Welcome to "You Couldn't Tell Me Shit!"
A Serialized Memoir of Brooklyn, 1980–1985
Hi Everybody! Welcome to my new project, I’m calling:
You Couldn’t Tell Me Shit! Coming of Age in the County of Kings, 1980-1985
Starting Monday, May 18th, 2026, I’ll be serializing my latest memoir right here on Substack.
This is my fourth book, but the first to cover my years before coming to Japan, specifically during the 1980s. I’ve been living with this story for decades and have spent the last two years finding and fine-tuning the words to bring to life a story and time period so eventful and complex that it can only be told well by those of us who lived it.
Well, it took some doing, but goddammit, I nailed it! Y’all be sure to let me know if I’m trippin’ or not.
This memoir takes readers on a ride back to the Brooklyn that raised and braised me — a vital, complicated community — long before they came along, revitalizing shit with their hipsters, Starbucks, Whole Foods, and whatnot.
These stories are creative nonfiction. Y’all know my style. If not, you’re about to get a crash course. In short, I do my utmost to take you, the reader, back there with me so you can see the 80s through my eyes and feel those years through my heart.
I plan to cover the entire 80s, which would take me from teenager into manhood, years 14 through 24. So consider this book — which covers 1980-1985 (with a 1979 introduction serving as a launchpad) — as Volume 1 of a two-volume set.
Shit, I’m forgetting something…
OH YEAH! I’m not telling this story alone...not by a damn sight! I have the ULTIMATE visuals!
The dynamic, inimitable photographs of Jamel Shabazz run through this project like a pulse. Together, we’re rebuilding a community long gone but far from forgotten! The people, the music, the joy, and the gravity of coming of age in a New York City that now survives mostly in recollection— and in Jamel’s photographs.
Yes—that Jamel Shabazz! The man who captured the essence of the era.
Sent the man a few chapters on a hunch, and his response told me all I needed to know:
“I was drawn in immediately and could not stop reading… I can tell, this book will be a masterpiece!”
— Jamel Shabazz
As I mentioned, You Couldn’t Tell Me Shit is Volume 1. Volume 2 (titled: Love in the Time of Crack, 1986–1990) is almost done and will follow in the days to come.
Paid subscribers will also get the behind‑the‑scenes stories: the wild, unbelievable moments behind the moments that made it into these books.
If you’re already subscribed, brace yourself. If you aren’t, the door’s open.
How This Serial Works
Free readers get to read occasional installments.
Paid subscribers ($8/month or $80/year) get ALL installments, the audio versions as well, read by me, the era glossary, curated and written by me, the chapter-by-chapter Q&A, and the soundtrack with liner notes written by me.
The Fam ($240/year) gets everything above, plus the extended playlist with commentary, behind‑the‑scenes material, early chapter access, monthly live conversations and Q&As, your name in the acknowledgments, a handwritten postcard, and a signed book when it’s published.
One‑time supporters (Ko‑Fi / Buy Me a Coffee) get a shout‑out in a memoir post and the good karma that comes with keeping independent work alive.
You can still support this project if you ain’t got the ends right now!
There are easy ways to support this independently produced project that’ll only cost you a few minutes and clicks. Please take a minute to leave a review, a comment, or share a referral on social media. Help From BK to TK reach new readers by telling people about the work I’m doing here.
So, once again, welcome to my new project. You’re gonna love it! You can take that to the bank!
Peace & Love,
Baye
PS: Ready to dive in? This will take you straight to the Prologue. Enjoy!
Hey Baye. It’s amazing to read your story. Living 4 buildings down, it’s a walk down memory lane.