What do you think?
Rate this book
It's No Secret: From Nas to Jay-Z, from Seduction to Scandal--a Hip-Hop Helen of Troy Tells All
The former girlfriend of rap star Nas and mother of his daughter discusses their relationship, her part in his famous feud with rival rapper Jay-Z, and her struggle to maintain independence and find love as a single mother in the projects.
272 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2006
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews
June 4, 2012
Oh Carmen, how you annoy me. Hip Hop Helen of Troy? Girl, sit down...
She dedicates this book to "all the single mothers who have struggled." As a single mother, I feel NO kinship with this woman.
I never understood why women want to air their dirty laundry, especially when they don't appear to have changed, become enlightened, or learned a damn thing throughout their 'journey.' After reading this book, I'm still at a loss for why Miss Bryan fills 259 pages with bad decisions, three abortions, an std, and back and forth unprotected sex with dudes who could give a damn less about her. All while leaving her daughter with relatives, of course. In between these events, she manages to find 'amazing clarity' and God. Oh yes, and time to bitch about how Nas won't pay her rent and car note. Last time I checked child support was for children. How about getting a real job, Carmen??
I do admit I picked this book up in a bit of a rush at the library, wanting to pass my time away on the last couple of days before school let out with a quick, easy, and somewhat cheap read. I laughed throughout most of it, reading it like some hastily written middle school quality confession. This book meets all of the above expectations. Anyone reading this book for anything more than that is crazy.
She dedicates this book to "all the single mothers who have struggled." As a single mother, I feel NO kinship with this woman.
I never understood why women want to air their dirty laundry, especially when they don't appear to have changed, become enlightened, or learned a damn thing throughout their 'journey.' After reading this book, I'm still at a loss for why Miss Bryan fills 259 pages with bad decisions, three abortions, an std, and back and forth unprotected sex with dudes who could give a damn less about her. All while leaving her daughter with relatives, of course. In between these events, she manages to find 'amazing clarity' and God. Oh yes, and time to bitch about how Nas won't pay her rent and car note. Last time I checked child support was for children. How about getting a real job, Carmen??
I do admit I picked this book up in a bit of a rush at the library, wanting to pass my time away on the last couple of days before school let out with a quick, easy, and somewhat cheap read. I laughed throughout most of it, reading it like some hastily written middle school quality confession. This book meets all of the above expectations. Anyone reading this book for anything more than that is crazy.
May 9, 2007
It’s really aggravating to have to keep reading books about woman that don't value themselves. I can't believe that as a mother with a daughter that she would publicize her scandalous ways. This is not the message to send to our young girls... All in all if you like drama, this will entertain you..
July 26, 2008
This book is TERRIBLE. I'm not sure how this even came to be a book. This book just told nothing over and over. I learned that Nas is "only" average in size (but she stuck around for nine years and some change). that Jay-Z really cared for her and wanted to marry her (yet her dogged her in his songs) but she didn't want to marry him, that she was content with sitting around the house, sleeping with numerous men right after one another and somehow trying to make it seem okay. There were a couple points where I really laughed out loud because she's so see through, I'm surprised she and everyone else involved even let this go to print. I'm so glad I didn't spend any money on this. Definitely would NOT recommend.
October 19, 2026
Bryan is a name dropping, shady embarassment, who seems to feel victory over proving her conquests were really feeling her and not using her, but in her idiosity all this book proves is her easy access, vanity and self-serving demeanor, and their humanity. What she tries to hide most is revealed in subtle ways. She is a phony who trumped partying, sex, power, fame, excitement over loyalty, motherhood, honesty, and family. And she is not intelligent enough to realize she ratted herself out in exhange for the opportunity to showcase bragging rights and get revenge for not getting enough continual attention. if attention is what she's seeking she got it with this book, but also killed her reputation with the Inner circle that may have trusted her.
I wouldnt judge her so harshly if she was able to own up to her deceits ,instead of relying on blame and poor me syndrome but I guess that's hard to do when you're painting a story to feed your own ego and sabotage others in the public eye. It's interesting because she owns up to just enough to believe that she's owning up and doesn't realize that readers can be so perceptive~ almost to the point that someone that isn't perceptive would think we are psychic. Although I'm sure that many people fell for this facade. People that want to believe in her or want to hate on the men involved.
