For over twenty years, I have woven narratives that delve into the depths of life's complexities, transforming the raw and untamed into compelling prose. I never sought validation from the glossy pages of the mainstream; instead, I carved out a niche with pure talent and relentless energy, making my mark on the biggest news platforms through sheer force of will and literary prowess.
Yet, today, as I find my latest work, "The Night Puff Tried to Kill Me," spotlighted by Black Enterprise, BlackNews.com, AllHipHop, and MSN, there is an indescribable feeling that courses through me. It is a recognition that feels different—like art imitating life, an echo of past experiences reverberating through the present.
This memoir isn't just a story; it's a chilling reenactment in words, images, and news feeds of a night over two decades past—a night when life's fleeting nature was laid bare, and the choices we make became the difference between what is and what could have been. It's about the trauma that lingers long after the moment has passed, inflicted by someone who wielded money and fame like a magician's wand over the hip-hop landscape.
Yet, amid the darkness of that memory, there is light—the quick thinking that spared me further harm, the presence of a good friend, Lance, whose support was unwavering. This book is more than a memoir; it's a testament to survival, a narrative that unfolds the reality of being haunted by a figure so prominent and so influential, that their actions leave an indelible mark on your life. I can see why women don't engage in the fight for justice when they've been violated. It is truly an uphill climb, not to mention the time, money and effort it takes to see it through.
WHY BOTHER ME? DON'T YOU HAVE A CLOTHING LINE, MUSIC AWARDS, AND CELEBRITY FRIENDS TO TOY WITH? WTF!
So, I share this story now, not for fame or further attention but as a beacon for those who have felt the oppressive shadow of trauma cast by figures larger than life. It's for those who have silently struggled against the backdrop of glitz and glamour to find their peace and stand in their truth. Indeed, I believe this book came to fruition so that I could connect with Puffy's true victim, Natania Reuben—known as "Ebonay"—whose life was forever altered in the chaos of that nightclub VIP section. Her harrowing experience, still etched with bullet fragments from that night, was a stark encounter with destiny, a vivid reminder that we are often mere bystanders to fate's caprice. As she confided in our recent face-to-face meeting, haunted by the pain of that night, her refrain was a chilling, "Puffy shot me, Puffy shot me, Puffy shot me."
Through the pages of my memoir, I relive those moments, inviting you, the reader, to grasp the weight of our choices, the resonance of our voices, and the solidarity found in collective resilience. We transcend the memories that seek to bind us; we are the sculptors of our stories, the illustrators of our experiences, and the scribes of our fates.
Gilmore wants to make one thing clear, bullying, no matter how much fame and importance you've manifested, can not be tolerated. Towards men, yes. But definitely not towards women.
To read "The Night Puff Tried To Kill Me" is to journey with me through a chapter of life that was as starkly real as it was surreal. This narrative I now share openly, with a heart full of gratitude for the presence of mind that preserved me, for the companionship of a friend who stood unwaveringly by my side, and for the closure that comes with turning the final page on a chapter that has long awaited its telling. https://koji.to/k/9O19
D. Gilmore, aka Relentless
“The Night Puff Tried to Kill Me”—A Gritty Memoir Of Survival In The ’90s Hip-Hop Scene
“The Night Puff Tried to Kill Me” – A Gritty Memoir of Survival in the 90s Hip-Hop Scene
DeWitt Gilmore is the birthname of Relentless Aaron, novelist and Superpreneur
