Triksta: Life and Death and New Orleans Rap

Book Description

In Triksta, a masterful observer of movements that emerge from dark corners to become worldwide phenomena–early rock ’n’ roll and “Saturday Night Fever,” to name but two –gives us a mesmerizing account of a city, its music, and a way of life that often embraces death.

Nik Cohn’s love of hip-hop goes back to its beginnings, and his love of New Orleans even further, to when he passed through on tour with The Who and discovered a place whose magic has never failed to seize him. As a white, foreign-born writer without money or bling, he would seem the least likely rap impresario imaginable, yet he plunges into this violent and poverty-ravaged world as a would-be producer. His passionate involvement with the music and the people who make it leads him through a New Orleans–wards, clubs, and projects–hidden from anyone not born to it: a journey into the heart of the hip-hop dream. En route, he immerses us in lives we scarcely think about, and then only with ignorance and fear, lives at once desperate, heroic, and endlessly enterprising as these men and women driven by talent and passion struggle to survive. Cohn captures a music that’s hugely popular but rarely understood, and with transcendent humanity he reveals this beloved city in all its tragic beauty.

Customer Reviews:

By and for the outsider, but a fun enough read........2007-02-19

Nik Cohn's work as a guitar rock journalist is exactly the kind of stuff Neal Pollack made a career out of puncturing (if you have any doubts there's a section about visiting Nawlins with The Who in "Triksta" that will convince you), but Cohn's writing here is redeemed by his own awareness of just how closed the world of New Orleans rap is to him. He's a fairly engaging, if goofy, writer, but how much can you do with "nobody wanted to talk to me?" The result sometimes feels like "Frank Sinatra has a Cold" stretched to book-length.

That said, Cohn deserves plaudits for his dedication and honesty... he truly does "keep it real" to the reader and himself, taking time to deflate some of his own pomposities, which pomposities I hasten to add, ANYONE, I don't care how humble, will inevitably start to accumulate even in the fringes of the rap game. Comes with the territory! Delusions of grandeur = authentic third coast. Cohn even goes so far as to form his own label, a vital component of the street-level rap dream, though for the true credibility you need to also go around identifying yourself as "C.E.O." of your made-up label, just FYI...

Anyway this book will not teach readers a whole hell of a lot about New Orleans or New Orleans rap but you will gain an appreciation of Cohn's quixotic quest and the good humor and sincerity with which he undertakes it. A really great, Tom Wolfe-ian book about the amazing power and amazing idiocies of the greatest hip-hop in history (that's SOUTHERN yeann hurr) has yet to be written, but until it is you could do a lot worse than to read this breezy and unpretentious volume... & for the reader who knows little about hip-hop generally, Cohn's pocket history of the movement is one I found myself more or less in agreement with, which is saying quite a bit.

With such a fascinating subject, it could have been better..........2006-03-17

I purchased this book thinking that I would be treated to an inside view of the New Orleans rap scene that I've spent the past 8 years or so absorbing myself in. Unfortunately, while Cohn apparently did interact with many "rappers", most of them seemed to be just as hopeless and unsuccessful as he was at doing anything important in rap. He makes little mention of the important roots of New Orleans rap--L.O.G., UNLV, P.N.C, and does his damnedest to downplay and discredit anyone who has made money off of rap out of New Orleans (i.e. Cash Money and No Limit). I did, however, enjoy reading about the conspiracy theories surrounding Brian "Baby" Williams (such as hiring hit men to kill enemies, financing the lable with drug sales, and scheming to rip off his own rappers).