She got around and catered to multiple men sexually in exchange for attention , name dropping, and revenge. It's hard to hide the truth behind partial truths and exposure limits put on yourself to protect only yourself. To embaress everyone but yourself. Any perceptive person would see through this, even if she doesnt see it herself.
She pretended she only told Nas her confessions because of her guilt, but it was apparent that it was because she wanted the bragging rights or it would come at a time that someone would say something derogatory about her (or what she assumed was about her) and she would get revenge, but her premeditated antics of going through rooms and invading men's privacy proved it was premeditated and self-calculating all along. Revenge was always her tactic, not guilt, as she claimed.
She lost her credibility as a writer because of her lack of owning up to things. She lost her credibility as a good woman by justifying herself and being angry at men when she would assume cheating while couldnt prove it, but at least Nas and her other "victims" kept their business out of her friend circle. She would flip at these nameless females who probably are ride or die and kept their mouths shut while she was running circles with his common aquaintances. She admits to the same low behavior with a boyfriend she had before Nas and the boyfriends cousin who carried on a secret affair. And she didn't do that out of revenge but out of her pure self-interest because she had nothing to blame him about, but even while she was sleeping with his cousin she didn't fail to flip when she saw the boyfriend's baby's mother going in to visit him in prison with his child. She then is grateful she was deceitful all along. Now blaming him- claiming she intuited his lack of loyalty all along. Loyalty that wasnt even disproven by him. That individual is actually lucky he got out of her grasp. Poor Nas.
She is the worst kind of female that men dread and women dislike . Her loyalty to women held no boundaries either. She felt entitled to every man, including the ones that dealt with her girls like the Tracey sutuation she brings to our attention with Puffy.
Like a video vixen groupie image, Bryan was running through crowds of friends and family members from the same neighborhood even before she moved on to the more elite crowds.
It seems important to her to prove that men were really feeling her and she would portray like she was playing hard to get in every single instance but she would always end up seeking them out. She was easy prey within the industry and saw herself as pursued instead of what she really was to these people. Easy prey that would be available for all the homies who pretended or really believed to be pushed over the edge of her loyalty, but all she was was a hypocritical and hurtful individual. Men assumed she would keep her mouth shut due to her own interests and she did for awhile to suit herself, but she couldn't keep it in any longer because her priority of name dropping, bragging and revenge for slights not nearly as harmful as the ones she dished out but wouldnt own brings down her credibility in ways that she is too blind to see. In her phony attempts to claim that she was so maternal and such a little housewife she accidentally disproves this as well. I'm sure she loves her daughter, like any sane woman would, but her claims of bringing her everywhere and how tight they were is disproven . She claims she brought her daughter everywhere but this was the time she was sleeping with at least three men (that she'd acknowledge anyway )because of their prestige, so Im not confident that she was the maternal figure she claims to have been.
She was that woman that would tear up mens houses, steal from them out of jealousy, and snoop around in their private belongings. Not just in her relationships but with any man she associated with.
I can't respect someone who doesn't even see or own up to their own faults but instead plays the blame game and poor me card. Abortions were her form of birth control and if she felt so bad as she claimed she did on the first one then she would have taken better precautions the many times she defaulted to another one following.I'm not here to advocate for or against abortion but just don't lie and pretend you felt bad so you can please your readers for ur own benefit.
If she really felt guilt about being unloyal to her daughter's father she wouldn't have tarnished his reputation even more~ including her private pillow talk that was said in a state of trust and intimacy that she later exposes .
