No Disrespect [Paperback]

Sister Souljah (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 30, 1996

Rapper, activist, and hip-hop rebel, Sister Souljah possesses the most passionate and articulate voice to emerge from the projects. Now she uses that voice to deliver what is at once a fiercely candid autobiography and a survival manual for any African American woman determined to keep her heart open and her integrity intact in 1990s America.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Controversial hip-hop artist Souljah presents a memoir of growing up in the Bronx projects and offers broader views on the state of Afro-American life in America.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

In 1992, rapper Sister Souljah made big news, provoking a response from then-candidate Clinton to her exhortation that black people should "take a week and kill white people." Sister Souljah's social philosophy, apparently, has not changed much. In this rambling, lurid autobiography of her pre-rap star years, she works to attribute each shortcoming, mistake, or problem of every African American to one cause: white oppression. Her true attitude and the purpose of her tale are both unclear. Aggrandizing (at length) her "spiritual eye" and devotion to God, she simultaneously revels in the abuse of other humans. Claiming a transcendent, ascetic disdain for uncommitted sex, she blithely luxuriates in a series of affairs. While the brief concluding chapter offers solid, sensible advice for young people, Sister Souljah's earlier boasts belie its convictions. For a clearer, better-stated account of ghetto youth's struggle, consider Nathan McCall's Makes Me Wanna Holler (LJ 2/1/94). Buy only when the star's fans request it.
--Bill Piekarski, Southwestern Coll. Lib., Chula Vista, Cal.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Vintage; 1St Edition edition (January 30, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0679767088
• ISBN-13: 978-0679767084
• Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 0.8 x 8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (133 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #34,427 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Sister Souljah is a successful political activist and educator of underclass youth. Her national bestseller The Coldest Winter Ever, considered the definitive novel of the hip-hop generation, marked her fiction debut; she is also the author of a memoir entitled No Disrespect. She lives in New York City with her husband and son.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Moving Memoir ----Yet Full of Bigotry, July 19, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: No Disrespect (Paperback)

First, I want to say that I really admire what Sister Souljah was trying to do with this book. I mean, how many people just bare it all to the whole world in the hopes that others will learn from their mistakes? Not many! However, I feel this book is still very much limited by the author's own shortcomings. After an emotional and promising beginning, most of this book seems to be about how gorgeous she thinks she is and how let down she's been by black males. She talks about the damage racism has caused blacks all over the world and then espouses intrinsic racial beliefs about people constantly. Basically, she believes in genetic identity: that all black people are spiritually Africans and should probably live separately in their own country. (Should people who are part white and part black spend half their year in one country and then half in the other? What about people who are black, asian and white? Do they need three residences?) At certain points she was sounding uncomfortably like David Duke to me. And, when she runs into something she doesn't understand, such as homosexuality or white women who admire African culture, her first, middle, and last impulse is to judge and condemn. Her later novel The Coldest Winter Ever contains all the lessons this book was meant to, with only a sliver of the bigotry toward gays and anyone other than religious blacks. I would definitely recommend that book with five full stars, over this one. Yet while I didn't agree with much she had to say, this was a very moving, well written memoir. I still gotta give her respect for the fact that she cares so much about the situation of blacks in America that she is willing to put herself on the line for the cause.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I had no clue, July 17, 2000

By 

Camelle Holloway - See all my reviews

This review is from: No Disrespect (Paperback)

This book was given to me as a gift and I had no idea that I would enjoy it as much as I did. All I knew about Souljah at the time was that she was a controversial sista who used to hang out with Public Enemy. But this is not your average autobiography. The way she tells her story and names her chapters after characters in the order that they appear in her life was very unique. Her characters were well developed, especially Nicki. Miss thang was a trip! The unexpected turns that happen in Souljah's life, the disappointments, the triumphs, the crazy people in her life will keep you up at night constantly turning pages. This is a great first novel by Souljah and I am eagerly awaiting her next project.

40 of 52 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars EXCELLENT!! EXCELLENT!! EXCELLENT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!, October 21, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: No Disrespect (Paperback)

Sister Souljah is MAGNIFICENT!!!! I read "The Coldest Winter Ever" first, and I had to have this one!! The man at the bookstore told me that President Clinton had real issues about "No Disrespect". Thats when I REALLY wanted it. And I'm glad I got it. The girl is BAD!!! I can't wait for her next book to come out!!! This book is definitely a page turner!!! I highly recommend this book to every African man and woman!!!