BMF : The Rise and Fall of Big Meech and the Black Mafia Family

In the early 1990s, Demetrius "Big Meech" Flenory and his brother, Terry "Southwest T," rose up from the slums of Detroit to build one of the largest cocaine empires in American history: the Black Mafia Family. They socialized with music mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs, did business with New York's king of bling Jacob "The Jeweler" Arabo, and built allegiances with rap superstars Young Jeezy and Fabolous. Yet even as BMF was attracting celebrity attention, its crew members struck fear in a city.

When the brothers began clashing in 2003, the flashy and beloved Big Meech risked it all on a shot at legitimacy in the music industry. At the same time, utilizing a high-stakes wiretap operation, the feds inched toward their goal of destroying the Flenory's empire and ending the reign of a crew suspected in the sale of thousands of kilos of cocaine — and a half-dozen unsolved murders.

“With superb pacing and a thorough handle on her extensive cast, Shalhoup's true crime debut makes a highly addictive read.” —Publisher's Weekly (Starred Review!)

“A first rate read.” —On Wax Magazine

“An instant classic.” —AllHipHop.com

“…deftly tracks the fortunes of multiple BMF associates and their pursuers in law enforcement… her journalistic chops convey two inescapable messages: The cocaine industry is bigger and more entrenched than most people suspect; and sooner or later, no matter how glamorous, everybody goes down.” —Kirkus Reviews

“A wild ride rivaling anything you've seen in a Hollywood crime movie.” —MOG.com