| | Prologue | p. 1 |
| | | |
| | First Memories | p. 7 |
| | Our Side of the World | p. 15 |
| | From Bright to Bored | p. 25 |
| | The Hollaway House | p. 33 |
| | Earl v. the Board of Education | p. 39 |
| | Three Meals a Day and a Snack | p. 43 |
| | Crazy Earl Tries It On | p. 52 |
| | Earl Finds a Mission | p. 64 |
| | What's My Name? | p. 68 |
| | In the Game | p. 78 |
| | 1985 | p. 81 |
| | Turn Out the Lights | p. 92 |
| | Betrayal | p. 96 |
| | DMX the Great Is Born | p. 101 |
| | "I Want to Do That!" | p. 103 |
| | "Stolen Novas" | p. 109 |
| | Interlude | p. 115 |
| | A Weekend in the Hamptons | p. 116 |
| | "Wanna Battle?" | p. 125 |
| | A Bowlegged Cutie | p. 134 |
| | Talk of the Town | p. 141 |
| | Interlude | p. 147 |
| | | |
| | Dog Love | p. 151 |
| | "You're Not Going to Boo Me!" | p. 161 |
| | One Love Boomer | p. 167 |
| | Buried in Paperwork | p. 172 |
| | X | p. 177 |
| | Waah Rolls By | p. 181 |
| | "Born Loser" | p. 187 |
| | Tests of Strength & Faith | p. 190 |
| | Interlude | p. 192 |
| | Before Light There Is Dark | p. 193 |
| | 0 for 2 | p. 197 |
| | Slippin', Fallin' | p. 202 |
| | A Bark in the Dark | p. 208 |
| | Home | p. 211 |
| | Interlude | p. 216 |
| | Make a Move | p. 217 |
| | The Battle for New York | p. 221 |
| | "Somebody's Gonna Die" | p. 225 |
| | Powerhouse | p. 227 |
| | Niggas Done Started Something | p. 234 |
| | Harlem | p. 238 |
| | Let Me Fly | p. 241 |
| | Payback on Ravine | p. 243 |
| | One More Road to Cross | p. 251 |
| | Interlude | p. 258 |
| | | |
| | Taking It Back to the Streets | p. 263 |
| | "Who Is That Last Guy?" | p. 265 |
| | "Where My Dogs At?" | p. 267 |
| | Official Member of Society | p. 271 |
| | In the Lab | p. 274 |
| | Belly Up | p. 278 |
| | Def Jam #1 | p. 281 |
| | The Final Call | p. 283 |
| | May 19, 1998 | p. 286 |
| | Epilogue | p. 289 |
| | Song Lyrics | p. 295 |
| | Notes | p. 339 |
| | Acknowledgments | p. 341 |