REAL is the unfiltered, unprotected, and undeniably raw story of a man who survived everything life tried to use to break him. Kendall Mingo grew up quiet-the kid who blended into the background, misunderstood and carrying pressure no child should hold. But silence didn't protect him from what was coming. When his father's health collapsed, Kendall watched the strongest man he knew fade away in a hospital bed. On September 11th, 2009, his world shattered. The grief that followed didn't just hurt-it transformed him. What came next was a decade-long battle through PTSD, bipolar disorder & schizoaffective symptoms, a failing body and chronic pain, an eating disorder that nearly erased him, alcohol and dissociation used as survival tools, fatherhood he fought to earn and never stopped loving, court systems, isolation, and rebuilding a life from zero, and music that became therapy-Nightmare Crew, Z, and a voice forged in darkness. This memoir is not about perfection. It's about surviving the parts of life that aren't talked about. REAL is a story of trauma and the weight it leaves behind, mental health fights nobody sees, the struggle of carrying multiple identities-Hawkins, Mingo, and Z, a father trying to be present while battling his own past, rebuilding yourself after falling apart, and finding truth, peace, and authenticity in a world that wants masks. If you've ever struggled with grief, identity, mental illness, or the pressure of being "strong" for everybody around you-this book will speak to you. Kendall writes with honesty that hits hard, telling the story not just of who he became, but every version of himself he had to survive first. REAL is more than a memoir. It's a declaration: "I may be known as Kendall Mingo, or Kendall Hawkins, hell-even Z. But I'm just trying to be me." And for the first time… he's telling the truth the world was never ready for.
