by Marvin Bryson (Author), Haywood Donerson (Author)
Growing up in the thriving, urban surroundings of Washington DC's "Chocolate City" of the 1980's, Marcus "Smacky" Gregory does his best to navigate this harsh environment, while sharpening his skills as a musician with his popular garage/basement band Hard-As-Steel. As our story unfolds, we witness Marcus evolve from a child of divorce, not able to lookout for himself in these mean streets of DC, to an adult Smacky, that's made a name for himself. Like many successful members of the entertainment community, Marcus has a military pedigree, by way of his Dad being a career military man, that provides him with an innate ability to relate and adapt to most situations seamlessly. When Smacky finally realizes his life-long dream of signing to a major record label, touring the world, the drugs, women, fatherhood and ultimately the difficulties of raising a son with "special needs" causes him to re-think his idea of what "making it" truly means.