Clean rapper Guvna B's memoir, Unspoken, is subtitled "Toxic Masculinity and I How Faced the Man Within the Man". In it he encourages young men to open up about their feelings and emotions more learning, as he did, from the deaths of people close to him. He speaks of love and loss, of crime and fear, passion, joy, faith and devotion. This is a testament to his life and his upbringing, his mistakes and his successes.

It was the subtitle that drew me in and caused me to request a copy of this for review. I'd not heard of Guvna B, I'm not into rap music (clean or otherwise) and I don't tend to like books with overtly religious themes (as for me, it's personal). Neither am I in the demographic that this book is addressed to - young men, particularly black or mixed race. I'm so glad that I did request the book, though. I found I had much in common with Isaac (his real name). We grew up in neighbouring London boroughs and I knew many people at his school (albeit several years earlier). I recall the horrific incident with Issy in the playground. But more than that, I could relate to so much that was said about love and emotion, loss, grief and openness. I don't share Isaac's faith, least not in the same way, but that didn't get in the way of the message which was raw and honest. For me, the subtitle was not perhaps explored as well as I might have liked but I have no regrets about requesting and reading this.

For me, the book did lack a little structure in places and at times I felt that the inclusion of full lyrics slowed the flow. In many cases, a partial lyric would have been better.

Overall, this was a thought-provoking and, at times, an inspiring read that should prove to be accessible to a wide range of readers.

With thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC in return for an honest review.

This is such an inspiring and honest account of how successful rapper Guvna B overcame his struggles to be an inspiration to all, and especially those who suffer the affects of toxic masculinity. Toxic masculinity causes so much destructive to the lives of young men today. In the book, Guvna recalls his grief-stricken experience of loosing his father and two friends, his struggle to share his feelings and his determination to change the stereotypical attitude of “boys don’t cry”.

I enjoyed reading this account of Guvna’s experience and felt it was very fitting subject given the news headlines that surround us today.

Many thanks to HarperCollins UK and NetGalley UK for the review copy.

Subtitled 'Toxic Masculinity and How I Faced the Man Within', this is a very personal account of grief and loss, exploring how an inability to express emotion leads to destructive behaviours in young men today.

Guvna B has won two MOBO awards and released 10 albums. He has also appeared on BBC as a football pundit and to discuss issues facing young people from underprivileged communities.

Guvna B is Isaac Borquaye who was brought up in a Ghanian family in East London. A few years ago, his father died suddenly and Isaac realised that he didn't have the mechanism to cope with the grief at this loss.

Isaac had been taught never to cry. He'd been told that a man should be brave and strong, and not show his emotions or vulnerability. It meant that he became angry and withdrawn, and turned to alcohol.

With good friends and family getting alongside him, Isaac was eventually able to confront his feelings and the second half of the book looks at what this experience has taught him about the expectations and behaviours of other young men in society today.

Working with schools, at youth clubs and in community projects, Isaac reveals that the young people he meets generally have two expectations of life - an early death or prison. Young men, in particular, don't know how to manage their emotions or constructively express their anger or frustration, and they aren't being offered an alternative lifestyle or career path.

For Isaac, it was a primary teacher who instilled in him an ambition and sense of self-worth, when she told him he had a gift for writing.

He urges us all to think of how in Africa, there is an understanding that 'it takes a village to raise a child'. We all have a part to play. And for Isaac, he says that he measures success not by money or fame, but the lives he has touched and changed for the better. It's a moving, thought-provoking and inspiring read.

Thank you to NetGalley and publishers for this ARC

I thought this was an honest, raw look at toxic masculinity, the feeling and stresses that comes with being a man in today’s society, from his point of view obviously.

Guvna B is a ‘clean’ rap artist from London – meaning his lyrics don’t contain swearing, misogynistic or sexually explicit language or references to drugs and gang culture. Although he grew up in London, his parents were both originally from Ghana and Ghanaian culture had a huge influence on his upbringing. This book covers his childhood, getting his big break, his marriage and his life in general, through to the unexpected loss of his father and two of his close friends. He explains how cultural and social expectations meant he didn’t know how to healthily deal with his emotions until he was overwhelmed by grief and he realised he wasn’t able to cope. He unpacks the lessons he learnt about himself and the impact of toxic masculinity to help his readers better understand how to love through difficult experiences.Guvna B writes in a very conversational tone which I think will appeal to his target audience of teenage boys and young adult men who listen to his music. In terms of the style of writing it was an easy read, although he covers some deep and difficult topics in a sensitively and appropriate way. While I recognise I am not the intended market for this book – I only knew one of his songs before I read it – I still took a lot from it as I was going through a grieving process myself.