She thinks she's slick like for example how she covers up her jealousy of Foxy by mixing it with a couple stray compliments when she talks crap about her ,but tags it onto Nas. Whether or not Nas really talked about Foxy in a negative way or anyone else that he knew, he said it privately in the confidence of someone he thought he could trust. He wasnt out there acting trashy and publicly trying to humiliate someone as she doea to him, JZ, Iverson etc. Talking about penis size and shower rituals-I'm sure they all feel rightfully betrayed by her and I'm even more sure that they all look down on her as a conniving self-serving groupie who will happily sabotage them just because she can't refrain from bragging and revenge for not getting the consistent and undying attention from them that she demanded. When she talks about Biggie and Nas' closenss her example is that biggie used to call her and ask how the baby was doing . Completely irrelevant to Nas and Biggie's friendship but that proves the intention there. She's just trying to prove that she's down and they were nice to HER. Everything revolves around her or winds up at her in her mind.
I was repulsed at her disgust of the projects ,as if she was putting herself on a pedestal . She couldn't stand that Nas bought things for his "project rat friends." She even picked apart his mother's home but she's the one that had to live there and they were kind enough to take her in. His little brother even slept on the couch to give her his room, but instead of appreciation she bashes him pubicly with her reflections the lack of quality of the small ,sufoacatingly hot space, roaches frozen in freezer. Shes pathetic-one of the lowest kind of humans in my mind. I'm happy I didn't pay for this book and I only continued to read it in the amusement of disgust and for the rappers ive grown up admiring, and will continue to respect. Even more so now.
I wouldnt judge her so harshly if she was able to own up to her deceits ,instead of relying on blame and poor me syndrome but I guess that's hard to do when you're painting a story to feed your own ego and sabotage others in the public eye. It's interesting because she owns up to just enough to believe that she's owning up and doesn't realize that readers can be so perceptive~ almost to the point that someone that isn't perceptive would think we are psychic. Although I'm sure that many people fell for this facade. People that want to believe in her or want to hate on the men involved.
She got around and catered to multiple men sexually in exchange for attention , name dropping, and revenge. It's hard to hide the truth behind partial truths and exposure limits put on yourself to protect only yourself. To embaress everyone but yourself. Any perceptive person would see through this, even if she doesnt see it herself.
She pretended she only told Nas her confessions because of her guilt, but it was apparent that it was because she wanted the bragging rights or it would come at a time that someone would say something derogatory about her (or what she assumed was about her) and she would get revenge, but her premeditated antics of going through rooms and invading men's privacy proved it was premeditated and self-calculating all along. Revenge was always her tactic, not guilt, as she claimed.
She lost her credibility as a writer because of her lack of owning up to things. She lost her credibility as a good woman by justifying herself and being angry at men when she would assume cheating while couldnt prove it, but at least Nas and her other "victims" kept their business out of her friend circle. She would flip at these nameless females who probably are ride or die and kept their mouths shut while she was running circles with his common aquaintances. She admits to the same low behavior with a boyfriend she had before Nas and the boyfriends cousin who carried on a secret affair. And she didn't do that out of revenge but out of her pure self-interest because she had nothing to blame him about, but even while she was sleeping with his cousin she didn't fail to flip when she saw the boyfriend's baby's mother going in to visit him in prison with his child. She then is grateful she was deceitful all along. Now blaming him- claiming she intuited his lack of loyalty all along. Loyalty that wasnt even disproven by him. That individual is actually lucky he got out of her grasp. Poor Nas.
She is the worst kind of female that men dread and women dislike . Her loyalty to women held no boundaries either. She felt entitled to every man, including the ones that dealt with her girls like the Tracey sutuation she brings to our attention with Puffy.
Like a video vixen groupie image, Bryan was running through crowds of friends and family members from the same neighborhood even before she moved on to the more elite crowds.
It seems important to her to prove that men were really feeling her and she would portray like she was playing hard to get in every single instance but she would always end up seeking them out. She was easy prey within the industry and saw herself as pursued instead of what she really was to these people. Easy prey that would be available for all the homies who pretended or really believed to be pushed over the edge of her loyalty, but all she was was a hypocritical and hurtful individual. Men assumed she would keep her mouth shut due to her own interests and she did for awhile to suit herself, but she couldn't keep it in any longer because her priority of name dropping, bragging and revenge for slights not nearly as harmful as the ones she dished out but wouldnt own brings down her credibility in ways that she is too blind to see. In her phony attempts to claim that she was so maternal and such a little housewife she accidentally disproves this as well. I'm sure she loves her daughter, like any sane woman would, but her claims of bringing her everywhere and how tight they were is disproven . She claims she brought her daughter everywhere but this was the time she was sleeping with at least three men (that she'd acknowledge anyway )because of their prestige, so Im not confident that she was the maternal figure she claims to have been.
