
Unsuccessful Thug
One Comedian's Journey from Naptown to Tinseltown
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Narrated by:
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J.D. Jackson
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By:
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Mike Epps
About this listen
From Naptown to Tinseltown - legendary stand-up comedian and actor Mike Epps finally tells all in this outrageous, hilarious, no-holds-barred memoir.
Before starring in Def Comedy Jam and Showtime at the Apollo - before the sold-out comedy shows, Uncle Buck, and becoming his hero Richard Pryor in a biopic - there was Indianapolis. And not the good part. Mike Epps is one of America’s favorite and funniest people, but the path to fame was paved with opportunities to mess it up. And mess it up he did.
Growing up in “Naptown” - what people who live there really call rough-around-the-edges Indianapolis - Epps found himself forced to hustle from an early age. Despite his mother’s best efforts, and the love of his well-behaved brother, “Chaney”, and his beloved sister, Julie, Epps was drawn to a life of crime, but as he quickly discovered, stealing and dealing didn’t really fit his sweet sensibilities. Not to mention he wasn’t very good at it - take, for example, the day he had to call the cops on himself when a dog wouldn’t let him leave a house he was burgling. After several arrests and more than a few months in jail, Epps finally realized that he was an unsuccessful thug, and instead turned to the next most obvious career path: stand-up comedy.
Heading first to New York, then all over the country, and finally to Hollywood, Mike Epps carved out a unique place in American comedy, combining hysterical tales of his family and friends with a mordant take on life in the Naptowns of America. Comedy saved Mike Epps, and here he reveals exactly how he finally grew up and got out, barely. And when describing how he survived when so many of his friends didn’t, Epps makes clear what he’s thankful for and sorry about.
Unsuccessful Thug is about growing up Black in America, facing down racism in Hollywood, and ultimately how it feels to fail at thugdom, pull yourself up by the bootstraps, and end up selling out arenas and starring in movies across the country.
©2018 Mike Epps (P)2018 HarperCollins PublishersListeners also enjoyed...
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Sad & Happy Story, But Very Well Missed Bernie,RIP
- By Eddie G on 03-20-13
By: Bernie Mac
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Da Baddest
- By: Trina, Sesali Bowen - contributor
- Narrated by: Trina
- Length: 5 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
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Growing up in the Liberty City area of Miami, Florida, Katrina “Trina” Taylor spent her childhood feeling relatively sheltered by her mother and stepfather. Trina and her mother had an unbreakable bond, and Liberty City felt like a playground made just for her. And even at a young age, Trina knew what she wanted: to be a powerful, successful, and magnetic woman, a woman who was entirely self-reliant and independent. In Da Baddest, Trina’s voice is, as always, powerful, insightful, witty, and provocative, while also showcasing her vulnerability and deep love for her family, home, and music
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Touching, transparent and entertaining.
- By Book Diva on 04-16-25
By: Trina, and others
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Adversity for Sale
- Ya Gotta Believe
- By: Jeezy
- Narrated by: Jay Jenkins
- Length: 7 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
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To Jeezy’s legion of fans, his name is synonymous with hustle, grit, and the integrity to go out there and achieve your dreams. In his first book, Adversity for Sale: Ya Gotta Believe, Jeezy shares never heard stories of what it took for him to beat the odds and get out of the streets, his mindset he carefully honed to get an edge, and the lessons that changed his life and business.
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Couldn’t turn it off!!
- By Anonymous User on 09-11-23
By: Jeezy
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Lucky Me
- A Memoir of Changing the Odds
- By: Rich Paul, Jesse Washington - contributor, LeBron James - foreword
- Narrated by: Rich Paul, Dennis Logan
- Length: 4 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
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There’s a story about Rich Paul that everyone knows: A twenty-one-year-old kid from Cleveland who sells sports jerseys out of his car meets a high school basketball phenom named LeBron James at an airport—the two become friends and forge a decades-long partnership that reinvents the business of sports. That random meeting might seem like the lucky break that changed Paul’s life. But a moment of good fortune means nothing without the struggle that gets you there. And the truth is, Paul had always been lucky.