To respond to the reviewer below me, it is true that this book makes a few too many factual errors for a non-fiction book. As the the below reviewer's comment that Cohn confused Eastover and English Turn, I do believe Brian Williams, or at least his brother, owns a house in English Turn. Mannie Fresh does for sure, so there is a possibility that either Baby himself owns another house there, or Cohn confused Baby with Slim or Mannie. Onto Cohn, though, I was EXTREMELY dismayed that this book does not contain ANY references, sources, or even credits in a designated section! Half of the reason I purchased this book was out of curiosity about how to gather information on this topic, and I hoped it would lead to other books, articles, or at least knowledgeable individuals who the author might have referenced outside of the text of the book itself. As for the cover, to which no further reference is made, there is little mention of Mardi Gras Indians except for a single group of them, and Cohn omits perhaps the most well-known gathering called "Mardi Gras under the Bridge" which takes place under a freeway on the intersection of Orleans & Claiborne avenues. There is at least one unforgivable blunder that I found. On page 19, Cohn erroneously states that there are eighteen wards in the "inner" city of New Orleans. In fact, the entire city only has 17 wards. I know this because this is something I have personally researched, and it's common knowledge for any voter and resident of the city (I am a life-long resident). Wikipedia has excellent information on the Wards of New Orleans, particularly the 9th Ward, for anyone who is interested. Speaking of the 9th Ward, Cohn states that it is commonly called "Psycho Ward". I have not been able to verify this, and I am a New Orleans East resident, which is part of the 9th Ward. "C.T.C", "the five-four", and "the mighty 9" are much more common nicknames to my knowledge, and he mentions none of these.

He also repeatedly complains that Bourbon street is only for tourists (frat boys and conventioneers, her says), which is almost entirely a complaint that I hear tourists themselves make, and is really not true. It's a pathos of frequent visitors and repeat-tourists that characterizes this possessive attitude-locals really don't have it-and is especially important in evaluating Cohn's qualifications to `claim' New Orleans. Cohn's desire to fit-in and feel like a native breaks down when his "I'm a local" snobbery reaches this point. And as a reviewer of this book pointed out, Cohn gives the impression that he is an expert (or has become one through his experiences) on New Orleans rap, but he shows no more knowledge on the topic than the typical New Orleans public high school student (being a graduate myself). But this doesn't really discredit him, because it's still a worthwhile read even if you're not trying to gain insider knowledge, and many readers will likely know little more about the genre than the fact that the names "Master P" and "Juvenile" are associated with it.

With all of that criticism out of the way, I disagree with the prior reviewer that this book was boring. It is written well and pretty compelling. There are some extremely funny parts in the book, particularly the phonetically written-out slang phrases that I have heard all of my life and got to picture this old British man saying. I can't speak for all readers on this, but I for one would very much like to meet Nik Cohn, because he shares the same obsession I do and articulates it so well. If anyone is curious about New Orleans and why it is so notorious for violent crimes, this book sheds light. While this isn't the informative, definitive manual on New Orleans Rap that I was hoping for, it is a good read.

Unfocused Innacurate Fantasy.......2006-03-08

When I first saw Triksta I was immediately drawn to it because of the Mardi Gras Indian on the cover, and the fact that the book was about New Orleans rap. Then, while flipping through a few pages, I noticed the names of some of the lesser known New Orleans rappers - Junie B stuck out the most. Because of this I was definitely impressed and was quite interested in reading Triksta.
While looking for a place to buy Triksta online, I ran into a book review that mentioned that Cohn had written a screenplay that Saturday Night Fever was based on - however, Cohn admitted that he made up most of the story. Because of that, I admittedly started reading Triksta with a negative preconceived notion of Nik Cohn being a fraud.

In the first 102 pages of Triksta, Cohn attempts to explain his fascinations with New Orleans, give us a history of hip hop, and give us a rough portrayal of the New Orleans rap scene. Unfortunately, this half of the book was simply a compilation of factual inaccuracies, exaggerations, and random accounts that are impossible to corroborate. Cohn's ridiculously inaccurate statements planted a seed of doubt deep into my consciousness from the outset.

The inaccuracies include, but are certainly not limited to:
* "...the house at English Turn, where Slim and Baby Williams had mansions...and all your neighbors were white." (pg 62) - in truth, Baby lives in Eastover not English Turn, and the two communities are completely and totally different. Eastover is a predominantly black, affluent community in New Orleans East and English Turn is an exclusive (not predominantly black) community in Algiers, on New Orleans' westbank, and the communities are every bit as different as the twenty-two miles that separate them.

* "Then came 'Get the Gat'....It was [Soulja Slim's] first big hit..." (pg 24) - "Get the Gat" was a big hit, but it was made by a rapper named Lil' Elt, not Soulja Slim.