She was that woman that would tear up mens houses, steal from them out of jealousy, and snoop around in their private belongings. Not just in her relationships but with any man she associated with.
I can't respect someone who doesn't even see or own up to their own faults but instead plays the blame game and poor me card. Abortions were her form of birth control and if she felt so bad as she claimed she did on the first one then she would have taken better precautions the many times she defaulted to another one following.I'm not here to advocate for or against abortion but just don't lie and pretend you felt bad so you can please your readers for ur own benefit.
If she really felt guilt about being unloyal to her daughter's father she wouldn't have tarnished his reputation even more~ including her private pillow talk that was said in a state of trust and intimacy that she later exposes .
She thinks she's slick like for example how she covers up her jealousy of Foxy by mixing it with a couple stray compliments when she talks crap about her ,but tags it onto Nas. Whether or not Nas really talked about Foxy in a negative way or anyone else that he knew, he said it privately in the confidence of someone he thought he could trust. He wasnt out there acting trashy and publicly trying to humiliate someone as she doea to him, JZ, Iverson etc. Talking about penis size and shower rituals-I'm sure they all feel rightfully betrayed by her and I'm even more sure that they all look down on her as a conniving self-serving groupie who will happily sabotage them just because she can't refrain from bragging and revenge for not getting the consistent and undying attention from them that she demanded. When she talks about Biggie and Nas' closenss her example is that biggie used to call her and ask how the baby was doing . Completely irrelevant to Nas and Biggie's friendship but that proves the intention there. She's just trying to prove that she's down and they were nice to HER. Everything revolves around her or winds up at her in her mind.
I was repulsed at her disgust of the projects ,as if she was putting herself on a pedestal . She couldn't stand that Nas bought things for his "project rat friends." She even picked apart his mother's home but she's the one that had to live there and they were kind enough to take her in. His little brother even slept on the couch to give her his room, but instead of appreciation she bashes him pubicly with her reflections the lack of quality of the small ,sufoacatingly hot space, roaches frozen in freezer. Shes pathetic-one of the lowest kind of humans in my mind. I'm happy I didn't pay for this book and I only continued to read it in the amusement of disgust and for the rappers ive grown up admiring, and will continue to respect. Even more so now.
May 4, 2017
I don't like Carm but the book was okay
Good read sounded more like fiction she made both Nas & Jay Z seem soft and Jay Z gay as heck especially the shower scene. She sure through hella shade like she was the finest b*tch walking in the 90's. It's like every dude she came across said she had some bomb but they got what they wanted and bounced. Her life outside of Nas was dull I see why she tolerated his BS..... She mentions God but kept on sining she made Nas seem like such an asshole. Her story was a drag but the sh~t she was doing was interesting she should've had pics with Jay z
Good read sounded more like fiction she made both Nas & Jay Z seem soft and Jay Z gay as heck especially the shower scene. She sure through hella shade like she was the finest b*tch walking in the 90's. It's like every dude she came across said she had some bomb but they got what they wanted and bounced. Her life outside of Nas was dull I see why she tolerated his BS..... She mentions God but kept on sining she made Nas seem like such an asshole. Her story was a drag but the sh~t she was doing was interesting she should've had pics with Jay z
March 1, 2007
To my surprise/dismay it's actually worse than the Karrine Stephans book. Both ladies have confused being used by men with being LOVED by them.
If you want to learn more about who Nas is as a person or how Jay washes his ass (not literally his ASS) in the shower...go for it. I'll even let you borrow it.
If you want to learn more about who Nas is as a person or how Jay washes his ass (not literally his ASS) in the shower...go for it. I'll even let you borrow it.