I hope a lot of young men get access to and read this book. I hope they find hope within its pages, and a way to improve themselves and their situations by better understanding their emotions and their worth.

Content warnings: alcoholism, death, grief, mental illness, suicidal thoughts, suicide, racism, violence, references to gang culture.

Unspoken is the memoir of gospel/rap artist Isaac Borquaye better known as Guvna B. The book is very much written in his voice and, reading it, I felt as though I was sitting across from him in a cafe as he shared his life story.

Guvna B started out his rap career attempting to emulate the popular artists of the time, writing about a gang culture of violence and promiscuity that was far from his own lived experience. After taking on the sage advice of his mentor, he changed tack and wrote honestly about his life, including his strong Christian faith, and never looked back. Throughout the book Guvna talks about the success his albums have achieved and the awards he has won. Rather than boasting, however, I read his references to his success as a way of showing his readers that another path to fame is possible and that truth and authenticity is what matters - your fans will find and connect with your work when they know it comes from a place of vulnerability.

Guvna shares how the deaths of his father and two friends within the space of about 18 months so deeply affected him. He was forced to confront his own mortality and brought face to face with the fleeting nature of life and the cruelty of death. These experiences went on to impact every aspect of his life including his music and relationship with his wife Emma which he shares in the book. Excerpts from Emma's diary, when set in the context of Guvna's thoughts at the time, highlight the wall Guvna had built around himself excluding even those closest to him.

Recognising his inability to open up to loved ones, Guvna decides to change. He makes a concerted effort to be more open and delves into his past to understand why he was so emotionally closed off. He shares how growing up in a Ghanaian household, his emotions were never something he was encouraged to express. Quite the opposite in fact, he was expected to respect his elders, never complain and certainly, as a boy, to never show weakness by crying. To unlearn this behaviour proves to be a journey for Guvna and one he is undoubtedly still on.

I am glad this book exists and hope young black men in particular will read it and learn that it is OK to feel or even be overcome by emotion and to express grief. For black boys living in the inner cities where violence is accepted as a part of life, there especially needs to be an open discussion around grief and loss to prevent those emotions being bottled up and manifesting in unhealthy and even dangerous ways.

While I enjoyed Unspoken, I recognise that I am not the type of reader who will most benefit from reading it. For me, the writing style was perhaps a little too conversational. Personally I would have preferred it if Guvna had worked with a ghost writer who could have applied some structure and style to a text that sometimes read like the ramblings of a man with something to say but perhaps lacking in the skill and vocabulary to say it. At times Guvna would jump around between subject matters which caused some sections to lose focus. There were points in the book where text copied from his past Instagram posts were inserted and I felt these were sometimes used as a substitute for a deeper analysis of his feelings at the time.

Nevertheless, the fact remains that this book is important, much of what Guvna writes needs to be read and understood by everyone both young and old. I really hope this book will get into the hands of the young people who most need to read it. The toxic masculinity that continues to pervade our society is toxic indeed and needs to be rooted out. If more young men can follow Guvna's shining example, we can only go onwards and upwards from here.

At this point in my life, I'm going to read any book that has 'toxic masculinity' in the title. I think it's a vital topic and it is desperately important to be questioning the norms and expectations that society puts on men. I had heard of Guvna B. here and there, but never listened to his music. Despite this, I was keen to hear his perspective on this subject.

Guvna B. is a faith-based rapper who grew up in East London to Ghanaian parents. The book is framed by his experience of the sudden death of his father in 2017, which hit him hard and left him struggling to know how to grieve. For Guvna B., like so many young men in the UK, he had been brought up to see emotion as weakness. Men must show they are strong and invulnerable to any form of weakness. Guvna B. uses his experiences growing up to confront this lie and share with the reader what he has learnt. He takes a look at his family life and the impact of growing up as a black man in London to discover how men and women are conditioned to expect certain traits in men. He then takes an honest look at his marriage, his life and his music to consider how this has impacted his mental health and the people around him. With loving support from his wife, counselling and music, Guvna B. is on the journey towards expressing his emotions more fully and helping others to do the same.