With relatively basic errors like these, especially concerning some of the biggest New Orleans rap stars and songs, Cohn did little to sway my already negative opinion of him. In addition to those blunders, in the first half of Triksta, Cohn treated us to pages and pages of non-topical anecdotes. These stories included nine pages about the boxer, Willie Pastrano and another nine pages about a rapper named Lil' Mel, who by Cohn's own admission, "...none of the other rappers I came to know recognized his name." (pg 67). To put it mildly, halfway through the book, I was confused about what Triksta was about, and certainly wondering why the hell I purchased it in the first place.

One the 103rd page, Cohn finally seemed to get to the point - he finally started giving us accounts of his actual experiences with New Orleans rappers. At this point Triksta became a bit more interesting to me. Cohn told of how he progressed from a writer, writing a magazine article about bounce music, to a New Orleans rap music producer. Although his goal of hitting the big time with a New Orleans artist was essentially fruitless, it still was interesting to read about his experiences with local acts including his most extensive work with Choppa and Junie B.

Of course my interest was tempered by the fact that, based on his past, and his factual inaccuracies in this book, Nik Cohn may or may not have been embellishing much of what he said. My interest also was minimized by Cohn's exaggerated sense of place and worth in the New Orleans rap community. Although he insisted that he was simply an out of place white man fulfilling a fantasy, he seemed to feel that he knew what New Orleans rap was, wasn't, should and shouldn't be.

For the uinitiated, Triksta offers a welcome peek behind the touristy New Orleans into the gritty, real-life existence in the neighborhoods:

COMPELLING . . . Triksta gives a face and a voice to the people of New Orleans." - Deirdre Donahue, USA Today

"RICH . . . Poignant . . . Triksta is less about nostalgia for the past than engagement with the city's present (or what it had been until August), and how the rap-game players he meets there - to use hip-hop parlance - roll . . . He captures the game's street-level desperation [and] tells their stories in an energetic, empathetic shorthand [that is] infused with love and respect . . . A very good book." - Will Hermes, The New York Times Book Review

"EVOCATIVE. . . a rare glimpse inside an inscrutable American city and an inadvertent elegy to it . . . The story winds through the clubs, the parties, the backroom studios, offering a guided tour of the impoverished wards that would be hit hardest after Hurricane Katrina . . . Cohn is a venerable cultural witness, [and] he nails New Orleans, this strange outpost, a place like nowhere else on the planet." - Lynell George, Los Angeles Times Book Review

...but for those of us in the know (who actually were born and raised in New Orleans), Triksta is simply a fantasy book about a bored white man who wants to fulfill a fantasy of being in a black, ghetto clique.

http://exceptionallynormal.blogspot.com

This man saw New Orleans..........2006-01-15

I was born and raised in uptown New Orleans and I started high school in the year when our own form of hip hop, Bounce, came into full swing with the release of "Triggerman". Needless to say, I was captured by the title of this book and skeptical when I read about the white, elderly, British author. I swallowed this book in one evening. It was amazing how this man captured New Orleans and hip hop! If more people had this level of understanding, we might be living in a Different America, and some of the things that have happened since Katrina AND ARE STILL HAPPENING, Y'ALL NEED TO KNOW, wouldn't be. Thank you, Triksta, true to form, your appearance is deceiving.

This is a must read for those of us who can sometimes turn a blind eye to the invisible people amongst us and for those who want to know more about New Orleans or hip hop.

Keep fighting for the return of the Real New Orleans (we all want a better one, but the People Have to come back). And keep your eyes on the Gulf Coast. This country is responsible for it's own people who are suffering through the worst catastrophe in our history. Ok, I'm off my soapbox.

