All Of It with Alison Stewart – K’wan’s ‘False Idols: A Reluctant King Novel’

Date: July 10, 2024
Guest: K’wan (author)

Episode Overview

In this episode of "All Of It," host Alison Stewart talks with celebrated author K’wan about his prolific career in urban fiction and his newest novel, False Idols: A Reluctant King Novel. The conversation explores K’wan’s creative roots, the personal and cultural contexts shaping his storytelling, the evolution and stigmas around street lit, and the power and meaning of writing both as art and as survival.

Main Discussion Points

1. K’wan’s Creative Upbringing and Path to Writing

• Family background in the arts: K’wan describes growing up with parents who were painter and writer by passion but could not pursue their dreams. He believes creativity is "in the genes" (02:06).

  • Quote: “My mom and dad never got to pursue their dreams to the level that I’m working to do now, so.” (02:16)

• Initial passion for painting: He started as a painter, with everyone expecting that to be his direction (02:28–02:37).

• Writing as therapy: Writing, especially during his mother’s terminal cancer, became a means to process grief and anger.

  • Quote: “I just started writing. I would vent and put my emotions on paper. So that was my way, because I didn’t have anybody to talk to, because there’s nobody who can really understand it unless they’ve been in my shoes. So the writing was therapy for me, this is how I was expressing myself on the pages.” (03:18-04:18)

• Autobiographical elements: Early works, especially Gangsta, loosely reflected people, places, and experiences from his own life (11:09–11:45).

2. The Origin Story of “Gangsta” and K’wan’s Hustle

• Publishing journey: Faced rejections from mainstream publishers who told him there was “no market” for his stories (06:15–07:30).

  • Quote: “A publisher even told me, like, oh my God, you can’t even write a query letter. You’ll never make it as a writer.” (06:15)

• Discovery by Vickie Stringer & Triple Crown Publications: He became the first author signed, and their initial pressing of 10,000 books sold out rapidly (07:32–09:37).

• Grassroots distribution: Sold books directly on the street and even at a crack spot—demonstrating both entrepreneurial spirit and a connection to the community. (09:43–09:57)

  • Quote: “We would sell them on the street. We would hustle outside with the vendors. I even once did a book signing at a crack spot. I didn’t know it was crack spot when I signed up for it. Did they bought books though?” (09:45)

• Selling pitch: Eschewed rehearsed sales; focused on genuine conversations and pitching books to men in prison or living the lives depicted.

  • “I wrote for men who were in prison and would never come home again. And the only time be able to walk the streets is through the pages of my novels.” (10:31)

3. The Power and Impact of Gangsta

• Unique magic: The emotion infused in Gangsta—written at his mother’s deathbed—cannot be intentionally recreated. The book’s personal resonance explains both its popularity and his fight to reclaim the rights years later (11:50–12:33).
  • Quote: “I literally wrote that book on my mother’s deathbed with no expectations for it. It was just me bearing my soul.” (11:50)

4. On False Idols: A Reluctant King Novel

• Reading from the prologue: K’wan delivers a vivid excerpt that sets the tone of brutality and transition within a criminal monarchy (12:49–13:27).

• Series context & setup: The story picks up after the downfall of an old criminal regime, showing contrasts between past and present rulers. New power dynamics are crueler, and young Shadow—who never wanted to be king—is forced into leadership (13:31–15:29).

• Themes: Struggles of inheritance, loss, and forced adulthood—echoing broader themes of family pressure and generational trauma.

  • Quote: “It represents the pressure a lot of young people feel when their parents are trying to live vicariously through them. They are not allowed to live their own lives. They have to be with who their parents want to be.” (15:29)

• Tone: K’wan likens the story structure to Shakespeare or Game of Thrones, rather than typical mafia or gangster tales (16:02).

  • “I didn’t want to do it like a godfather. It’s more like a Game of Thrones, you know? … He never wanted to be a king.” (16:02)

5. Urban Fiction / Street Lit: Label, Stigmas, and Identity

• Origins of ‘urban fiction’ label: Recounts being dubbed “the embodiment of hip hop fiction” by industry people due to his appearance (16:40).

• Discomfort with industry labels: While the industry calls it “urban” or “street” fiction, he considers himself a “crime novelist”—his books are crime stories in urban settings (16:40–17:57).

