about hip-hop
Displaying 1 - 30 of 76 reviews