"Triksta " by Nik Cohn.......2006-01-04

I have never really cared very much either way for rap/hip-hop and its extensive musical family, plus my convention-linked visits to New Orleans always had been grim affairs, coloured by the usual treadmill around the Potemkin village-like tourist traps of the city. As a result, being given this book for Christmas instantly achieved high rank in my personal top ten of pointless presents. However, one quick perusal across the first page and I was hooked. The book involves the reader from the off and the author writes in a thoroughly heart-felt and engaging manner. The book chronicles the author's fascination for and obession with rap & hip-hop generally and New Orleans specifically, to a degree where the only logical progression was to involve and immerse himself on an exploratory journey both outwards into these two overlapping worlds as well as in inwards to confront and understand his own addictions. The author is well aware that he stands out like an altar boy at a Hell's Angels party, which only makes his lack of discomfort and natural enthusiasm all the more admirable, especially when you consider that he is doing this at an age where I, for one, would probably prefer to be tucked up in bed with a hot cup of cocoa. Where the book came into its own, at least for me, was its acute and painful observation of a slice of society that goes wholly unobserved and ignored, where life influences the music and, in a sadly ironic turn, music influences life. The author's attempt at least to chronicle and understand what is going on, both in a big picture kind of way, as well as on a direct and personal level, lifts his story above what would otherwise easily have been just another standard rock'n'roll chronicle. This book is a personal account and the author is critical where he needs to be, but he is never judgemental or condemnatory and the story is one of those rare ones that gives you the ability to see things a little bit different. My one criticism is that the book was a bit too short, but like a great party, you leave just at its peak and wanting for more. A highly enjoyable read, intelligent and observant, well worth your hard-earned. Thanks and take care.

TRIKSTA: LIFE AND DEATH AND NEW ORLEANS RAP

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TRIKSTA: LIFE AND DEATH AND NEW ORLEANS RAP
NIK COHN
Manufacturer: HARVILL SECKER
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Music | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0436205351

Book Description

Contributed by scholars and artists from across North America brought together to think through crucial aspects of dance's significance, twelve papers stage a set of illuminating connections between cultural theory and dancing practices, examining the body in an exhilarating range of performances. The essays interrogate choreography as a theorizing of identity - racial, gendered, and classed - and it elucidates power relations within and surrounding dancing. An international readership in dance studies and histories of the body is addressed by linking the study of dance to other academic fields, such as history, anthropology, aesthetics, sociology, Aboriginal studies, culture studies, film and queer studies.

Amazon.com

Had Shakespeare for Dummies been around in the days of the Bard, perhaps Puck would have had no reason to opine, "Oh what fools these mortals be." Despite its title, this introduction to the playwright's life and plays comes with quite a pedigree: written by John Doyle, a Shakespeare scholar and former Artistic Director of the Theatre Royal York, and Ray Lischner, a Shakespearean actor and director, this guide book even boasts a short foreword by Dame Judi Dench. Since it's a scant two paragraphs long, perhaps she intended it as a jacket testimonial. And though the approach is lighthearted, there's nothing lightweight about the treatment given such wide-ranging subjects as Shakespeare's sources, the themes of his plays, the political and social issues that influenced him, and even the Aristotelian rules that applied to comedy and tragedy. Then there are the plot synopses, a glossary of Elizabethan English, and guidelines for how to read a play or the sonnets, as well as how to prepare for viewing a theatrical performance. There's also a list of versions available on video at the end of each play's synopsis. And finally, Doyle and Lischner offer their Top 10 lists, including the 10 best places to see a play, the top 10 Shakespearean performers, the 10 most common phrases, and 10 modern shows based on Shakespeare's plays. Perfect for students or anyone hoping to brush up on the Bard, this Shakespeare for Dummies ain't anybody's fool. --Alix Wilber

Book Description

“Shakespeare For Dummies is exquisite.”
—from the Foreword by Dame Judi Dench, star of “Mrs. Brown” and "Shakespeare in Love"

“What the film Shakespeare in Love has done to make Shakespeare the man accessible to a general audience, this book will do to make Shakespeare the writer enjoyable.”
—Charlotte J.Headrick, PhD, Professor and Director, Theater Arts, Oregon State University

Does the thought of sitting through A Midsummer Night’s Dream give you nightmares? Did Romeo and Juliet seem like a foreign film—without the subtitles? As John Doyle and Ray Lischner prove in this uniquely accessible guide, Shakespeare is not only the greatest writer who ever lived, he’s also a great entertainer—once you get a handle on his wild plots and witty wordplay. Under their guidance, you’ll:

