Customer Reviews

Queens Reigns Supreme: Fat Cat, 50 Cent, and the Rise of the Hip Hop Hustler

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I think Queens Reigns Supreme is an excellent read. Mr. Brown did a heck of a job. There's so much interesting information and even more interesting characters, yet Brown manages to put it all together perfectly. Even with all the ground he covers, from the 80s to the present, the book flows smoothly. Btw, Brown was featured in XXL recently. I must say, when you look at the pictures of him, you would never think this guy has all the info he has and access to so many people from the streets. It's obvious he did his research and worked hard to get the stories told from those who were actually touched by what was going on. That was really well done. He did a great job portraying the characters. Although, the one guy, Scoon, I wish his character had been more developed. I recently read an article on him also. He seems like an intellingent guy, very knowledgeable about the topic. I noticed when reading the book, that he had so many connections, with everyone from Russell Simmons to Fat Cat. I think we could have learned more info from him. He's cute too. Seriously, i think this book will be on people's tongues for a long time. A warning: once you start reading it, clear you schedule, because you won't want to put it down.

While 50 Cent's name in the title of this book may draw some interest, it's the characters of the generation that preceeded 50 that make this such an essential piece of cultural lit for those interested in the relationship between hustling and hip-hop.

A summary of the book's plot seems redundant. What makes this book stand out are the hustlers themselves - Fat Cat Nichols, Supreme, Prince, and several others. Brown presents their lives and misdeeds without passing judgment on them, allowing the reader to interpret the possible motives behind why they do what they do. The book also provides an interesting look at the early days of Queens hip-hop, including the lack of money being made by the artists involved at the time (the talk of Jay Mizell being so heavily in debt at the time of his death brings the point across pretty clearly).

For fans of contemporary hip-hop, there's plenty about the rivalry between Ja and 50, and Brown does a good job of exposing what should seem to be a lack of true street cred. Nobody in this book, outside of a few Queens narcotic cops, comes across in a very good light. Brown pulls no punches, as the facts tell the story.

Recommended for any fan of hip-hop culture, especially to those unfamiliar with much of what's covered in this book.

BUMBO CLOT! Like I said in the title QUEENS TRULY REIGNS SUPREME!
I hail from southeast Queens and I have heard so many stories of the Supreme Team and Fat Cat and all of those dudes and crews. I just think it's great to get all the facts in one place. Now I understand how everything went down and why. New York is a crazy place, yet it is still a gem. People if you want to know about real street tish and about these fake ass rappers like Ja and Pac and the Goodies I mean Gottis I mean Lorenzos, this is the book. Happy Reading.

mr. brown's book is long overdue, especially with everything going on today within the hip hop community. this documentation of the interconnections between the street/hustlers of queens and the hip-hop scene (from origin to the present day) is REMARKABLE - a totally fascinating relationship. the book is a truly amazing and insightful account of history and a reallllly engrossing read. definitely pick it up. i can't believe how much i learned and how quickly i read the book.

This book is not a fictional "hood" farce as I initially thought upon seeing it in the store. After reading the abstract on the back cover, I was compelled to read the Preface and first two chapters while still sitting in the store. I purchased the book and read it in less than 48 hours. I literally could not put it down. It is filled with the TRUE stories of Queens hustlers like the Supreme Team and Pappy Mason. These are hood icons that you may hear about in a rap record but never know who they really were. This book does an excellent job of conveying the street savvy and relentlessness of these hustlers who amassed millions as well as carefully cataloguing their down fall. There are times where you read the book and almost hear these figures talking to you or reading what was going through their minds at the time. You see them on top of the world as well as at the bottom of the barrel. You see them as violent and fearless as well as seeing them desperate and vulnerable.

The connection that is drawn to the current hip hop music and culture is drawn seemlessly. There are a lot of familiar names and some unfamiliar stories. Some truths come out and we see who is "gangsta" and who's not. This is a must read for anyone interested in Urban History/ Culture.

Fist of all this book is not for just hip hop fans. Lets just say this book was so informative and so well written i have read it twice in 3 days and wouldnt mind reading it the third time.

It made me fly all the way from Atlanta to pay a visit to southside jamaica queens, ny (over the holidays) to see the famous baisley projects (116-80 Guy R Brewer) and South Jamaica Estates (aka Forties Project). I could not believe such a small housing project had so much going on in the 80s that no one knew about. My trip was not complete but i will pay another visit there by the summer. I just have to. Whether the things that went on in South Side Jamaica Queens was good or bad, it is still history, that needs to brought to light and i am glad Ethan at least took the first step by coming out with this book.

Ethan Brown was so detailed with this book, i will find it hard to know anybody will put this book down once they start.

This book will make you ask a lot of questions, and i must say sparked a huge curiosity in me. There is a lot of whys and hows.

THIS BOOK IS A DEFINATE DEFINATE MUST READ. And for parents i will say it will be a good gift for you young teenagers who are tempted to get into this life of drugs whether it be a hustler or a user. This book makes you understand that it is not worth it,because at the end of the day all the people ended up dead or in jail, and have nothing to show for it. This book is a must read by all.

Great book and great body of work documenting the origins of much of what commercial hip hop currently reflects. A must have for any rap music aficionado. Although rap was created in the Bronx the successful blueprint for the business of rap was drafted in Queens. While Bronx artists like Afrika Bambaata and The Furious Five were inspired by Funk and Soul acts of the time such as Parliment Funkadelic the rappers in Queens were heavily influenced by some of NY's most notorious hustlers and gangsters. Men like Lorenzo "Fat Cat" Nichols and Kenneth "Supreme" McGriff who also hail from Queens. Essentially, the legendary criminal figures of Queens influenced an entire generation worldwide through the pop icons who emulated them and also called Queens home. From Fat Cat to 50 Cent... Queens Reigns Supreme!

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Excellent Book, I read the entire book in less than 5 days, and I don't read many books. I lived in the south Jamaica Queens in the 80's, so I can relate to the story of the hustlers and gangsters that were roaming around during that time. The book gives you a peep at a underworld few people actually lived to tell. It blends the drug hustlers of that era with what is going on in Hip Hop these days. The book brillantly captures the rise and fall of the drug lords running Queens in the 80's. This book is hard to put down. Hopefully a lesson will be learned for whom ever reads this book.

this Book takes you back to the 80's through the 90's&the Hustle on the Street to the Corperate World of Hip-Hop.it explores how the real Hustlers&alot of the Studio Created Hustlers went about business.this book will have you zooming through it because there are so many good details&interesting points that make you do double takes&every point is hitting home.this all seems like yesterday&indeed so much happen so soon&fast.this book shows alot of the players that have come into view over the past decade&change.really good read.

This book gives a detailed description of hip hop, only it deals with what goes on "behind the scenes". It does this very well, exposing the connection between real gangsters and some of hip hop's biggest stars. Although while doing so it seems the author is very focused on proving how soft or "fake" some of these superstars "actually" are. He tries a little too much in my opinion! Afterall a guy like Tupac Shakur was a high school drop-out and was homeless at 17, due to his mother's crack addiction. On top of that he shot two cops was involved in beatings etc.

But overall this is a very good read, with a lot of detailed information about what's been going on behind the closed doors!