Notorious C.O.P.

By: Derrick Parker, Matt Diehl

Narrated by: Richard Allen

The stories are as infamous as the artists who tell them.

With their boasts of drugs, extortion, and even murder, in today's world, rappers need rap sheets before they can even hope to have a platinum record. So with all this grandstanding about their criminal nature, why haven't more hip-hop artists been busted for the crimes that they brag of, and why haven't these high-profile crimes, replete with witnesses and media coverage, ever been solved?

Derrick Parker knows why. A veteran of the NYPD, Parker served as the lead detective in the Rap Intelligence Unit, the first special force devoted to hip-hop crime. A 20-plus-year veteran of the force, he worked the hip-hop beat and uncovered the truth behind some of music's most notorious crimes. But in the midst of politics and internal strife, Parker's efforts to close the cases were stymied by his own department.

Notorious C.O.P. will be the Serpico of the new millennium, exposing the flaws in the NYPD that have rendered it unable to adequately deal with the threat of hip-hop crime. Cops working part-time for the artists they are supposed to be pursuing, combined with the department's lack of understanding of gang culture and drug warfare, has left not only these widely publicized murders unsolved, but has allowed notorious gang leaders to go unprosecuted for decades.

Notorious C.O.P. exposes the facts behind the legends and the foibles of the NYPD that have left these crimes unresolved to this day.

©2006 Derrick Parker and Matt Diehl (P)2006 Tantor Media, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Full of engaging detail...this is a gritty trip to the nexus of big-money rap and ongoing gang rivalries that Parker equates to the old time Mafia in terms of reach and power. Essential stuff on this turf." (Booklist)

A GREAT ACCOUNT OF THE HIP-HOP GENERATION

As a former record industry exec in rap and hip-hop, I give Parker kudos for his indepth account of the hip-hop nation - from the perspective of a police detective. However, many of his theories are a bit overly dramatic, especially about the deaths of Tupac Shakur and The Notorious B.I.G. Parker was THISCLOSE to solving Biggie's murder but chose to focus on the more colorful alleged "East Coast-West Coast rap feud". The real motive, known by industry insiders, isn't as interesting as the tale Parker relates. Parker just didn't interview the right people. (The REAL "coastal feud" had less to with Death Row and Bad Boy than the lack of cooperation between the LAPD and NYPD.) This is a great story about his days as the first "hip-hop cop" with the NYPD, tempered by Parker's repeated chest-pounding about being the ONLY "go-to" person for "hip-hop crime" in law enforcement. He makes himself sound like some hip-hop superhero ("And that's where I come in!" proclaims Parker). Parker may know more than the average police officer about hip-hop "crime" but a lot less than those of us who are really in it. There's always been a link between rappers and gang members/drug dealers. Most of these kids are from the 'hood - it's hard to break old ties, but no RICO-style conspiracy exists. At least not to the extent that Parker claims, otherwise other hip-hop meccas like Atlanta, Miami, New Orleans, and St. Louis would need "hip-hop crime intel units". Narrator Richard Allen is the perfect choice for this book. He's voice is mesmerizing, elevating what could be an otherwise sordid ghetto tale to a whole 'nother level. My biggest complaint is the recording quality of this book. The sound drops out in places with so much reverb that the narrator sounding as if he's in the bathroom. But, overall, this is a very enlightening and entertaining read for people who aren't in the music biz.

Brilliant book

So interesting, so insightful. Very well done. This kind of book turns me on big time....

Interesting!

I’d read this book after its initial release. That was years ago but it certainly didn’t disappoint a second time. I’d love to hear more from Parker on the current state of hip hop.

A riveting journey into the dark side of hip hop.

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

If you are a longtime fan of hip hop, this is a must read. Takes you behind the scenes,cuts through the gossip and gives you an inside view of the industry and its players/characters. On the flip-side, this is a tale of an undercover cop that gained the trust of many people, surveilled and reported their every move to authorities even if they were not committing a crime. Overall it was a very informative read for me.

Narrator fumbled

Info was good but the message was diluted by the narrators mispronunciation of some of the hip hop artists and executives names. Ie: Steve Stoute (Stou-Out) not (Stout-e)