Go inside an Elizabethan theater—and find out how they managed with almost no seats, no roof and no women onstage
Get a handle on Shakespeare’s language—including all those racy puns and jokes
Maximize your enjoyment of his plays and poetry
Identify contemporary idioms and phrases that come from Shakespeare’s plays
Find Shakespeare festivals and performances in your area
Catch ten of the best show ever made of the Bard’s plays and meet ten of the greatest Shakespearean actors of all time

In simple, straightforward language, this friendly guide eases you into the wild, wonderful world of Shakespeare. With the help of snappy summaries and scorecards that help you keep track of who’s who, who’s in love with whom, and who’s killed whom in every play, it helps you:

Understand Shakespeare the person, his life and times and what makes him so special
Make sense of Shakespearean language and why it sounds the way it does
Get the inside track on the kinds of stories, characters and settings found in Shakespeare’s plays
Appreciate Shakespeare’s sonnets and other non-dramatic poetry

A royal feast for the head and heart, Shakespeare’s works have been thrilling audiences for four centuries, as they will four hundred years from now. Now let Shakespeare For Dummies help you to enjoy one the world’s great literary treasures.

Customer Reviews:

A Shakespeare dummy no more.......2004-05-09

"Exquisite," as Judi Dench writes in her forward, a treat for anyone who enjoys Shakespeare and an accessible guide for those who want to learn more about him and his work. Authors John Doyle and Ray Lischner are acutely attune to the difficulties one faces when encountering Shakespeare, whether for pleasure or required reading, and pare down the excesses of language into a digestible, humorous guide.

Act-by-act summaries of the plays form the bulk of this book, but a biography and introduction to the Elizabethan era (Chapter 2, "Will's World") as well as the essentials to understanding Shakespeare's work receive a fair amount of attention. Part II is devoted entirely to language, with a small glossary of commonly used words and keys to the many puns and jokes in the plays. Particularly helpful is Chapter 6, "How to Read Shakespeare's English." In Part III, the authors introduce structure, themes, and common character types and explore the actual staging of a play. In addition to his dramatic works, the book also discusses Shakespeare's sonnets and various other poems.

You'll find these elements in many introductory works, but few contain as much information and are as easy to read. The authors do all they can to facilitate modern readers - scorecards to track characters and their actions, video suggestions, photos from stage and film productions, and international festivals. After reading this book, you'll be ready to discuss any topic on Shakespeare, from the ten greatest Shakespearean performers to the Dark Lady of the sonnets to whether "Cymbeline" is a comedy, tragedy, or history.

Many trees but not much forest........2000-12-16

There are 2 main reasons for purchasing one of the books in this series: you're a "dummy" with respect to the subject, or you're knowledgeable and either wish to test your smarts against the author's or to acquire some ideas about how to communicate your knowledge to others. If I may be so presumptuous as to place myself in the latter category, I'd be hard-pressed to recommend this book. It provides comparatively brief summaries of each of the plays, but little perspective on what makes one play more profound, more respected, more "required" reading than another. A reader might just as easily conclude that *Titus Andronicus* is as important as *Hamlet*; that *Romeo and Juliet* is no less a tragedy than *Lear*; that *Henry 6 or 8* is as well written as *Henry's 4 and 5*. Moreover, the book-cover blurb promises to teach the reader how to read the Sonnets (totalling 154), yet the authors provide no more than 2 glib paragraphs about the sonnet cycle.

The authors' recommendations about films and editions are too succinct or limited to be of much help. (Only the Arden Complete Edition is recommended, an edition with numerous problems.) And there's the question of just how much justice you can do the Bard with language that, unlike his, is unremittingly "flip." But if you enjoy this style, I'd recommend reading first the section on Shakespeare in *An Incomplete Education* to get a better sense of which readings are truly indispensable and most worthy of a reader's time. And if you want more detailed summaries of plays, try SparkNotes, the website created by Harvard students.

Shakespeare for you and I.......2000-04-17

This book is brought to you by the same folks who publish all the ". . . For Dummies" books for learning computer programs. I have been known to snicker at these books, as I'm rather computer-dweebic, and don't need computer-dummy books.

