Kanye West Owes me $300: And other true stories from a white rapper who almost made it big

It's dangerous to buy someone a book.

Not dangerous like a knife fight or running from a cougar. But, dangerous in an intellectual sort of way. 

Or is that just me?

As the title of this blog will imply, I'm kind of a book snob. I won't publicly ridicule others for what they read (at least not out loud), but I'm picky about what I read myself. There are a few reasons for that. For one, I don't have a ton of free time. I'm a mom and I have a full-time job and I spend a lot of time at Target and whatnot. Also, I was an English major, so I had to read a lot of books I didn't care for. That means now, I read only what I like to read. And, if someone buys a book for me or recommends something, I feel pressure to read it. If I trust your suggestion and I love the book, awesome. But, most often, I'll be mad at your if your advice or purchase was wrong.

What does that have to do with Kanye West? Well, this book was a gift. A former co-worker and his wife sent me this for my birthday and I had never heard of the book before. Knowing the Regimbals, though, I knew this would be good. This was a risk for them with immense reward for me. After devouring this book in one day, the Regimbals can buy me a book anytime.

I had never heard of Jensen Karp before I read this book, but now I know that he is engaged to Topanga! Before he fulfilled the fantasies of every dude who grew up in the 90's, he was a white kid from Calabasas trying to make it in the rap game. He started, in fact, when he was 12. He and a buddy performed at some talent shows and other random events, headlining with a song that was basically trash-talking rap youngsters Another Bad Creation (see below...)

That led to a few gigs, then fizzled out. It wasn't until Karp started calling into an LA radio show and competing in rap battles that his future was laid out in front of him. 

Things went well. REALLY well. Until they didn't. And, since you've never heard of his rap alias Hot Karl, you know that his rap career ended without a hit.

This book tells the story of the meteoric rise and subsequent fall of Hot Karl. It speaks of encounters with music royalty (Mya!) and a one-sided feud with actor/singer Tyrese. It also explains the rather sweet story of how Kanye West ended up indebted to him for $300.

It's a quick, funny, enlightening read. If you love 90's rap and hip-hop, that's a bonus. But, you don't have to know the members of the Wu-Tang Clan to appreciate a guy who brings his mom on stage, dressed like Nelly.

Thanks to the Regimbals for taking a chance on buying me this book. The rest of you? Stick to my Good Reads "Books I want to read" list for your future purchases.