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Bad choices made this man
- By Lynn Gibson on 10-18-23
By: Rich Paul, and others
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The Harlem Plug
- The Richard "Fritz" Simmons Story
- By: Harlem Holiday
- Narrated by: Jeremy Michael Durm
- Length: 7 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
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In Harlem’s tumultuous history, there are many tragedies. For those growing up in this part of New York City, a young man known simply as Fritz from West 112th Street became an urban legend in Harlem. In the 1970s, Richard “Fritz” Simmons is introduced to the drug trade by an associate of the Lucchese crime family, one of the five families of La Cosa Nostra (the Mafia). After negotiating a deal with the Medellín Cartel, Fritz becomes New York’s Cocaine Consignment King. Harlem Holiday brings her inside scoop after almost three decades of silence.
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A Legend
- By Kristen L on 05-02-23
By: Harlem Holiday
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Who's That Girl?
- A Memoir
- By: Eve Eve Cooper, Kathy Iandoli
- Narrated by: Eve Eve Cooper
- Length: 5 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
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The definitive autobiography from Eve, the multiplatinum, Grammy Award®-winning, Emmy®-nominated rapper, singer-songwriter, actor, mother, philanthropist, and entrepreneur.
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This took courage and determination
- By @astoldbylashuna on 09-22-24
By: Eve Eve Cooper, and others
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Rise of a Killah
- By: Ghostface Killah
- Narrated by: Landon Woodson
- Length: 5 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
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Dennis Coles—aka Ghostface Killah—is a co-founder of the Wu-Tang Clan, a legendary hip hop group who established themselves by breaking all the rules, taking their music to the streets during hip hop’s golden era on a decade-long wave of releasing anthem after classic anthem, and serving as the foundation of modern hip hop. An all-star cast who formed like Voltron to establish the pillars that serve as the foundation of modern hip hop and released seminal albums that have stood the test of time.
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The rawness
- By Amazon Customer on 12-10-24
By: Ghostface Killah
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Sideshow
- Living with Loss and Moving Forward with Faith
- By: Rickey Smiley
- Narrated by: Rickey Smiley
- Length: 5 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
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How do you live with the pain of watching someone you love suffer from addiction? And how do you cope with the grief of losing them, especially when your job is to make people laugh every day? You find comfort in walking the hard path with others, peace in holding the good with the grief, and strength in the One who is bigger than your pain.
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The way the story was well written and put together and the content was captivating.
- By Rebecca Shelton Wooden on 04-07-25
By: Rickey Smiley
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The Autobiography of Gucci Mane
- By: Gucci Mane, Neil Martinez-Belkin
- Narrated by: Guy Lockard
- Length: 6 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
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For the first time, Gucci Mane tells his story in his own words. It is the captivating life of an artist who forged an unlikely path to stardom and personal rebirth. Gucci Mane began writing his memoir in a maximum-security federal prison. Released in 2016, he emerged radically transformed. He was sober, smiling, focused, and positive - a far cry from the Gucci Mane of years past. Born in rural Bessemer, Alabama, Radric Delantic Davis became Gucci Mane in East Atlanta, where the rap scene is as vibrant as the dope game.
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Loved it
- By Dee on 12-09-17
By: Gucci Mane, and others
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Sweat the Technique
- Revelations on Creativity from the Lyrical Genius
- By: Rakim
- Narrated by: Rakim
- Length: 6 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
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The musician and hip-hop legend - hailed as “the greatest MC of all time” and compared to Thelonious Monk - reimagines the writing handbook in this memoir and guide that incorporates the soulful genius, confidence, and creativity of a master artist.
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Solid
- By Troy on 09-27-19
By: Rakim
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I Curse You with Joy
- By: Tiffany Haddish
- Narrated by: Tiffany Haddish
- Length: 8 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
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It’s been a minute since listeners last sat down with Tiffany Haddish. Since The Last Black Unicorn, Haddish has catapulted to A-List fame as the breakout star of Girls Trip. She’s walked the Oscars red carpet, released a hit stand-up special with Netflix, and made history as the first black female comedian to host Saturday Night Live and Shark Week.
