The Mottola Company has optioned film and television rights to the book, which takes a look at how the streets and housing projects of southeast Queens, New York took over the rap industry during the 1980s and ’90s.

The book also examines the infamous southeast Queens crews and their connections to gangster culture in hip hop today.

Thomas D. Mottola, founder of The Mottola Company, will serve as executive producer for the project, along with producing partner Jeb Brien.

The duo will develop the novel for television.

The book, based on police wiretaps and exclusive interviews with drug kingpins and hip-hop insiders, offers insight into the rise and fall of reputed hustlers like Lorenzo “Fat Cat” Nichols, Gerald “Prince” Miller, Kenneth “Supreme” McGriff, and Thomas “Tony Montana” Mickens.

“This is by far one of the most visual stunning and engrossing stories to debut in a very long time,” Mottola added. “Immediately after reading it, I contacted Ethan and we decided that it was a natural for television. We were very fortunate in that Ethan saw eye-to-eye with us on exactly how to take this from the printed page to the screen, without sacrificing its visceral account of an American-born subculture that