Founded in New Orleans in the early 1990s, Cash Money Records faced an uphill battle as it struggled to gain respect. Brothers Bryan "Baby" Williams and Ronald "Slim" Williams started the label by recording New Orleans artists who were part of the local " bounce music" scene. The label's young rappers, including Juvenile, B.G., and Turk, worked hard to deliver hits, but inner turmoil almost derailed Cash Money's success. The breakout success of Lil Wayne, who became the label's biggest star and even served as its president for a time, helped Cash Money survive during a difficult decade. Today stars like Drake and Nicki Minaj are helping to make Cash Money Records a household name in the hip-hop world.
“Transfixing…[Wayne’s] prison diary is, above all, a testament to the irrepressibility of his charisma—his is a force that can never go dormant, even when it’s not plainly on display.” –The New Yorker From rap superstar Lil Wayne comes Gone ’Til November, a deeply personal and revealing account of his time spent incarcerated on Rikers Island for eight months in 2010. In 2010, recording artist Lil Wayne was at the height of his career. A fixture in the rap game for more than a decade, Lil Wayne (aka Weezy) had established himself as both a prolific musician and a savvy businessman, smashing long-held industry records, winning multiple Grammy Awards, and signing up-and-coming talent like Drake and Nicki Minaj to his Young Money label. All of this momentum came to a halt when he was convicted of possession of a firearm and sentenced to a yearlong stay at Rikers Island. Suddenly, the artist at the top of his game was now an inmate at the mercy of the American penal system. At long last, Gone ’Til November reveals the true story of what really happened while Wayne was behind bars, exploring everything from his daily rituals to his interactions with other inmates to how he was able to keep himself motivated and grateful. Taken directly from Wayne’s own journal, this intimate, personal account of his incarceration is an utterly humane look at the man behind the artist.
“There has never been a better book about hip-hop…a record-biz portrait that jumps off the page.”—A.V. Club The perfect read for music lovers and business aficionados alike, The Big Payback reveals the secret histories of the early long-shot successes of Sugar Hill Records and Grandmaster Flash, Run DMC’s crossover breakthrough on MTV, the marketing of gangsta rap, and the rise of artist/entrepreneurs like Jay-Z and Sean “Diddy” Combs. THE INSPIRATION FOR THE VH1 SERIES THE BREAKS The Big Payback takes readers from the first $15 made by a “rapping DJ” in 1970s New York to the multi-million-dollar sales of the Phat Farm and Roc-a-Wear clothing companies in 2004 and 2007. On this four-decade-long journey from the studios where the first rap records were made to the boardrooms where the big deals were inked, The Big Payback tallies the list of who lost and who won. 300 industry giants like Def Jam founders Rick Rubin and Russell Simmons gave their stories to renowned hip-hop journalist Dan Charnas, who provides a compelling, never-before-seen, myth-debunking view into the victories, defeats, corporate clashes, and street battles along the 40-year road to hip-hop’s dominance. INCLUDES PHOTOGRAPHS
In this second, bloody installment in the Animal saga, secrets are revealed, sides are chosen, and bodies are dropped—it's on! The man ordered to take Animal from the world turns out to be the man who brought him into it. Animal finds himself torn between his hatred for the father who had abandoned him and the man who had taken everything from him. An uneasy truce is formed between father and son to take down a common enemy and finally grant Animal his freedom from the blood debt he's carried for so many years. But when the ghosts of Animal's past catch up with him, he learns that nothing is what it seems, and everything is subject to corruption—even his love for Gucci.
In the entertainment industry, there is a secret society of women vying for an opportunity to live a lavish lifestyle by snagging a famous young millionaire. Betty Blaise, or Fly Betty to those who truly know her, was not in it to be a wife. She had her sights set higher. While most of these women use sex as their weapon, Betty developed one that proves much more powerful. But when she encounters a man that she would never have anticipated falling for, the very rules Betty once lived and died by are going to be put to the test.