It turns out that my next screenplay involves Shakespeare, and before I started writing, I needed to do some research on the bloke and his works. At the local library, I found "Shakespeare for Dummies." I scanned the book, then nearly choked on swallowing a dollop of pride as I toted the book through the checkout.

It's not easy to be expert at something and at the same time to be able to explain it clearly to beginners (or dummies). These authors definitely do have that talent.

Open the cover, and first thing, there's a listing of all of the dude's plays with a one or two sentence summary -- the lay of the land!

The book goes on to cover the life and times of William; explanations of his brand of English, the theatrical world he worked in, etc. Deeper into the book, there are two- to three-page summaries of each play, with recommendations for videos of each play.

The authors' wholistic approach is very informative, and they take a good-natured approach to a topic that could be oh-so-scholarly.

My screenplay, by the way, is titled Learning Shakespeare. The irony of it all.

Fun, funny, and informative!.......1999-10-02

Shakespeare isn't dull when you read Shakespeare for Dummies. It starts with an overview of Shakespeare's life and world. It tells you what you need to know about Shakespeare's language, plays, and poetry, without burdening you with stuffy academic claptrap. Summaries of every play tell you about the play prior to watching it on stage or on screen. This book is for everyone--Lit. majors, actors, or if you just want to know more about Shakespeare.

Shakespeare For Dummies : Your Complete Guide To Shakespeare's Plays & Poems

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Shakespeare For Dummies : Your Complete Guide To Shakespeare's Plays & Poems
John Doyle & Ray Lischner
Manufacturer: Wiley Publishing, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000WLI3BK

Shakespeare Fur Dummies (Fur Dummies S.)

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Shakespeare Fur Dummies (Fur Dummies S.)
J. Doyle , and Ray Lischner
Manufacturer: Wiley-VCH
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

German | Foreign Language Nonfiction | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

History | German | Foreign Language Books | Specialty Stores | Books

Nonfiction | German | Foreign Language Books | Specialty Stores | Books
ASIN: 3527702431

The Shakespeare Head edition of the Barsetshire novels of Anthony Trollope [14 vols] With photographs of Barsetshire by Charles S. Olcott.

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The Shakespeare Head edition of the Barsetshire novels of Anthony Trollope [14 vols] With photographs of Barsetshire by Charles S. Olcott.
Anthony Trollope
Manufacturer: Shakespeare Head Press/Basil Blackwell/Houghton M.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

The complete works of William Shakespeare in ten volumes

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The complete works of William Shakespeare in ten volumes
William Shakespeare
Manufacturer: S. Sonnenschein
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

William Shakespeare, his complete dramatic works

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William Shakespeare, his complete dramatic works
William Shakespeare
Manufacturer: N.D. Thompson
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Book Description

Written by authors intimately involved in researching and shaping the ongoing transformation in financial markets, this comprehensive book offers a rare inside look at the day-to-day operations and developments of the dynamic marketplace. Clearly and concisely outlining how Internet technology impacts financial markets, Electronic Commerce and the Revolution in Financial Markets includes a re-examination of how financial markets like the Nasdaq and NYSE actually work, which parties are involved, how the price is produced, how transactions are settled and much more.

Customer Reviews:

Written before its time ...........2004-04-29

This book really revealed a lot about how Internet Commerce has changed the Financial sector. The book introduces readers to the technology that's driving the information dissemination in financial markets and how trades securely take place over a public network (the Internet).
The book has mind-blowing futuristic visions for markets: the authors describe how the Hollywood market is used to predict successes in movies, how the Iowa market is used to predict the outcomes of presidential elections, etc.
In summary, I recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn about financial markets and how to implement and manage it with todya's Internet technology. The exposition is clear and the authors look proficient, but it looks like this book was written way ahead of its time ... I read this book just recently, and it was a real revelation to me: written nearly two years ago, what the authors were describing as reality then, is just now slowly coming true ...

Electronic Commerce and the Revolution in Financial Markets

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Electronic Commerce and the Revolution in Financial Markets
Ming / Srinivasan, Sayee / Stallaert, Jan / Whinston, Andrew B. Fan
Manufacturer: South-Western College Pub
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000O96R2M

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