TOXIC VILLAGE is a gritty and soul-baring memoir that challenges the old African proverb, "It takes a village." For Andre L. Prim, born in Indianapolis and raised in the rain-soaked streets of Seattle, the village wasn't always a source of protection-it was often the source of the pain. The story begins with a foundational wound: a four-year-old boy abandoned by his father in Nashville, left to wonder why he wasn't enough. Moving to Seattle's Central District and eventually Skyway, Andre seeks to fill that void through a "village" comprised of hustlers, street fights, and a revolving door of women. From the innocence of 90s R&B love dedications to the violence of high school brawls and a stint in the Navy that ended in a mental breakdown, Andre paints a vivid picture of a young Black man spiraling while trying to find his footing. But TOXIC VILLAGE is more than a war story of the streets; it is a testimony of redemption. After facing legal troubles for embezzlement and hitting rock bottom in "The Dungeon", Andre encounters the light that changes everything: his ezer kenegdo, Jamila. This is a story about unlearning toxic masculinity, the power of accountability, and how a man can finally heal the boy inside to become the father his children deserve.