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Unlistenable
- By NinjaDEMUS on 08-17-24
By: Tiffany Haddish
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Chronicles of the Juice Man
- A Memoir
- By: Juicy J, Soren Baker
- Narrated by: Adam Lazarre-White
- Length: 7 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
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The hustle still continues for hip-hop OG Juicy J as he shares his invaluable story as an unwavering force in the music industry. Jordan Houston’s rise to stardom was never easy. He began his journey on the streets of Memphis in the ’80s, always inspired by music and with big dreams of becoming a superstar rapper. Jordan stuck to his plan with determination. From a young, poor, ambitious kid to an Academy Award-winning and Grammy-nominated recording artist and entrepreneur, the Juice Man offers his wisdom as one of the most influential tastemakers in the game.
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Mafia!
- By Kwab on 10-22-23
By: Juicy J, and others
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Undefeated
- Changing the Rules and Winning on My Own Terms
- By: Shaunie Henderson
- Narrated by: Shaunie Henderson
- Length: 5 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
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Today, Shaunie Henderson is a force to be reckoned with—a TV personality, producer of multiple hit reality shows, entrepreneur, philanthropist, mother of five children, First Lady of her husband’s church, and role model. But before she found her voice and her purpose, she was one more young woman trying to find her way as a partner, a parent, and a person. In Undefeated, Henderson opens up about the struggles, heartbreaks, losses, and triumphs that have made her who she is today.
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Interesting take on things
- By Risque on 12-25-24
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Growing Up Urkel
- By: Jaleel White
- Narrated by: Jaleel White
- Length: 8 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
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At the tender age of twelve, Jaleel White auditioned for the role of Steve Urkel, the socially inept genius, who was in love with his next-door neighbor, Laura. Though Steve Urkel was intended to be in only one episode, Jaleel’s indelible performance catapulted Urkel into the pantheon of American pop culture. But success can cost as much as it pays. After nine years on the popular sitcom Family Matters, Jaleel is twenty-one, a UCLA undergrad, and adjusting to a world and industry that sees him as the nasally nerd in high water pants, suspenders, and coke bottle glasses.
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Jaleel’s Truth
- By David Ortiz on 11-22-24
By: Jaleel White
What listeners say about Unsuccessful Thug
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- Anonymous User
- 04-04-18
Mike Epps is just Great
the guy narrating it is good but in my opinion Mike should have done it himself
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- Anonymous User
- 11-13-19
Eye opening! Never expected Mike’s story to be this!!
How can someone who makes so many people laugh be so unhappy in his own skin?
He shared his upbringing and the countless times God’s favor on his life protected him from destruction-from prison-from death!!
His selfless ways and giving back is what brings joy to him - Heartfelt!
Thank you for sharing Mike!!
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- Travis T.
- 05-01-22
wow
Damn! Didn't know all this. Glad I bought the book, learned alot of where he came from and how he came up.
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- Anonymous User
- 07-20-23
Now I am a bigger fan
Great read.
Funny, informative and inspirational. I love Mike Epps as a comedian but reading his story made him even more likeable.
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- JA EL Pea
- 12-04-23
Great Story
It’s a great story, and the man reading the story did a decent job. But I wish Mike Epps would have read it. I understand it may have been emotional for him but I think it would have brought another element to the storytelling, more authenticity to it. Overall it’s a good listen.
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- Debre
- 12-12-23
Enjoyed his story and self reflection.
I enjoyed everything about it. Thought he would be narrating but it ultimately did not matter to me. It was HIS story! Thanks for sharing. So proud of your perseverance and success!
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- Anonymous User
- 04-26-18
Excellent!!!
Great journey and insight from a brilliant comedian. I enjoyed this story, Thanks for sharing it with us Mike.
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- Candi
- 06-14-20
I appreciate Mike Epps
It was a pleasant surprise to get to know Mike through his book. I must say that I see him in a totally different light not. thank you Mike for allowing us to see you! 🙏🙂🤗😘
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- KATHERINE YOUNG
- 07-16-18
Great read!
Mike Epps rags to riches story is simply amazing! Loved the whole read..only one very small thing,IT WOULD'VE BEEN HILARIOUS IN HIS OWN VOICE. LOL But the nevertheless ,awesome read.
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- sbighit1
- 05-08-18
Keeping it real
Loved it. The narrator did an excellent job. Mike's story was super entertaining. After all the stuff he went through, he chose to follow his dream.
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