Working with young people who claimed to "hate reading" or that books are "boring" inspired me to write this book. I want to help spark a love of reading for your students. There are YouTube links to the clean hip-hop songs written by the protagonist in this novel. It is designed to be interactive for the students especially those who like hip-hop and rap music. How far would you go to make your dream come true? Troy Jones is a 16-yr-old high school student with the dream of becoming a successful rapper. He doesn’t want fame; he wants to help his mother who works three jobs to support her family after Troy’s father was killed as a bystander in a tragic drive-by. Having problems in school, Troy tries to get I.S.S. as often as he can so he can work on his rap lyrics. Mrs. Hass, his science teacher hates rap & hip-hop music and constantly gives Troy a hard time. On the other hand Troy’s English teacher, Mr. Salas, is a beacon of hope and inspiration to the young, aspiring rapper. Mr. Salas provides him with the tools to improve his craft of writing hip hop lyrics. When Troy’s best friend Jimmy moves to another school, Troy’s opportunity to perform in rap battles arrives. Being a nobody, he has nothing to lose and everything to gain. He dubs himself a mix “between a G and a nerd”. Along the way, he meets a love interest, suffers a big loss, meets his idol rapper and an ex-con, gets his music equipment stolen, and has doubts about his rapping ability. He knows that he does not only want to succeed; he needs to succeed.