Set in the Bronx at the beginning of the hip-hop era, this novel captures the exploding street culture of the early 1980s through the eyes of four teenagers who hang out together in a local park. Park jams, dance-offs, neighbourhood beefs, and graffiti train rides create an exciting new buzz in the neighbourhood, until Cash and his best friend Forster begin to merge the exhilarating music scene with hustling on the street. The two young women of the group - both from conventional families with middle class values - are uneasy yet intrigued by the boys' new lives.But Keya has her own worries as a struggling teenage mother, and Dawn is torn between her parents' expectations and her own desire for independence. When Cash becomes a reckless deal-maker and abuses his friendship with Forster - upsetting the chemistry of the group - jealousy, competition, and shifting love interests seem inevitable. Finally tragedy strikes, and the characters wait to see whether it signals the end of their friendship.