In his early twenties, writer Douglas Century '86, a frequent club-goer, was at the Newly Composed Cafe in the East Village, when he heard aspiring rapper Big K's performance at a rap poetry slam.
"I recognized immediately that this was autobiographical journalism, rapping about the streets, his horrible childhood and life in jail," Century would later say.
Later that night, the 5 feet 6 inches tall writer approached the much taller, 270-pound rapper to show his appreciation for the music. The two made plans to hang out in the future.
The next time they saw each other, on a boat off of Manhat-tan, Century witnessed 'K' knock out a man who had brandished a gun.
"There were months when I was too wary to get near him again," Century said.
Their relationship was later the basis for Century's first book, "Street Kingdom: Five Years Inside the Franklin Avenue Posse", published in 1999. The book chronicles the story of Century's friendship with Big K and his struggles to reach stardom in the music world.
Now a freelancer living in New York City, Century writes regularly for The New York Times and has written for Rolling Stone, Newsday and the Village Voice.
But Century also writes about hip-hop and black gangsters like Big K, who is now serving a prison sentence for armed robbery.
At the time Century met Big K, the rapper was a part of a Brooklyn street gang. Big K was breaking into the music industry and was even offered record deals, but he could not overcome his criminal past and was hampered by his bad temper and mistrust of people, Century said.
"He is a smart, engaging man," Century said. "It is wasted talent. [People in prison] would have more to offer if they had a different life."
Century said he still visits Big K in prison, but sees nothing positive about the criminal system.
"In jail, you realize nothing good happens, it just makes people worse," he said.
Rising filmmaker Clement Virgo, who plans to either make a feature film or episodic mini series of the book, has recently bought the rights to Century's book about Big K.
Virgo, who is Jamaican-Canadian, has had his films shown at the Cannes Film Festival, and Century and Virgo hope to have finalized concrete plans in 18 months.
A passion for writing
As strange as it might seem for a white Jewish author to be writing about black hip-hop culture, Century said his diverse college experiences influenced his interest in exploring people and lifestyles outside of the Princeton mainstream at the time he was at the University.
An English major with a strong interest in creative writing, Century said he always knew he wanted to write, but he wasn't sure what to write about.
Century started off his sophomore year writing music reviews for the 'Prince', but some of the music he chose to write about didn't strike a chord with other students, he said.
As a junior, Century followed the typical route to the 'Street' to experience the social scene that revolved around the eating clubs, but opted to go independent his senior year and live off-campus above Hoagie Haven.
Working in Firestone Library on his senior thesis, Century befriended a janitor whom he would talk to for hours at a time.
"To me, his experience was so authentic. He lived through the Jim Crow time," he said.
Century also remembers visiting what was formerly known as the Third World Center for barbeques and going off campus to hang out with local residents.
"I was wide open to everything," he said. "I was shifting worlds and people, between the elite, high profiled, politicians, princes and Brooke Shields ['86], to go off with the real, Jersey townies."
After graduation, Century went back to Canada to help his father, a geologist, but came back to New York City several years later after a phone call from his thesis adviser, Jerome Charyn. Charyn, the departmental representative for english and creative writing, needed some extra help and eventually helped Century get started as a freelance writer.
"As with any college experience, you seek out certain professors who alter the direction of your life," he said. "[Charyn] was one of my best friends," he added.
After writing a profile of Charyn, who had just written a book, as his first published piece, Century — a Canadian by birth — stayed in New York City to pursue his writing career.
"I knew [Charyn's] writing really well. He was such a wonderful guy. A supportive guy," he said.
Century's first full-time job was as a cultural correspondent for The Forward, a national Jewish newspaper.
"I was very lucky to be working with very gifted workers who were working basically for nothing."
Despite the friendly working environment and the talented writers, Century missed the freedom that came with being a freelancer and eventually left the newspaper.
He wrote a couple of news stories but knew his strength lay elsewhere.
"That's not my forte. I was more comfortable doing profiles and essays," he explained.
An inside look into Mafia
With Century's film project on Big K well underway, he said he is looking forward to the release of his new book, "Takedown: The Fall of the Last Mafia Empire," a seven-year investigation of the New York Mafia.
His coauthor, Rick Cowan, was the detective with the NYPD's elite Organized Crime Investigations Division who brought down one of New York's Mafia families' garbage cartel.
"I didn't know anything [about the Mafia]. I wasn't even interested in it, or even interested in organized crime," he said.
But Century's involvement in the project wasn't all that out of the ordinary.
"Our agents put us together at a bar, and we hit it off," he said.
Having researched through mountains of documents and having listened to thousands of hours of audiotapes that Cowan had secretly taped as an undercover agent, the authors provide an inside look into the mob and its activities.
The garbage cartel they write about generated an estimated $1.5 billion of revenue for the Mafia.
Known as "Operation Wasteland," the investigation led to 72 convictions and more than $250 million was seized in forfeitures. It was one of the biggest cases in the history of the New York Police Department and the Manhattan District Attorney's office.
"Well, these guys in the New York cartel were no dummies, they were sophisticated racketeers, extremely cautious and clever and powerful in a way the Mafia will probably never be again," he said.
"On the most basic level, I want [readers] to enjoy a terrific story," Century said.
The last line
With a third book already in progress, Century said he prefers to keep the topic and plot quiet. Century would only say that the book is about a forgotten great American hero and bike fighter and his role in World War II.
While staying at home to take care of his newborn baby Lena and awaiting the release of his new book, Century said he still plans to write more books.
"I just find much more instant satisfaction than writing in a daily [newspaper]," he said.
"You buy five copies and you're excited. By Monday, you find the papers in the recycling bin and there are new stories." Magazines are better, Century said, since they last at least a week.
But writing a book is just so much more physically rewarding, he said.
'The satisfaction is deeper, like [raising] a child. So much of it is waiting, waiting, and you finally see it all in print," he said.
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