Books

Author Mase Harrison hopes to keep youth out of jail with his new book

ROLLINGOUT.COM — Not unlike others who grew up in the streets, Mase Harrison has seen and been through a lot. The only difference is that he’s turned his tumultuous story into a message.

Published

7 years ago

May 9, 2019

Angela Robinson

By Angela Robinson

Not unlike others who grew up in the streets, Mase Harrison has seen and been through a lot. The only difference is that he’s turned his tumultuous story into a message. Read more to learn about his book The Unsigned Rapper: A Survivor’s Story.

Angela Robinson

What inspired you to write this book?

I thought it might’ve been more therapeutic. I talked to a lot of people at work. I work in the nightlife and clubs and a lot of people are always like, “Man, you got interesting stories. Like you [have] been through a lot.” That’s why I did it. and I try and give it as raw and as uncut as humanly possible.

Who or what motivates you and why?

The thing that motivates me right now is my daughter. The reason being, ’cause when I was growing up as you will read in the book, I used to get abused as a child. I never had love growing up. Everything that I should have been, I wasn’t because I had nobody there for me. I was selling cocaine, selling drugs, guns, all type of things. And when she was born, I was actually in jail fighting a 15-year sentence. I eventually beat my charges. She was born while I was in there. I didn’t want her to experience the same things I experienced.

What books have most impacted your life?

One of the books that I read when I was locked up, it’s called We Want Freedom by Mumia Abu-Jamal, and it’s pretty much talking about the struggles of the Black Panthers when they was coming up through the ranks and the things that they had to deal with as far as the discrimination. They going to jail because they trying to make sure that the future is better. Here I am tearing down everything that they built. And then like I said, combine that with the birth of my daughter. It’s kind of like, (snaps fingers), like a light switch that went off.

What was the hardest part of completing this project?

Reliving, reliving everything. A lot of things that I buried in thought, I cast it away. Having to relive all your stories, having to relive being locked in closets, having to relive seeing friends get murdered and raids. And my mom tells me that she hates me and all this type of stuff. Me having to relive all these things all over, [that] was probably the most traumatic thing about it.

What is the mission you set out to accomplish with your voice in this book?

Like I said earlier, I want to target high school kids. I am them. I could tell you, “Bro, like you’re doing this, but this is going to happen. You understand what I’m saying?” I’ve been down that road. I understand how it feels to not have food in the house, not have money in the house. I know how it feels to have to rob just to eat. Like but you don’t have to do that … there’s other ways.

This article originally appeared in Rollingout.com.

Angela Robinson

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Activism

Oakland Post: Week of December 31, 2025 – January 6, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of – December 31, 2025 – January 6, 2026

Published

3 days ago

January 2, 2026

Oakland Post

To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.

Oakland Post

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Advice

BOOK REVIEW: Let Me Be Real With You

At first look, this book might seem like just any other self-help offering. It’s inspirational for casual reader and business reader, both, just like most books in this genre. Dig a little deeper, though, and you’ll spot what makes “Let Me Be Real With You” stand out.

Published

1 week ago

December 29, 2025

Oakland Post

Book cover of Let Me Be Real With You and author Arshay Cooper. Courtesy of HarperOne.

By Terri Schlichenmeyer

Author: Arshay Cooper, Copyright: c.2025, Publisher: HarperOne, SRP: $26.00, Page Count: 40 Pages

The hole you’re in is a deep one.

You can see the clouds above, and they look like a storm; you sense the wind, and it’s cold. It’s dark down there, and lonesome, too. You feel like you were born there — but how do you get out of the deep hole you’re in? You read the new book “Let Me Be Real With You” by Arshay Cooper. You find a hand-up and bring someone with you.

In the months after his first book was published, Cooper received a lot of requests to speak to youth about his life growing up on the West Side of Chicago, his struggles, and his many accomplishments. He was poor, bullied, and belittled, but he knew that if he could escape those things, he would succeed. He focused on doing what was best, and right. He looked for mentors and strove to understand when opportunities presented themselves.

Still, his early life left him with trauma. Here, he shows how it’s overcome-able.

We must always have hope, Cooper says, but hope is “merely the catalyst for action. The hope we receive must transform into the hope we give.”

Learn to tell your own story, as honestly as you know it. Be open to suggestions, and don’t dismiss them without great thought. Know that masculinity doesn’t equal stoicism; we are hard-wired to need other people, and sharing “pain and relatability can dissipate shame and foster empathy in powerful ways.”

Remember that trauma is intergenerational, and it can be passed down from parent to child. Let your mentors see your potential. Get therapy, if you need it; there’s no shame in it, and it will help, if you learn to trust it. Enjoy the outdoors when you can. Learn self-control. Give back to your community. Respect your financial wellness. Embrace your intelligence. Pick your friends and relationships wisely. “Do it afraid.”

And finally, remember that “You were born to soar to great heights and rule the sky.”

You just needed someone to tell you that.

With a willingness to discuss the struggles he tackled in the past, Cooper writes with a solidly honest voice that’s exceptionally believable, and not one bit dramatic. You won’t find unnecessarily embellished stories or tall tales here, either; Cooper instead uses his real experiences to help readers understand that there are few things that are truly insurmountable. He then explains how one’s past can shape one’s future, and how today’s actions can change the future of the world.

“Let Me Be Real With You” is full of motivation, and instruction that’s do-able for adults and teens. If you need that, or if you’ve vowed to do better this coming year, it might help make you whole.