“Iceberg Slim breaks down some of the coldest, capitalist concepts I’ve ever heard in my life.” —Dave Chappelle, from his Netflix special The Bird Revelation The most gritty and real illustration of the black ghetto ever told, from the only man capable of telling it, Iceberg Slim, bestselling author of Pimp. Iceberg Slim’s story is now depicted in a major motion picture distributed worldwide. Mama Black Widow tells the tragic story of Otis Tilson, a stunning black drag queen trapped in a cruel queer ghetto underworld. In hopes of escaping the racial bigotry and economic injustice of the South, Otis’ family journeys north from their plantation to an urban promised land. Once in Chicago Otis and his brother and sisters become prisoners to a wasteland of violence, crime, prostitution and rape. This is the gut-wrenching tale of the destruction of a family and the truest portrayal of homosexuality in the ghetto ever told.
Likened to a 48 Laws of Power for young Black men, this book presents Black biographies, history, and current events in a language that the Hip-Hop generation will understand and relate to. Each story or essay is framed within the context of a life lesson, each one being of vital importance to the survival, redemption, and ultimate success of our dying Black generation. Both the positive and negative sides of the Black experience are explored in detail, from the lives of infamous drug dealers and pimps to the exploits of Black revolutionaries and activists. In addition, several How To sections outline simple strategies for self-development. Packed with useful information, from the best way to handle confrontations with police, to the continuing relevance of the 1919 race riots, this book has been compared to an urban Encyclopedia Africana. Others have called it a Blueprint for Black Power for a generation struggling with materialism and short attention spans. This book is guaranteed to change the world by changing the way millions of people think and live. In How to Hustle and Win, author Supreme Understanding tells, in often graphic detail, stories like that of the infamous Philadelphia Black Mafia, Harlem's heroin kingpin Frank Lucas, and former gang leader Stanley "Tookie" Williams. In between and throughout these tales, he weaves life lessons and guidance, turning sordid stories of crime and urban despair into an educational experience. Whereas Robert Greene's bestselling 48 Laws of Power used iconic figures from classical history to illustrate the guidelines for personal success, How to Hustle and Win is filled with the exploits of rappers, gangsters, radicals, and revolutionaries. This is a new kind of Black history book, and its intent is the motivation and achievement of a new kind of reader. Although today's literary market has seen an influx of self-help books attending to a variety of issues, few books have attempted to address the concerns of young Black men, struggling to find direction. It is this group that author Supreme Understanding names as one of most troubled demographics in American society today. On the book's website, the author comments: "Unfortunately, few authors actively target this audience, and those who do are either not speaking their language, or not interested in pushing for change. This is why How to Hustle and Win was written. This book will change the minds of millions of young men of color, and by doing this, it will ultimately change the world." Revolutionary aspirations aside, How to Hustle and Win's groundbreaking concept results in a truly appealing work. Its essays are delivered in short bursts, none of them over four pages long, making it ideal for struggling readers and those with shorter attention spans. At the same time, the book is filled with a wealth of information that would enlighten educated readers equally. In fact, the author juxtaposes his own personal tales of early delinquency and misdirection with his later years of professional success, including obtaining a doctorate in education at the age of 26.
Someone wants every member of the consortium dead, and they'll stop at nothing to make it happen. Meanwhile, Shan has transferred back into Redbone and has taken the game to a whole new level. Janay has turned over a new lease on life but her ties to Crystal are always a challenge. Everyone is gunning for Dark and with The List in the hands of Cisco's wife, Joy, Dark's chances of taking over Detroit are threatened more than ever before. Everyone is fuelled by fire and seeking the ultimate revenge.
Liberty, returning to her hometown, comes face to face with Dahlia, a strong, brazen woman intent on controlling the country's black market, and only one can emerge victorious.
For a few years in the mid-1990s, a small music label called Death Row stood atop the hip-hop world. Death Row Records was instrumental in introducing a hard-core style of rap music known as "gangsta rap" to mainstream audiences. Albums like Dr. Dre's The Chronic, Snoop Doggy Dogg's Doggystyle, and Tupac Shakur's All Eyez on Me sold millions of copies and influenced a new generation of artists. The money rolled in for Death Row's founder, Marion "Suge" Knight. The good times could not last, however. Tupac was murdered, Suge Knight was sent to prison for various crimes, and the label's top stars moved on. The dramatic rise and fall of Death Row Records is chronicled in this book.