September 23, 2010
This is a dirty book. Not dirty in the sexual sense - in fact Carmen is not graphic at all about her sexual antics with Nas, Jay-Z, Iverson et al. But the premise of this book is so sordid that it's unclear why she decided to write it. There are details about her multiple (three, I think) abortions. She writes in detail about how a 'discharge' turns out to be Chlamydia and how she is not even clear about which of the men she's screwing at the time has given her the disease.
I first saw the author, Carmen, interviewed on the Wendy Williams show several years ago. I was outraged by the disrespectful way Wendy treated her. During the interview Wendy actually sprayed Lysol at and around Carmen. She then said: "What a whore!" Carmen seemed well-spoken and well-presented and I became mildly curious about what she had to say in her book.
I'm also a big Nas fan. I was slightly interested in finding out about the woman Nas had chosen to get engaged to and have his first child with. It was actually fairly interesting to read about Nas's early years, the days before his first album had dropped, his life in Queensbridge in his mother's cramped apartment.
I wasn't expecting the book to be well-written and....it's not but it's not shockingly badly written either. In the book, Nas comes across as being married to his art more than anything. I feel Carmen was trying to depict him as an untrustworthy, bad person but instead he just comes across as a dedicated artist who is perhaps not the most involved father or boyfriend. Jay-Z comes across as reptilian and completely amoral. Wood Harris is in the book. It's not quite clear whether Carmen is claiming to have shagged him or not. He comes across as a really nice person. Kelis comes across in the book as an absolute bitch from hell but - hey - Carmen's unlikely to be unbiased on this one!
After reading this book I felt baffled as to why Nas dated Carmen in the first place. I felt utterly confused as to why Jay dated her for so long and I had no idea about why Carmen decided to write this book. Perhaps she just felt that the world needs to know that she's had three abortions, she's had Chlamydia, she never insists on guys using condoms and that, according to her, Jigga's penis is much bigger than Nas's.
Carmen should feel quite ashamed herself for writing this book and I feel ashamed of myself for reading it!
I first saw the author, Carmen, interviewed on the Wendy Williams show several years ago. I was outraged by the disrespectful way Wendy treated her. During the interview Wendy actually sprayed Lysol at and around Carmen. She then said: "What a whore!" Carmen seemed well-spoken and well-presented and I became mildly curious about what she had to say in her book.
I'm also a big Nas fan. I was slightly interested in finding out about the woman Nas had chosen to get engaged to and have his first child with. It was actually fairly interesting to read about Nas's early years, the days before his first album had dropped, his life in Queensbridge in his mother's cramped apartment.
I wasn't expecting the book to be well-written and....it's not but it's not shockingly badly written either. In the book, Nas comes across as being married to his art more than anything. I feel Carmen was trying to depict him as an untrustworthy, bad person but instead he just comes across as a dedicated artist who is perhaps not the most involved father or boyfriend. Jay-Z comes across as reptilian and completely amoral. Wood Harris is in the book. It's not quite clear whether Carmen is claiming to have shagged him or not. He comes across as a really nice person. Kelis comes across in the book as an absolute bitch from hell but - hey - Carmen's unlikely to be unbiased on this one!
After reading this book I felt baffled as to why Nas dated Carmen in the first place. I felt utterly confused as to why Jay dated her for so long and I had no idea about why Carmen decided to write this book. Perhaps she just felt that the world needs to know that she's had three abortions, she's had Chlamydia, she never insists on guys using condoms and that, according to her, Jigga's penis is much bigger than Nas's.
Carmen should feel quite ashamed herself for writing this book and I feel ashamed of myself for reading it!
April 8, 2023
I picked up this book not knowing who Carmen Bryan was. I had never heard her name; had to google her to figure out who she was. Now that I have read the book, I really wish I had not.