Although Guvna B. is a Christian and refers to God throughout, this book never came across as preachy. As a white man in his 30s, I'm clearly not the target audience for a book scattered with Instagram posts and rap lyrics. However, this was an intensely relatable read, because mental health and grief transcends culture and is a shared life experience. There was a lot to learn for me and some good challenges. Even more importantly, I can see how brilliant this book will be for the young people who read it. It's the kind of book I wish was around when I was 14 or 15 as it would have introduced me to important ideas that I did not learn until my late 20s.

There are a lot of American authors writing books that look at race, the patriarchy and faith, but it was refreshing to hear a new voice from the UK. Whilst this was a bit London-centric, it provides an important insight into the black experience for people growing up in the 90s and what it's like to be a young black man in the UK today.

Guvna B. is an excellent communicator, bringing an important topic to life for a new audience. I appreciated his honesty and humility. I would highly recommend this book and have even listened to some of his music since I read it!

Unspoken is a powerful and inspiring memoir from a young black man giving back to the community, and sharing the lessons he has learnt following the loss of close family and friends. Guvna B has had critical acclaim as a rapper breaking the stereotypes of the rap genre. Songwriting is for him, cathartic, and a way of connecting with his audience.

Growing up on an East London council estate, with Ghanaian parents, Guvna (real name Isaac), was told it was weak to cry. Men were strong. His peers had little ambition, and life was all about fitting in and not showing weakness or vulnerability - in other words - toxic masculinity.

But when his father suddenly and unexpectedly dies, Isaac is forced to confront his feelings of grief and depression if he is to lead a meaningful life. With the loving support of his wife Emma, he seeks counselling, and learns that it is a strength to ask for help, not a weakness.

The lessons he has learnt are what he wants to pass on. He mentors young people, he supports aspiring musicians. He openly talks about the comfort of his faith. He writes with integrity about the need for adults to protect and support those who are most vulnerable, and how governments have let young people down with austerity cuts that have seen youth services decimated.

Unspoken is an important and necessary story that young men in particular will connect with and I strongly believe it should be provided in schools as part of social and emotional education.

This was a Frank, raw and honest look at toxic masculinity, what it means and what it means to be a man in today’s society. As a woman, I appreciated a lot about what this book said and would recommend it to the men in my life.

Netgalley

I found “Unspoken: Toxic Masculinity and I How Faced the Man Within the Man” by Guvna B to be an honest and frank exploration into Guvna B/ Isaac Borquaye’s perceptions and vulnerabilities about what it means to be a man and the wider conversation about masculinity.

As someone who is also of Ghanaian descent, I was drawn to the book due to our shared heritage. And this is explored as he drew vivid pictures of growing up in East London juxtaposed with a school life in Essex. The contrast painted multicultural London (and all it entails, including race, gang culture and council estates) against the life he had at school and when he began to make music, which was equally compelling.

The title Unspoken speaks to the way Guvna B navigates through his grief, as the book explores the way he stopped communicating with his wife when he experienced the loss of his father. His processing of his loss, as well as subsequent losses were insightful and would act as a good guide for those bereaved.

Another element of the book I particularly enjoyed was the use of Guvna B’s lyrics throughout. This lead me to take time to read the book, as I had to stop reading to find and play the relevant tracks. Consequently, Guvna B has a new fan in me of his music.

I found the book fascinating and timely, as many who will read this will have feelings of discombobulation as they navigate in this uncertain stressful world where we are bombarded with daily death numbers.

Turning to editorial issues as this is an ARC, some of the words ran together, which I presume will be rectified before final publication day. Also, I hope all the referenced photos are put into the correct placeholders as these were missing from the ARC.

***Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Inspire, an imprint by Harper for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.***

Christian rapper Guvna B has written a book to encourage young men to open up about their feelings and emotions more. Drawing on experiences from his own life - especially the death of his father and one of his close friends - he touches on the 'toxic masculinity' that is so common in men (in general) and men from inner-city multiracial communities.

