Papa Sak

PaPa Sak was born in Los Angeles, California and raised in Compton, California. His mother and father eventually divorced when he was still a young child. He was always creative as a youth writing short stories and comic books in his spare time. His mother and his Grandparents influenced him to read novels at a young age and develop an appetite for literature. As a child he always craved knowledge, stories and information. This way of thinking would continue as he grew older.

Growing up in Compton, however, during the late 1970s and 1980s brought about a gang environment that he gradually embraced. This is where he learned what the street had to offer and the violence that went along with it. Also, where he learned what is known as 'The Street Code' and many life lessons that shaped his harsh adolescent life. At the tender age of thirteen he was stabbed. At the age of fourteen he had been shot twice and by the age of fifteen he caught several felony charges. This shaped him in many ways to tell the stories that he tells so well today. Even though his comrades on the street through propaganda were demonized and vilified, he saw a human side that is not often exposed in movies, television and film.

Eventually, he would abandon the street and gang lifestyle and change his life. He then co-founded a rap group with a friend and took to the streets rapping about the realities of life. During this time he learned about different aspects of life. Hip Hop guided him to have certain political and social perspectives. Because of the influence of Political Rap Artists such as Public Enemy, X-Clan, KRS One, Eric B & Rakim, Brand Nubians and Native Tongues. These Hip Hop artists with social commentary and spiritual connotations led him to seek knowledge in a much broader world. This developed his craving for research that led him to the Nation of Islam, the teachings of Sufism, the Metu Neter, ancient Black History, metaphysics and race relations.

During this transition he began to be involved in activism. He spoke at various Colleges and Universities as well as Elementary and Junior High Schools. Becoming the President of the Black Student Union at both San Bernardino Valley College and Long Beach City College brought him in contact with many activists and community leaders. He also attended the historical Million Man March in 1995.

PaPa Sak eventually sat down to write his first novel, after many years of running from his calling. He experimented with many different genres, and then decided to write about the things that he was most passionate about. He found that his passions lied in stories that reflected his experiences in love, street life, and struggle. He began to write the stories of those that have been subjected to violence, poverty, despair, abuse, and unhealthy love. He wanted his stories to be a beacon light for society to recognize the social ills that plague us. His first published novel was published in 2005, 'The Wages of Sin', a gangster story. Ever since his first published book he has hit the ground running. Though his genres may change, he will always stay true to the voice of his community. He will stay true to the passion, pain, dialect, culture, love, richness, vantage point, and glory of the Black experience through his literature.

PaPa Sak is a voice for the streets and the Black community for those that are usually misrepresented and misunderstood. His goal is to bring humanity to these characters and to bring understanding to other unpopular perspectives. His characters come from people he has known or interacted with at one time or another. One of his main focuses is to shed spiritual insight on stories that should be told in the Black experience and abroad. He is also a profound orator and inspirational speaker ranging in spoken word poetry, gang & street lifestyle, male and female relationships, manhood training, spirituality, Hip Hop and history. He is definitely a literary force in the new Millennium. You can also find him on my space at URL: http://www.myspace.com/papasakkingpen, Facebook as Novelist PaPa Sak, Twitter as PaPaSak71 and www.ensbooks.com