basketball

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

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.

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.