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This new genre is called "Urban Fiction" or even "Street Fiction" and while some of it is good and claims to be inspired by Donald Goins and Iceberg slim, some of it is not as good and is more inspired by "The Coldest Winter Ever."
The good think about street fiction is that it is giving more opportunities to self-published writers and small presses. The bad thing is that for some reason, the people behind street fiction don't seem to place high value on production. They are often hurriedly edited and have book covers that look more like CD covers.
I think the genre is successful because it targets a completely different audience than those books considered "high literature." There is still room for newer writers like Victor LaValle and Paul Beatty to make their mark.
Another lucky thing is that in addition to larger sections in bookstores, we have a LOT of new black bookstores. They have entire street fiction sections and still have room to sell our other titles.
It's possible that street fiction is a fad and in a few years it will fade out. Who knows.
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