SPIT: A Life in Battles is the raw and electrifying memoir of Jonnie Park—better known by his rap moniker, Dumbfoundead—whose rise from an unruly childhood in Los Angeles’s iconic  Koreatown kid to international rap star is as unlikely as it is exhilarating.

Born in Argentina to Korean parents and smuggled by a coyote across the US-Mexico border at age three, Park grew up in L.A. amid cultural dislocation, his father’s violent alcoholism, and the turbulent protests and riots of the early 1990s. 

Searching for belonging, he found salvation in the highly competitive underground world of battle rap, where he was among the only successful Asian American battle rappers. He developed his freestyle superpowers amid a motley crew of characters at Project Blowed, the legendary South Central L.A. open-mic venue, many of whom went on to big careers in the music industry. Told through the lens of his life’s greatest battles—his father’s rage, racist stereotypes, the pressures of fame, his own addiction—Park tells his story with his trademark humor, lyrical style, and unflinching honesty. Like its spiritual predecessor, Eminem’s 8 Mile, SPIT charts the author’s course from dropout to cultural pioneer, one verse at a time. Featuring vivid graphic novel–style illustrations at the end of each chapter, SPIT gives visual life to the inner demons and outer adversaries Park faced along the way. From open-mics in South Central to music festivals across the globe, Park’s memoir is a testament to creativity, grit, and the power of speaking your truth—even when your voice isn’t what the world expects to hear. More than just a chronicle of an artist’s path to success, SPIT is a groundbreaking story of identity, resilience, and reinvention. It is also the story of an Asian American outsider who turned life’s challenges into his stage, and battled his way to triumph.