“Kanye West Owes Me $300 might be the funniest rap memoir ever.” –LA Weekly
After Vanilla Ice, but before Eminem, there was "Hot Karl," the Jewish kid from the L.A. suburbs who became a rap battling legend—and then almost became a star.
When 12-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 crazy journey—one that would end with a failed million-dollar recording and publishing deal with Interscope Records when he was only 19. 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 Kanye West, 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.
As lead guitarist of the Rolling Stones, Keith Richards created the riffs, the lyrics, and the songs that roused the world. A true and towering original, he has always walked his own path, spoken his mind, and done things his own way.Now at last Ri...
The official authorized biography of musician and vintner Maynard James Keenan, the enigmatic vocalist for the bands Tool, A Perfect Circle, and Puscifer. Co-author Sarah Jensen's 30-year friendship with Keenan gives her unique insight into his hist...
Narrator: Maynard James Keenan Published: 11/08/2016
A panoramic experience that tells the story of Beastie Boys, a book as unique as the band itself—by band members ADROCK and Mike D, with contributions from Amy Poehler, Colson Whitehead, Spike Jonze, Wes Anderson, Luc Sante, and more....
In his first and only official autobiography, music icon Elton John reveals the truth about his extraordinary life, from his rollercoaster lifestyle as shown in the film Rocketman, to becoming a living legend.Christened Reginald Dwight, he was a shy...
Winner of the 2018 Audie Award for Best Autobiography 2018 GRAMMY AWARD NOMINEE for BEST SPOKEN WORD or NON-MUSICAL ALBUM “Writing about yourself is a funny business…But in a project like this, the writer has made one promise, to show ...
INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERAt the one-year anniversary of his death, legendary musician Prince's first wife shares a uniquely intimate, candid, and revelatory look inside the personal and professional life of one of the world's most beloved i...
The highly anticipated memoir from Gucci Mane, “one of hip-hop’s most prolific and admired artists” (The New York Times).For the first time Gucci Mane tells his story in his own words. It is the captivating life of an artist who fo...
18 And Life on Skid Row tells the story of a boy who spent his childhood moving from Freeport, Bahamas to California and finally to Canada and who at the age of eight discovered the gift that would change his life. Throughout his career, Sebastian B...
Stevie Nicks is a legend of rock, but her energy and magnetism sparked new interest in this icon. At 68, she's one of the most glamorous creatures rock has known, and the rare woman who's a real rock 'n' roller.
{"id":"1302115","ean":"9780515159905","abr":"Unabridged","title":"Kanye West Owes Me $300: And Other True Stories from a White Rapper Who Almost Made It Big","subtitle":"And Other True Stories from a White Rapper Who Almost Made It Big","author":"Jensen Karp","rating_average":"4","narrator":"Jensen Karp","ubr_id":"1302115","abr_id":"0","ubr_price":"15.00","abr_price":"0.00","ubr_memprice":"9.75","abr_memprice":"0.00","ubr_narrator":"Jensen Karp","abr_narrator":"","ubr_length":"Unabridged: 5 hr 50 min","abr_length":"Abridged: "}
