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.

By

Lynn (Los Angeles)

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.

By

Craig (Ohio)

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).

By

R. Bevans (Jamaica, Queens)

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.

By

D. M. Pizarro “CreamONe” (Miami)

The book Queens Reigns Supreme: Fat Cat, 50 Cent, and the Rise of the Hip Hop Hustler really depicts the inner circle of the 80′s drug culture in South Side Queens. Growing up in Bedstuy,Brooklyn and hanging out in Jamaica, Queens gave me a whole new prospective of the “suburbs”. I thought growing up in the projects in Bedstuy was bad enough and it was a condition you could not help.

From Queens Come KINGS!!!

By

Scoon “The Snake Charmer” (Hollis, Queens)

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.

By

TREK1 (Jackson Heights, NY United States)

I read this book in its entirety today. It bought back a lot of memories and pain. As a 38YO husband, father of 3 beautiful children, with a wonderful wife and 18 year IT career, I grew up during the 80′s crack epidemic. I sold drugs. I was a crack addict. I watched childhood friends involved in the drug game die. I saw beautiful women become crack addicts. Even then, as a teenager, I wondered why something so small could cause so much destruction.

By

Shaun F. Mathis “Shamat77″ (Queens, NY)

If your from Queens, or you have listened to 90′s rap, then this is a good book for you. It explains the litany of characters(criminals) mentioned in so much gangster rap. It is also gives excellent accounts of the “crack” years of NYC in Queens. There were so many locations in Queens, that I was stunned to find out the history of. Well worth the cheap purchase price!

By

Ms. Mojita (Miami)

I ordered the book last week and read it in 2 days. I feel like I’m still trapped within the pages. Looking at the picture of the author Ethan Brown I found it hard to believe he could get so many people to talk. No offense but the man looks like a skinhead. I did some research on him and found out he’s not even from NY much less Queens which puzzled me even more because why write a book about Queens if you have no history or ties to the era or place? Then I see a dedication to someone he calls “the snake charmer” who he claims is the preeminent street historian. If the snake charmer is the preeminent street historian then Ethan must be his stenographer.

By

A Rhema Kat “The Original” (Brooklyn, NY)

No matter what you’re reading, put it to the side for a bit, especially if it’s fiction. This is fact. Everyone from 13 to 43 should read this book. If you lived through the crack era you should read this book. If you grew up anywhere in the five boroughs of New York can identify, you can remember the stories, you can remember the fear you can remember the body count delivered on the front page of the newspaper. If you remember being afraid to ride the trains and welcomed the site of the red tams you should read this book.

By

H. Weaver, III “Urban Historian” (Detroit, MI)

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.

By

cyberseright (Marietta, GA United States)