Honestly, I should kick myself for requesting autobiographies, memoirs, and treatises on life which are written by people I don't know and have never heard of. I did it recently and regretted it and I did it with this one. Who am I to assess if this is any good? I hate rap, didn't even know that 'Christian' rap existed, and don't generally take advice from people who think God has all the answers. And, I'm not a young black or mixed-race man.

Guvna B's background was a strict but loving immigrant home with parents who came to London from Ghana. He's a success - but not the doctor - lawyer - dentist that his parents might have wanted him to be.

I don't know if the ARC kindle version I read is incomplete but I had a number of problems. I expected photos - they are frequently referred to in the text - but when I got to the end, there were none. I found the inclusion of lyrics and Instagram posts in the text with no font or spacing differentiation from the actual 'story' very confusing.

Undoubtedly, he's a fine young man who had some disadvantages in his childhood and teens - though honestly, nothing particularly unusual or extreme. He's made a living doing something he loves, and if his book persuades his followers to speak out about their feelings, then that has to be a positive thing.

I'm just absolutely not his target demographic.

A genuinely honest and frank memoir by Isaac / Guvna B.
From growing up in a council estate to becoming the rapper we know and how his experiences, masculinity, faith and grief have shaped him.
It’s a fascinating read tackling issues (mental health and life pressures) we all wish more men would speak up about.
A great read whether you are male or female.

I found this to be a remarkably honest account of one man's vulnerabilities, his awareness of the weaknesses in himself as he dealt with the death of his father and the impact that a culture of toxic masculinity had on his ability to process and handle such emotional turmoil. I expected the book to deal with mental health, grief, family and faith and yet in it he talks with informed wisdom about this and so much more. He talks about how our society dwells upon a broken, misleading and dangerous narrative when it comes to life on council estates, race and gang culture. He advocates ways in which we could and must improve, I only wish people in power would heed the words this articulate, informed and wise man has to say.

What a book. I couldn't put it down. Issac (Guvna B) writes with so much honesty and vulnerability, not just about his own struggles but issues that society struggles with as a whole. This isn't your classic book on toxic masculinity, instead it tackles issues such as mental health, grief, communication, gang culture, unconscious bias and many more. Issues that men don't talk about, but also issues society as a whole fails to tackle. This book should be read by everyone, of all classes and all races and by reading it hopefully society will be a better place in the future. It takes a village to raise a child, we just need to rebuild the village

So I first encountered Guvna B or Isaac Borquaye in an interview on HTB online and was blown away by his insight and outlook for such a young man. This book (his second release) covers the loss of his father and how it shaped his life and his beliefs in himself and what being a man actually means to him. This book is a celebration of his father and his religion interlaced with the lyrics from some of his songs. Fascinating read.

A genuine honest autobiography about growing up, his relationships particularly with his Dad and his faith in this journey. As a rapper you might have pictures in your mind about how the author might appear well be prepared to see that picture change. A real insight into a mans thoughts and feelings surrounding grief. and mental health especially in young people. A book not just for men but it also helps us women understand our men a bit better. Be prepared to be challenged as well as shedding a few years.
Thank you for your honesty throughout this book Isaac or Guvna B. My kids love your music and I shall recommend this book to them as well.
Thanks Guvna B, Harper Collins and NetGalley for the early viewing.

This is a perceptive autobiography but it’s importance is greater than that. GuvnaB, a rapper, grew up in a London council estate but in a stable, ambitious family. He narrowly avoided the fate of many similar black young men because of his parents’ influence but also because a teacher and a youth worker reminded him he had skills. Given his professional success and personal knowledge of the dangers faced by young men from his background, his analysis of British social life and entrenched attitudes is of great significance. He uses personal events to sharpen his message. He was severely depressed after the unexpected death of his father so how he dealt with that aftermath is as important to similarly afflicted sufferers as is his advice on government policy. This is the work of a son of immigrants from Ghana who has a successful professional life. He is married to a White woman and has a mixed race son. His advice should be taken seriously. The book is also exceedingly well written. I recommend it.

A brilliantly written, honest and helpful book about mental health, grief and the pressures young men face. Written with humour and humility I'd buy this for any of my male friends.