The long-awaited memoir by the comedy legend and author of multipleNew York Timesbestsellers, a beautiful and mesmerizing book that reveals as never before his childhood in South Central Los Angeles, his time in the infamous Bloods gang, and how humor became his salvation.

I learned a joke could be more than humor. It was body armor. Could be a spell. Could be a sword and a shield, all in one breath.

He was always Charlies Boyeven before he found his name, his voice, his fame.

In this raw, cinematic, and deeply personal memoir, acclaimed comedian and cultural critic D.L. Hughley documents his rise from the streets of South Central Los Angeles to the national spotlightand the man who quietly stood behind him through it all.

While his mothers wrath shaped his early years with fear and rejection, it was Charlie Hughleya soft-spoken bag handler at the Los Angeles Airportwho raised D.L. and taught him how to survive through tough love and sacrifice. Though he was not D.L.s biological fathera fact only revealed when D.L. was tenCharlie gave his boy the only thing he truly needed: a sense of being seen.

It was a time when gangs ruled the streets of South Central, and D.L. rose through the ranks of the Bloods. But when his mothers car was shot up and dead roses were left on his doorstepsignaling he was marked for deathD.L.s mother knew that he couldnt stay in Los Angeles. So, D.L. boarded a bus to Ohio and left behind everything he understood. It was exile. But it proved to be a fresh start.

This is not just a coming-of-age story. Its the story of how one man found his voice by being raised in silenceand how he learned to get on stage and turn pain into punch lines. Through storytelling thats both unsparing and funny,Charlies Boyis a tribute to the man who never asked for one, and a reckoning for the boy who had to wrestle for love, identity, and truth.

D.L. Hughleyis one of The Original Kings of Comedy. He hosts the national radio programThe D.L. Hughley Show,which is syndicated in more than sixty markets. His comedy specials have appeared on HBO, Netflix, Comedy Central,and Showtime. His satirical documentary special,DL Hughley: The Endangered List, received the prestigious George Foster Peabody Award. He created and starred in the ABC sitcomThe Hughleys. He is the author oftheNew York TimesbestsellersHow Not to Get ShotandBlack Man, White House.How Not to Get Shot was selected asa finalist for the Goodreads Choice Awards and the Audie Awards. D.L. lives with his family in Los Angeles, California.

• Publisher: Mariner Books
• Publish Date: October 06, 2026
• Pages: 304
• Language: English
• Type: Hardcover
• EAN/UPC: 9780063435438
• Dimensions:8.3 in H | 5.5 in W | 0.9 in T | 0.81 lb Wt
• BISAC Categories: Biography & Memoir, History, Humor & Entertainment