B.E.A.S.T - Black Educated Athletic Sexy Tall

Book 1

In book one we start with our main character Kellion Price (Kelly Price) as he begins his adventure into the world of college at Big State. He's a street -smart kid who is also a very talented basketball player, but his formal education is not where it should be heading into this realm of academia. As a star athlete he was neglected a proper education in exchange for points and wins at the high school level. He's not uneducated, just restricted. This is reflected in his writing and how juvenile it comes off with multiple grammar and formatting errors throughout his journal. He writes about his adventures in life and school then tries to use his experiences to understand his growth as a man. The journals are mostly his reflections of his time in college and show the growth of a young black man trying to find his way through life. 

Between each chapter he has these mental reflections called “Just A Thought”. They are usually social subject matters that he either hears about or think about from time to time. Some are hearsay and others are intellectual in content.

We are also briefly introduced to another strong character named Ikimbe Jones (Ike). This is one of Kelly's best friends growing up, but he's also a drug dealer. He gives Kelly some cash to aid him and drives off, we see him periodically throughout book one.

Upon his arrival at school, Kelly first encounters Justin (Jus or Juss) his roommate and teammate from Georgia. Jus is a hot-tempered point guard originally from Cali but moved to Georgia and now plays at Big State with Kelly. He's not one for being shy in anyway, and can come off a bit abrasive at times, but he's loyal and ready to get into anything. He's considered a live wire and proves this in his actions and random situations he gets into. He and Kelly understand each other because they are both street-smart young men who used their talents to get out of their neighborhoods. They click instantly upon meeting and rarely go anywhere without each other.

Next we meet Brad, Kelly's other teammate and roommate. Brad is very different from Kelly and Jus, he's a big guy who comes from a good lifestyle. He's used to what the college life has to show in terms of social interaction. Brad grew up in a very white neighborhood with educated parents and an upper middle class lifestyle. 

These three become the main characters in the story as they find they all have one common enjoyment in life other than basketball, they all love to smoke weed. From the first day they meet they bond over blunts and the adventures begin. From parties, sex, fights, drugs, liquor, school, basketball, and just everyday life these three experience their freshman year together in ways only teammates and friends can. Kelly and Jus struggle to blend into the campus life when it comes to “white people”. The social setup is not something they are used when going out, they stick to their teammates upperclassmen parties as there is usually a good mixture of races, but slowly they assimilate into the scene realizing people are just people and color is not always a focus. 

What you read may not be as far fetched as you think. Welcome to B.E.A.S.T. and enjoy the crazy ride.