Rating: 
Summary: Gave it to 'em raw
Review: Dr. Boyd hits it on the head with this piece about basketball and hip-hop. The only way a book like this can be written the way it was is if you are a part of the culture yourself, because if not, it will not be easy to understand. I, for one, love it because he uses teams from the 80's, such as the Georgetown Hoyas, the early 90's with the Fab Five of the Michigan Wolverines, and other teams, players, and events in the game which took me back in time. When he speaks about these things, you can see the connection with hip-hop, such as Allen Iverson's influence, and others lack thereof. He uses lyrics from some of the hip-hop's greats, but like I mentioned before, you must be a part of the culture or at least familiar with it to see what he is trying to say. He keeps it real throughout the book and gives credit where it is due while being critical at the same time. 'Ball and hip-hop have a unique bond, and the significance of it cannot be ignored.
Rating: 
Summary: I'm not sure what to think of this book...
Review: First off I applaud Dr. Boyd's effort to write a book of this nature regarding the Hip-Hop generation which I am basically apart of since I grew up in the "Reagan 80's". I feel that Dr. Boyd falls short of clearly depicting his parallelism between Hip-Hop and the NBA. There are many points that he does not clearly explain, or just doesn't address at all. The book also lacks depth and concrete research to support some of his information. I honestly believe that Dr. Boyd "Free-styled" his way through writing this book heavily relying on his past experiences and knowledge of both entities. If you are an avid fan of the NBA and Hip-Hop just as I am you will not walk away reading anything new from this book. A book such as Holler If You Hear Me: Searching for Tupac Shakur by Michael Dyson provides a better depiction the Hip-Hop generation.
Rating: 
Summary: Pretty Good Book
Review: I dig whenever Todd Boyd is on a Project because He has a way with words.this Book puts alot into Perspective&Bridges many a gap.I was hoping for more Pulling together of Hip-Hop with the NBA a bit more but overall this Book makes for a Pretty Good read.
Rating: 
Summary: Boyd has done it again
Review: I'm sick and tired of somebody like this PHd relating everything in African American culture to hip hop. I don't like anything he says about Michael Jordan you know why because he was not raised in the ghetto and he was not groomed to be a thug so he won't act like it. Bravo to him for that. My son is 21 and he is appauled at being related to this hip hop trash. It's sad when all you can do in your life is try to live out some rap lyrics. Write something intellectual please Mr. Phd. Just in case you didn't know, there are young african american people who read, invent, design, etc. Yes there are young African Americans who can actually READ!
Rating: 
Summary: Garbage
Review: I'm sick and tired of somebody like this PHd relating everything in African American culture to hip hop. I don't like anything he says about Michael Jordan you know why because he was not raised in the ghetto and he was not groomed to be a thug so he won't act like it. Bravo to him for that. My son is 21 and he is appauled at being related to this hip hop trash. It's sad when all you can do in your life is try to live out some rap lyrics. Write something intellectual please Mr. Phd. Just in case you didn't know, there are young african american people who read, invent, design, etc. Yes there are young African Americans who can actually READ!
Rating:
Summary: Benefit Of The Doubt for the Hip Hop Professor
Review: In the book, Young Black Rich and Famous, Dr. Todd Boyd talks about the struggles young African American men and women have in the United States. He uses basketball and the hip-hop nation as a giant metaphor, illustrating their reach for the American Dream. In his attempt to make his analogy, I feel he barely backs up his contention about hip-hop. Boyd does color his content with quotes from rapiers such as Notorious B.I.G. and Jay-Z, but he doesn't go in depth with his ideal synopses. He does talk broadly about basketball though. I fill he over-powers his context with sports facts instead of getting strait to the point. I think he uses a lot of "fluff" to try and fill in his points with basketball. He talks in his book about "Keeping It Real", but my opinion is that he is far from that. I will give him the benefit of the doubt though. Along with the abysmal content, there were many times in the book that he has put some hefty passages that were mind-boggling. In conclusion, this book did change my perspective on things. And that's keeping it real.
