Soren Baker & Malcolm “EDI” Greenidge Host Live Q&A at Delicious Pizza

BooksHip HopEvents

Apr 8

Last Thursday, April 8th renown journalist and author, Soren Baker linked with Hip Hop legend, Malcolm “EDI” Greenidge for a live Q&A and book signing session. Held at LA’s world famous Delicious Pizza, the book signing brought out an eclectic crowd, full of supporters, Hip Hop fans, and avid readers.

Malcolm “EDI” Greenidge (aka E.D.I. Mean), a co-founding member of the legendary rap group the Outlawz, which was founded by Tupac Shakur, has appeared on songs and albums that have sold over 100 million copies, as well as diss track "Hit 'Em Up".

Soren Baker, a prolific writer, co-authored The Gucci Mane Guide To Greatness with Gucci Mane in 2020, as well as the acclaimed The History Of Gangster Rap book in 2018, which features exclusive interviews with more than 30 gangster rap luminaries like, Schoolly D, DJ Quik, and MC Eiht. When he’s not putting his pen game to use, Baker interviews artists for his Unique Access Ent. YouTube channel, which has counted MC Ren, J. Prince, Ice-T, Mack 10, and Dana Dane, among past guests.

To kickstart the event, Greenidge revealed the story of how Soren Baker was the first journalist to conduct the first major interview with him and the Outlawz after Tupac’s passing. Greenidge and Baker remained in touch over the years, until they recently linked over their love of written words. That conversation went on to birth the joint Q&A and book signing you’re reading about today.

When asked why he decided to write fiction instead of a memoir, Greenidge stated that a memoir would be an easy way out, plus everyone is doing them. His goal is leaving a legacy and being known for more than just “that dude that rapped with Tupac”. Greenidge then went on to describe his book, “Street Fame”, which is a crime drama that takes readers on a journey through the dark side of the music industry. A place where loyalty is bought and sold, fame is a drug, and the stakes are higher than gas prices and groceries.

The conversation naturally spilled into the comparison between writing songs versus writing books. According to Greenidge, while books take longer to finish, they have the power to leave a longer lasting impact than music in today’s fast-paced world. He went on to state, “books last longer than music” and ”books you can promote over time”. Event goers were then pleased to learn that Greenidge has several books left in him that he’s excited to write, before giving the floor to Baker.

Multi-talented journalist and author, Soren Baker, went on to speak about his journey into becoming an author. Beginning with The History of Rap and Hip Hop, Baker’s career has led him to some incredible opporutnies, including his most recent co-authored release, Juicy J’s Chronicles of The Juice Man, a memoir from the Oscar-winning rapper-producer-businessman. When asked if he’s a historian, Baker stated it’s important for him to document the culture because it’s his passion and there’s so much that doesn’t get mentioned that’s valuable to what’s going on now.

His first book, The History of Rap and Hip Hop, which was actually a textbook for libraries middle school students started him on a journey to write several acclaimed titles, including the I’m The White Guy series, The History Of Gangster Rap, and of course his latest with Juicy J.

Baker then went on to delve into the story of how he originally met Juicy J in 1997, when Three 6 Mafia were just starting to make a name for themselves. He would go on to follow their rise to fame over the years, writing many articles and interviews about them. Juicy J’s Chronicles of The Juice Man was a natural progression of their relationship, making it a relatively easy book for him to co-author. One that flowed smooth as the book signing, which was definitely one for the books! Support our culture’s storytellers below.