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rembrandt1881's review against another edition
2.0
I really only wanted to get this book for the coverage of the Lapd rampart Scandal. It was decidedly a lot less of that than I wanted. Even then it was obvious that the writer wasn't going to be impartial and was wholly in the pocket of and believing everything given to him by detective Robert Poole.
I was not as interested in the hip hop aspect of this story as I am very Familiar with it. However for the bulk of this I was fine with his work on breaking down some of the music industry information and I could appreciate that this book might be able to educate a different audience. Nothing about that large section seemed to be aimed at someone like me who lived through that era.
However by the time it came around to the end of the book the writers dislike and seeming disdain for the rap artists was coming through loud and clear and it seems though he had a bone to pick with everyone from Suge Knight to Bernard Parks. In fact it was glaring obvious when he went from criticizing the police force and how they treated Poole and the investigation to then criticizing the media coverage while defending the same force he says didn't do their job. It was annoying and I got very little that I was looking for. His bias ruined what could have been at the very least a normal book.
I was not as interested in the hip hop aspect of this story as I am very Familiar with it. However for the bulk of this I was fine with his work on breaking down some of the music industry information and I could appreciate that this book might be able to educate a different audience. Nothing about that large section seemed to be aimed at someone like me who lived through that era.
However by the time it came around to the end of the book the writers dislike and seeming disdain for the rap artists was coming through loud and clear and it seems though he had a bone to pick with everyone from Suge Knight to Bernard Parks. In fact it was glaring obvious when he went from criticizing the police force and how they treated Poole and the investigation to then criticizing the media coverage while defending the same force he says didn't do their job. It was annoying and I got very little that I was looking for. His bias ruined what could have been at the very least a normal book.
alundeberg's review against another edition
4.0
Even though I know nothing of rap music, I found this book to be incredibly interesting as it exposes both the rap world and the LAPD. There are so many players and and the corruption on both sides is far-reaching that I had a hard time following it all. Sometimes the author goes of on tangents, like explaining the origin of breakdancing, but it’s all fascinating.
luckycharmedlovesbooks's review against another edition
3.0
If I could give this three and a half stars, I would. It took me a little over a month to read this book unfortunately. I enjoyed reading this book but got a bit bogged down in all the details and trying to remember names of everyone involved in the story line. It did help to have watched the tv show this was based on. I am interested in reading the second book to get updates on everything!
joshrskinner's review against another edition
3.0
Detailed, sometimes condescending, incredibly helpful timeline at the end. I bailed about 10 chapters in; it just lost my interest.
mpho3's review against another edition
2.0
As a fan of both Tupac and Biggie, I was very interested in learning more about what really went down. Former Officer Poole seems to think he has the answers so I was eager to learn what he knows so I could draw my own conclusions. Mostly, I was very disappointed - especially by the author's extreme bias. For example, on page 14 of the hardcover version, Sullivan notes that "[In the early 1960s], as now, black males committed a hugely disproportionate amount of crime in Los Angeles and across the country." WHAT? I can't even believe that went to print. Question: do black males commit a disproportionate amount of crime in this country or are they accused and convicted disproportionately? At the very least, if you're gonna make such outrageous comments, back it up. With no statistical data, I consider Sullivan's comment to be hearsay. Then, just a few pages later, on page 18, Sullivan gets a little diatribe going about how the LAPD hiring process has become less stringent over time, noting that "liberals had successfully argued that [baring applicants with juvenile records] limited the number of blacks and Hispanics who could join the LAPD." I'm not even 20 pages into the book, and my reading of the author is that he really doesn't like minorities or "liberals," whatever the latter term means to him because he sure doesn't define anything. Yet I decided to take these and similar comments with a grain of salt and press forward with the book.
I do think that Sullivan's style is extremely readable and engaging. I also like the way he attempted to provide background on the LAPD history, the history of the Crips and the Bloods, etc. If you're not likely to be critical going into this book, it's not bad for escapism. Unless you were living in a plastic bubble when these events took place, I doubt that you'll be blown away by the overall picture Sullivan paints.
If one-tenth of what's written in these pages is true, Biggie and Tupac were just as despicable as Suge Knight, the LAPD, the affiliated gangs, the attorneys and just about everyone else who graced the pages of the book. And that made me really sad because it's hard for me to listen to the music the same way. Tupac and Biggie were not innocent; they were just greedy [...] who courted violence successfully. Truthfully, none of the stuff about the LAPD or any of the other authority figures surprised me. Money and testosterone--bad combination. Lest you think I'm a man-hater, the women in this book are appalling, too. I hate to say it but Tupac and Biggie were victims of their own making.
I do think that Sullivan's style is extremely readable and engaging. I also like the way he attempted to provide background on the LAPD history, the history of the Crips and the Bloods, etc. If you're not likely to be critical going into this book, it's not bad for escapism. Unless you were living in a plastic bubble when these events took place, I doubt that you'll be blown away by the overall picture Sullivan paints.
If one-tenth of what's written in these pages is true, Biggie and Tupac were just as despicable as Suge Knight, the LAPD, the affiliated gangs, the attorneys and just about everyone else who graced the pages of the book. And that made me really sad because it's hard for me to listen to the music the same way. Tupac and Biggie were not innocent; they were just greedy [...] who courted violence successfully. Truthfully, none of the stuff about the LAPD or any of the other authority figures surprised me. Money and testosterone--bad combination. Lest you think I'm a man-hater, the women in this book are appalling, too. I hate to say it but Tupac and Biggie were victims of their own making.
bookish001's review against another edition
4.0
Mind blowing! Just reaffirms my mistrust of the police. Fascinating read!
jlyroberts's review
3.0
do i believe everything in this book? no. do i believe the death row records had lapd officers on their payroll? yes. is tupac still alive? i still dont know.
fairbanks142's review
4.0
A fascinating examination of the killings of both Tupac and the Notorious B.I.G, beginning with the fallout after an undercover cop is shot by another - this victim connecting directly to Suge Knight. It weaves well the history of each rapper, the origins and tensions between the LA gang scene, and the rap industry. I thought that this was incredibly well written and researched, and highly feasible.
brittanyisbooked's review
3.0
This book was good- but not great. I really enjoyed learning about the LAPD and the corruption within. Hopefully, this idea is nothing new to any of us, but getting another look, a closer look, was very refreshing. I also enjoyed how the book centered around the murders of Tupac and Biggie, it made the book relevant and more interesting. However, if this interests you, you probably also know that those investigations dead ended. Even after reading the book, I still do not feel like the true story has ever been told. Reading this book after Suge Knight also allegedly killed another on the set of Straight Outta Compton, was even more jarring and impactful. It shows that corruption can come to anybody, in any form, in any capacity. I think the book did a good job of explaining that.