Pimp: The Story of My Life

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of racism, sexual violence, child abuse, child sexual abuse, death by suicide, substance use, addiction, graphic violence, cursing, physical abuse, emotional abuse, and death.

Iceberg Slim is the writer and central figure in Pimp: The Story of My Life. He was born Robert Beck in 1918 in Chicago, Illinois and was raised primarily by his mother. His experiences in childhood shaped his worldview and had a profound influence on the life that he would eventually lead as a pimp. Slim’s early years demonstrate The Relationship Between Crime and Trauma, given that his traumatic childhood experiences exerted a lasting influence over his actions as an adult. Slim was sexually abused as a young child and was the target of attempted murder by his own father. While he and his mother spent a few stable years living with a caring man named Henry, his mother eventually plunged back into a life of abuse and took Slim with her. As Slim suffered for her mistakes, he learned not to trust women and developed a strong resentment toward his mother. He subsequently distanced himself from her and turned to the streets, ignoring his strong potential for a successful academic career.