Kanye West Owes Me 300, Jensen Karp
Kanye West Owes Me 300, Jensen Karp
5 Rating(s)
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Kanye West Owes Me $300
And Other True Stories from a White Rapper Who Almost Made It Big

Author: Jensen Karp

Narrator: Jensen Karp, Chris MacDonnell

Unabridged: 6 hr 4 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 06/07/2016


Synopsis

In this “triumphantly funny” (AV Club) memoir, comedian Jensen Karp tells the story of how, as a Jewish kid from the L.A. suburbs, he became a rap battle legend—and then almost became a star.

“The funniest person I follow on Twitter finally got smart and wrote about his unlikely—and hilarious—odyssey as teenage rapper Hot Karl.”—Kevin Smith, New York Times bestselling author of Tough Sh*t
 
When twelve-year old Jensen Karp got his first taste of rapping for crowds at his friend’s bar mitzvah in 1991, little did he know that he was taking his first step on a journey that would end with a failed million-dollar recording and publishing deal with Interscope Records when he was only nineteen. Now, in Kanye West Owes Me $300, Karp finally tells the true story of his wild ride as “Hot Karl,” the most famous white rapper you’ve never heard of. 

On his way to (almost) celebrity, Jensen shares his childhood run-ins with rock-listening, Southern California classmates, who tell him that “rap is for black people,” and then recounts his record-breaking rap battling streak on popular radio contest “The Roll Call”—a run that caught the eye of a music industry hungry for new rap voices in the early ’00s. He also introduces his rap partner, Rickye, who constitutes the second half of their group XTra Large; his supportive mom, who performs with him onstage; and the soon-to-be-household-name artists he records with, including Redman, Fabolous, Mya, and will.i.am. Finally, he reveals why his album never saw the light of day (two words: Slim Shady), the downward spiral he suffered after, and what he found instead of rap glory. 

Full of rollicking stories from his close brush with fame, Karp’s hilarious memoir is the ultimate fish-out-of-water story about a guy who follows an unlikely passion—trying to crack the rap game—despite what everyone else says. It’s 30 Rock for the rap set; 8 Mile for the suburbs; and quite the journey for a white kid from the valley.

About The Author

Jensen Karp, formerly known as Hot Karl, is a writer, comedian, and co-owner of Gallery 1988, the nation’s leading destination for pop culture–themed artwork. He hosts the Get Up On This podcast on the Earwolf Network, co-owns Patti Lapel pins, and has written and produced for The Late Late Show with James Corden, the MTV VMAs and Movie Awards, Rolling Stone, WWE Raw, The Hundreds, and the ESPYs. As an actor, he’s appeared on VH1’s Barely Famous, NFL on FOX, and Candidly Nicole. He is currently an executive producer, writer, and coach on Drop the Mic on TBS. He was influenced by early Tom Hanks comedies, Chino XL, and Dennis Miller (before Dennis became a real piece of shit).


Reviews

Goodreads review by Renata

Very funny and a little bittersweet. I think it's good that Karp waited awhile to write about this time of his life--you can tell he's still a little sad and angry about how things turned out for him, but ultimately has the perspective (and other career success) that he can enjoy reminiscing about t......more

Goodreads review by Jake

I didn't stop smiling/laughing while reading this fantastic memoir. Jensen is a genuine dude, who has a knack for comedy and true passion for Hip-hop.......more

Goodreads review by Eric

I found the book to be engaging and addicting but behind the well told stories is not a lot of substance. Three stars for the content and five stars for how well it was told - split the difference.......more

The memoir of the white rapper, Hot Karl, who almost made it big, but then didn't. Karp outlines his star-crossed career, from his early days as a socially awkward Jewish kid who collected old-school hip-hop cassettes and magazines and played DJ at his friends' bar mitzvahs, to performing his sort o......more

Who can resist a title like that? Jensen Karp almost had it all, and for a while, he did. A dorky, middle-class Jewish kid growing up in the very-white suburbs of LA might not seem like the most likely candidate for hip-hop stardom, but that never stopped Karp. Obsessing over rap culture led to a pre......more