I kept walking, Bishop’s words in my ears.
“The steps of a righteous man are ordered by the Lord.”
With each step forward, I knew I had done my best. Far from perfect. But, I had given it my best shot. I tried to do something meaningful for my family. Tried to be a better man and to make my mama proud. My conscience was clear.
I grew weaker with each stride. My vision grew blurry, and the sounds around me became muffled. I felt myself falling slowly to the ground with my eyes wide open. I hit the pavement and watched my life slip away on the hard, cold streets of Kingston.
KING OF THE JUNGLE
I wish there were a way for spirits to speak to the people they leave behind. I wish I could tell Maya that I’m always there, watching her and still missing her so deeply that it hurts sometimes. I wish I could tell her that her father had been right all along. Not just about the values he raised his daughters to uphold. But about God and how real He is. How our prayers get answered in the strangest ways. I never knew that even when things were going horribly wrong in my life, I was being directed to a destiny that was greater than I had ever dreamed.
A month after my spirit left my body, my cousin recorded a song dedicated to me called “King of the Jungle.” He poured his heart and soul into that song, making it his final grand gesture to the cousin he loved. The song went straight to number one in Jamaica, bolstered by the folklore of Tarzan—the Yankee boy from Brooklyn who rose from yard to become King of the Dancehall. The song became an instant classic.
Just as I had asked him to, Toasta looked after my mother. He sent her money, paid her doctor’s bills, and finally got her out of the projects. Trent finished college, got a great job, and was doing well on his own. He did everything in his power to make our mama proud.
Toasta and his family moved out of their little zinc house and into a huge home on the far side of Kingston. Bishop blessed the place before they moved in, and the home was filled with the usual laughter, music, and dance. The kids grew up in a much happier, healthier environment than the struggle they had known in the years before their father’s success. Aunt Cheryl fixed up her home in Hellshire and even found love again. A grocer at the market fancied the way her hips swayed when she walked the aisles.
The bishop looked after Maya and my son, Tarzan, Jr. That’s what I mean. It’s funny how God works. Ironically, Maya had gotten pregnant the very first time we made love. Unbeknownst to either of us, as I exited the world, she was in the early stages of bringing a new life into it.
I found out that God has a sense of humor, too. My son inherited all the traits the bishop despised in me. Tarzan, Jr. is stubborn, fearless, and has some pretty mean moves on the dance floor. Bishop often interacts with his grandson, his lips pulled into a reluctant grin as he admires the young man’s grit and energy. It makes me marvel at how awesome the creator is. How everything works together for good.
Maya was my soul mate. I found that out after I messed everything up by getting tangled up with Kaydeen. It was true that Maya had deceived me. But, it never affected her love for me. My ego had been too bruised for me to see that. My anger had clouded my judgment, leaving me ripe for the devil’s picking. That devil—Kaydeen—had enticed me with her strange and bitter fruit. I had nearly fully taken the bait. But, I paid the ultimate price anyway.
Still, I feel like I somehow passed the test. The old me would have made an even bigger mess than the one I made. It was my love for Maya that caused me to reject Kaydeen. Something in me had changed. Maya’s love, and the dream of a future with her, made me try to be a better man. To be a king.
Some people think my story is a sad one. I guess in some ways, it is. But, I see it as a story of triumph. Over my demons, over the Davidson family and all their evil intentions. They may have buried me. But, they never understood that I was a seed. A seed of righteousness, flourishing through the blood of my son, the heart of my family, and the soul of dancehall.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
NICK CANNON is a successful, multifaceted entertainer: comedian, TV executive producer and host, film star/director, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and children’s book author. He was cited by People magazine as one of the “Top 10 Most Successful Young People in Hollywood.” Cannon is the creator and host of MTV’s Wild ’n Out, which is in its twelfth season; for Nickelodeon, Lip Sync Battle Shorties; and the new series Musical Dares. In music, Cannon has released the album Model Music via Republic Records. On the film side, Cannon made his first appearance on the big screen alongside Will Smith in Men in Black II. Other movie credits include the classic feature film Drumline. He also starred as one of the lead character roles in Spike Lee’s controversial movie Chi’Raq. Noted by the New York Times as “one of the most recognizable personalities in teen media,” Cannon also actively serves as the CEO of the teen magazine Celebrity High, as well as chairman of TeenNick, Nickelodeon’s television network aimed at the teen audience. You can sign up for email updates here.
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CONTENTS
Title Page
Copyright Notice
Freedom
Tameka
On the Run
Clean Slate
Work Will Work
The Dancehall
Don Dada
Rude Awakening
The Farmer
Teacher’s Pet
The Come Up
The Jungle
Sensual Seduction
Double Crossed
Good and Evil
New Direction
The Bishop
Spellbound
Black Magic
Sanctuary
Walk Like a Man
King of the Jungle
About the Author
Copyright
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
KING OF THE DANCEHALL. Copyright © 2018 by Nick Cannon. All rights reserved. For information, address St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010.
Cover photograph by Erik C. Anderson
The Library of Congress has cataloged the print edition as follows:
Names: Cannon, Nick, 1980– author.
Title: King of the dancehall / Nick Cannon.
Other titles: King of the dancehall (Motion picture)
Description: First edition. | New York: St. Martin’s Griffin, 2018. | Tie-in for the film, The king of the dancehall.
Identifiers: LCCN 2018001447 | ISBN 978-1-250-11324-5 (trade pbk.) | ISBN 978-1-250-11325-2 (ebook)
Classification: LCC PS3603.A553 K55 2018 | DDC 813/.6—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2018001447
eISBN 9781250113252
Our ebooks may be purchased in bulk for promotional, educational, or business use. Please contact the Macmillan Corporate and Premium Sales Department at 1-800-221-7945, extension 5442, or by email at MacmillanSpecialMarkets@macmillan.com.
First Edition: July 2018