Rating:
Summary: Benefit Of The Doubt for the Hip Hop Professor
Review: In the book, Young Black Rich and Famous, Dr. Todd Boyd talks about the struggles young African American men and women have in the United States. He uses basketball and the hip-hop nation as a giant metaphor, illustrating their reach for the American Dream. In his attempt to make his analogy, I feel he barely backs up his contention about hip-hop. Boyd does color his content with quotes from rapiers such as Notorious B.I.G. and Jay-Z, but he doesn't go in depth with his ideal synopses. He does talk broadly about basketball though. I fill he over-powers his context with sports facts instead of getting strait to the point. I think he uses a lot of "fluff" to try and fill in his points with basketball. He talks in his book about "Keeping It Real", but my opinion is that he is far from that. I will give him the benefit of the doubt though. Along with the abysmal content, there were many times in the book that he has put some hefty passages that were mind-boggling. In conclusion, this book did change my perspective on things. And that's keeping it real.
Rating:
Summary: The New American Dream
Review: In the introduction to Young, Black, Rich and Famous, Dr. Todd Boyd boldly declares, "My mouthpiece is platinum, and the words the come from it are like pearls of wisdom tricked off with a whole new flava." Wow. He lays down the gauntlet. Thus, the question is, does his book measure up? I think it does. In clear, evocative and passionate prose, Boyd weaves together the threads of basketball and hip-hop while placing them in a larger social, political and cultural context. He has a wonderful way of revealing backstory to give important events their proper perspective. He'll start with the point he is trying to make and then go backwards to describe the social, political and cultural events that set the stage, if you will, for the present situation. Then he will return to and support his original point. For example, in the chapter about the Detroit Pistons and their emergence as the "Oakland Raiders of basketball," he goes back to 1967, makes his way back to the present and then goes forward. It's interesting to note that this is an accepted cinematic convention and it's just as exciting and interesting to read it on the page. When he's in his groove, flowin', as they say, he's unstoppable. The mouthpiece is platinum. The one person who pops into my mind is Rasputin-I'm sure if there was still a Tsarina of Russia, the empire would be in just as much trouble if Boyd turned his powers of persuasion on her! In the true style of hip-hop( it being at its core a highly personal narrative), Boyd interweaves his own personal and political belief system within the threads of bball and hip-hop. He states early on that he is "a master agent provacateur" and that he is. He manages to take two things that are often dismissed as pop culture and use them to challenge the reader, both intellectually and emotionally. And it's well worth it.
Rating:
Summary: Who?s Ballin? Now?
Review: Todd Boyd takes the notion of the hip-hop industry and basketball being synonymous to an entirely new level. With fluid and memorable references to the similarities of how hip-hop came from the streets, to the formation of how basketball is now the newest form of hip-hop, Boyd captures the essence of the sport like no other. Using references of how both dominate the streets and how the world of basketball has been changed thereafter, Boyd highlights the game and its glitches, from racism down to the money-making formula that has taken hold today. With no stone unturned, readers are carried through moments of fame, glory and the challenges that former and current NBA players face, including dealings within the drug game and how money-making opportunities being offered today are very similar in nature. Although basketball used to be a quiet and unnoticed, it has now emerged as a dominant and lucrative force in the professional sports arena. With unparalleled style, YOUNG BLACK RICH & FAMOUS details the life that almost every young black man dreams of. The NBA, its lucrative deals and opportunities have transformed the way everyone looks at young black males and the actual sport today. Actually, it's quite obvious that basketball has emerged as the new "American" sport. They said it couldn't be done and couldn't happen - next question: Who's Ballin' Now? Reviewed by T. Belinda Williams
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers
Rating:
Summary: Who¿s Ballin¿ Now?
Review: Todd Boyd takes the notion of the hip-hop industry and basketball being synonymous to an entirely new level. With fluid and memorable references to the similarities of how hip-hop came from the streets, to the formation of how basketball is now the newest form of hip-hop, Boyd captures the essence of the sport like no other. Using references of how both dominate the streets and how the world of basketball has been changed thereafter, Boyd highlights the game and its glitches, from racism down to the money-making formula that has taken hold today. With no stone unturned, readers are carried through moments of fame, glory and the challenges that former and current NBA players face, including dealings within the drug game and how money-making opportunities being offered today are very similar in nature. Although basketball used to be a quiet and unnoticed, it has now emerged as a dominant and lucrative force in the professional sports arena. With unparalleled style, YOUNG BLACK RICH & FAMOUS details the life that almost every young black man dreams of. The NBA, its lucrative deals and opportunities have transformed the way everyone looks at young black males and the actual sport today. Actually, it's quite obvious that basketball has emerged as the new "American" sport. They said it couldn't be done and couldn't happen - next question: Who's Ballin' Now? Reviewed by T. Belinda Williams
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers
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