In an age where reference research no longer requires a library card, but rather a well-oiled pointer finger and a high-speed internet connection for streaming YouTube clips with ease, many have labeled this generation a post-literate one.

In response, Booker Mattison, author of Unsigned Hype, is using the new medium of hip hop literature to captivate an audience of young, web-savvy, music loving, hip hop heads enough to resign them from their video iPods for a few hours to pick up a 224-page novel.

"I wanted to reach an audience of young Black youth who never read anything, for the person who would never go into a Barnes and Noble for any reason,” said Mattison. "Actually, my 13-year-old nephew – whose mother was an English major and makes him read several books a month – said this book was the best he ever read and not because it’s the best written book, but because he’s in it.”

Throughout the story of Tory Tyson, the Mount Vernon, NY musical prodigy who shoots to fame after winning a radio contest boasting his monster music production skills, you won’t find elegant Shakespearean prose or the sublime, peculiar complexity of Chaucer.

By Mattison’s very intention, you will discover a very gritty, street-style use of language that fully embodies the character of 15-year-old Tory and drives along a story of hip hop history lessons, coke-dealing community organizers, musical rivalry and the integrity of man.

"The book is written in first person hip hop dialect, almost like a modern day take on Zora Neal Hurston’s approach,” said Mattison. "There was a delicate balance that I wanted to strike in writing the book because I didn’t want to butcher words like they do in hip hop culture – you know mo’ this and de…so that no responsible English teacher would bring it into the classroom.”

Tory, whose father was a teacher slain one evening as he was returning home from his job tutoring underachieving students in a Harlem school, is consistently referenced by our teenage protagonist in the story. And, unlike the typical story of an inner city boy abandoned by his father out of parental sexual irresponsibility, Mattison gives us a peek into the life of a family made a casualty of a senseless street crime.

I‘m the youngest of three brothers, and I never knew my pops. He died when my moms was still pregnant with me. He was coming home late from work one night, and according to my moms it was a botched robbery attempt. They didn‘t get any money because my dad fought back. That part makes me feel proud, but in the end I guess he still lost.

Not long after Tory gets his big break, we are introduced to the character of Mr. Lord who becomes Tory’s male role model, teaching a reluctant Tory essential life lessons of practical competencies, character development and of faith.

"The insertion of a surrogate father was important to the story because while a woman can raise a boy to be a good citizen, a really nice guy even, I think there is a deficiency that can exist if in fact a man doesn’t play a significant role in modeling certain behaviors that a mother may not be able to…for example tying a tie,” said Mattison, who did grow up in a two-parent household.

Mattison, who once claimed to be a "rapper and a Black revolutionary,” but is now a Christian, also does a rather effective job at weaving in his personal faith journey as well raising pertinent questions and reservations many people – teens included – have regarding the Christian faith.

In Tory’s weekly meetings with his mentor, Mr. Lord, he receives assignments about sensitive subjects like absolute truth, the meaning of integrity and the many arguments about the Bible being the inerrant word of God.

Not only that, Tory has his first big crush when he meets Precious – Mr. Lord’s daughter. While he attends church solely to admire her from the neighboring pew, she is ultimately very serious about her faith and introduces Tory to a cleaner, yet equally appealing style of Christian hip hop music.

"It’s actually an urban apologetic,” said Mattison, coining a term stemmed from works by writers like C.S. Lewis who used literature to present a rational basis for Christianity, defending the faith against objections. "While I think it’s the responsibility of every Christian to give an answer for the hope that lies within us, I wanted to present – through the voice of the protagonist – the doubts the average teenager would have about the Bible or the infallibility of Christianity.”

Mattison, who is a first time novelist, is an acclaimed filmmaker. He wrote and directed the film adaptation of Zora Neale Hurston’s "The Gilded Six Bits,” which aired on Showtime. He has also written and directed music videos for Grammy-nominated artists such as Cross Movement and Flame. His videos have aired on BET, MTV Europe and TBN. Booker received his MFA in film from New York University.

For more information about Unsigned Hype, visit www.bookertmattison.com