• Misconceptions and depth: Fears the “urban fiction” label leads to reductive stereotypes, overlooking the poetry, complexity, and social commentary inherent in the genre (18:02–18:36).

  • Quote: “They’re not just, bam, bam, I sell crack, I shoot guns. There’s so much more than that. But if you just see like, this is the urban fiction section, and you automatically think street… Some of them are really, really heartfelt stories of adversity and trial.” (18:02–18:36)

6. “Write to Eat”: The Drive and Purpose

• Personal motto: #WriteToEat is both a tattoo and a philosophy—writing is survival, livelihood, and purpose (18:40–19:06).

  • Quote: “This is how I’m gonna feed myself. This is how I’m gonna feed my family. I’m going to write to eat. Almost like singing for your supper. But I’m writing to eat.” (18:42)

• Writing as necessity: For K’wan, writing is life—if he stopped, “I would die. It’s like a shark. If a shark stops swimming, it’s gonna drown.” (19:11–19:24)

7. Film & TV Ambitions

• Approaches and challenges: Has received offers for movie/TV adaptations, but refuses to undersell his stories. Intends to enter film/TV on his own terms, to maintain creative and financial integrity (19:38–20:33).

  • Quote: “They come with these offers, like, sell us the rights to everything and we’ll give you this. And then that’s just that. … When I finally do it, I want to do it in the right situation.” (19:38–20:33)

• Future goals: Aspires to achieve dominance in film and TV to match his status in literature; wants to be remembered as a generational talent (20:42–21:01).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On writing as therapy:
  “I just started writing. I would vent and put my emotions on paper… I didn’t have anybody to talk to, because there’s nobody who can really understand it unless they’ve been in my shoes.” (03:18–04:18)

• On publisher rejections:
  “A publisher even told me, like, oh my God, you can’t even write a query letter. You’ll never make it as a writer.” (06:15)

• On the essence of his fiction:
  “I write more cinematic crime stories. … I write crime novels. I don’t generally write about the typical things you would find in urban fiction. … They’re just in urban settings.” (16:40–17:57)

• On labels and stereotypes:
  “If you just see like, this is the urban fiction section, and you automatically think street… Some of them are really, really heartfelt stories of adversity and trial. But you won’t give it a chance if you have this preconceived notion.” (18:02–18:36)

• On ‘Write to Eat’:
  “I got it tattooed on my hand so that I never forget it. I never lose sight of what keeps food on the table. These fingers going, this imagination going. I write to eat.” (18:42)

• On purpose:
  “If a shark stops swimming, it’s gonna drown.” (19:24)

• On future legacy:
  “I want, when I’m gone, people to look back and say, he was a generational talent. He was something that comes along once in a lifetime.” (20:42–21:01)

Timestamps of Key Segments

• 00:49: Introduction to K’wan and his origins in street lit
• 02:06: Creative upbringing and early writing
• 03:06–04:18: Writing as therapy through grief
• 06:15: Facing rejection and struggling for mainstream acceptance
• 07:32: Signing with Triple Crown Publications
• 09:43: Grassroots hustle and selling “Gangsta” on the street
• 11:09: Autobiographical aspects of early works
• 11:50: The magic and pain poured into Gangsta
• 12:49: K’wan reads from the prologue of False Idols
• 13:31: Explaining the premise and power shifts in False Idols
• 15:29: Generational/familial pressure themes
• 16:40: Discussion on “urban fiction” vs. crime fiction labels
• 18:40: #WriteToEat philosophy explained
• 19:38: Movie/TV rights and creative control
• 20:42: Ambitions for film/TV legacy

Tone

The conversation is candid, reflective, and infused with grit—mirroring both the realism and poetry present in K’wan’s work. Stewart provides incisive, empathetic prompts, while K’wan’s responses are decidedly direct and heartfelt, offering insight into the realities of struggle, creativity, and ambition from a key figure in contemporary street literature.

For Listeners

This episode dives deep not just into the making of a book, but the forging of an artist, and the context around an essential American literary genre. Whether you live and breathe street lit or are new to its power, K’wan’s honesty and tenacity offer lessons on using creativity as both shield and sword—and why rejecting labels can be an act of self-preservation and cultural truth.