Da Baddest

“An open and revealing account from the first lady of Slip-N-Slide Records. There’s a vulnerability here that’s not typically associated with Trina’s bold, brash and provocative persona on wax. The heyday of Miami’s music scene is a story that’s been told in memoirs from her male peers - Uncle Luke, Trick Daddy, and Rick Ross. But it’s refreshing to view it through the lens of a woman’s perspective. And we’re not talking about just any woman here. We’re talking about Da Baddest.” -NEIL MARTINEZ-BELKIN, New York Times bestselling author of The Autobiography of Gucci Mane (Simon & Schuster, 2017) and Hurricanes: A Memoir (Hanover Square Press, 2019, with Rick Ross)

“Reading Da Baddest feels like you’re stepping into a time machine, coming out on the other side with a first class seat alongside one of the most prolific rappers to ever to do it. This necessary and long overdue biography not only chronicles Trina’s career, but also contextualizes the formative figures, neighborhoods, houses, and experiences that literally made her ‘Da Baddest.’ You’d be a fool to not have this on your shelf.” -NADIRAH SIMMONS, author of First Things First: Hip-Hop Ladies Who Changed the Game (Twelve, 2024) and founder of the Gumbo

“This memoir is a glimpse into the REAL Trina. The highs, the lows, the triumphs, and the trials. It’s raw, honest, and filled with the wisdom and experiences that have shaped her into the powerhouse she is today. Trina has never been afraid to speak her truth, and that authenticity shines through in every word. Whether riding high on success or facing personal battles, she’s proven a female MC can be fearless, strong, sexy, and successful without losing themselves. Trina has and will always be the baddest and her journey is a moving testament of faith, growth, and an unwavering spirit of resilience; a reminder that with grit and grace, we can all rise to greatness.” -MONA SCOTT-YOUNG, founder of Violator and creator of Love & Hip-Hop

Sesali Bowen is the author of the acclaimed memoir-manifesto Bad Fat Black Girl: Notes from a Trap Feminist; and the creator and host of Purse First, the first podcast exclusively about female and queer rap. She was an entertainment writer at Refinery29 and one of the architects of Unbothered. Then she oversaw the entertainment vertical at NYLON magazine before branching out to write her first book. Her words have appeared in The New York Times, Cosmopolitan, Glamour, InStyle, and more. She has also appeared on Netflix’s Explained and starred in campaigns for Showtime, VH1, and HBO. Behind the scenes, she provides creative marketing and storytelling services to brands and talent. Sesali was proudly born and raised on the Southside of Chicago, and currently lives in New Jersey.