Truthfully, I am not sure why Carmen was given a book deal, other than to write sex tales about the musician's she has slept with. I do not even understand the title used, "Hip-Hop Helen of Troy". Whoever named this book does not know their history well because, I did not see anything similar to the real story of Helen of Troy and Carmen Bryan. Other than who she has dated, slept with, and had a child with, there was not reason for this book. Carmen talks a bit about her childhood, growing up, and then getting involved with musicians. In the beginning, I was almost interested in her early life and expected a transition between home and her future life. I think I expected that she was some kind of music executive and that was how she met all these Hip-Hop singers but, no. This book literally read like she just walked down the street, met these Hip-Hop guys and they all stood in line to be with her. Not quite. In many cases, I feel like Carmen sought these guys out, did not care if they were in relationships, or she was, and did whatever she wanted to do. You could almost respect the "don't give a shit" attitude but this book read like, I was this one, then an hour later this one. Then it was abortion after abortion, because she could not figure out (or cared) about birth control or sexually transmitted diseases. This book felt like it was only written to expose the sexual histories, and secrets of some of the biggest Hip-Hop artists around.
This book was a complete waste of time, in my opinion. I made it almost to the end; I even skipped through two chapters to get to the end so I could finish it. I just wanted it done. I wasted my money and time on a book that help no interesting stories, and was very poorly written.
Truthfully, I am not sure why Carmen was given a book deal, other than to write sex tales about the musician's she has slept with. I do not even understand the title used, "Hip-Hop Helen of Troy". Whoever named this book does not know their history well because, I did not see anything similar to the real story of Helen of Troy and Carmen Bryan. Other than who she has dated, slept with, and had a child with, there was not reason for this book. Carmen talks a bit about her childhood, growing up, and then getting involved with musicians. In the beginning, I was almost interested in her early life and expected a transition between home and her future life. I think I expected that she was some kind of music executive and that was how she met all these Hip-Hop singers but, no. This book literally read like she just walked down the street, met these Hip-Hop guys and they all stood in line to be with her. Not quite. In many cases, I feel like Carmen sought these guys out, did not care if they were in relationships, or she was, and did whatever she wanted to do. You could almost respect the "don't give a shit" attitude but this book read like, I was this one, then an hour later this one. Then it was abortion after abortion, because she could not figure out (or cared) about birth control or sexually transmitted diseases. This book felt like it was only written to expose the sexual histories, and secrets of some of the biggest Hip-Hop artists around.
This book was a complete waste of time, in my opinion. I made it almost to the end; I even skipped through two chapters to get to the end so I could finish it. I just wanted it done. I wasted my money and time on a book that help no interesting stories, and was very poorly written.
May 19, 2009
If you can get past revenge motivations and the large amount of "TMI" about sexual encounters with Nas, Jay-Z, and Allen Iverson this book is a worthwhile (QUICK) read to further consider the transformation of hip-hop from its origins to it's glamorous West Coast castrated form. The books dwells in some of hip-hop's gritty origins, from an alternative street movement to crack dealers delight. Admittedly, even early hip-hop mc's, bboys and girls had get-rich and famous hopes in many ways; but this book reveals the small steps that made it impossible to preserve origins and financial success. Carmen Bryan isn't a great writer, but she does document hip-hop's journey to a "holy-crap hip-hop actually made it and now it's West Coast-ified and not as good, and not as hip-hop" status. Whether she intended to or not.
July 5, 2008
This scandalous girl wrote this book that was all bragging about her uncouth behavior and just straight up wrong actions and had the nerve to write about it. With pride.
I love Nas' music but to think that this broad was 'holding him down' makes me mad because she did him wrong. Straight up.
The book is lite, i read it in one, maybe two, sittings. Its kind of written like she's telling the story to one of her girls so it's hella casual. The only thing its good for is to get the back story on the old war between Jay-z and Nas. Too bad it was over this broad.
I love Nas' music but to think that this broad was 'holding him down' makes me mad because she did him wrong. Straight up.
The book is lite, i read it in one, maybe two, sittings. Its kind of written like she's telling the story to one of her girls so it's hella casual. The only thing its good for is to get the back story on the old war between Jay-z and Nas. Too bad it was over this broad.
March 5, 2008
WHATEVER!!!!! This book was a sad imitation of Superheads book that explored her sexual escapades with some of hip-hops biggest names.
Carmen basically told her side of an on-again-off-again relationship with Nas. Blah, Blah, Blah. There was not enough meat to the story and honestly it was BORING as hell. Nobody cares about Carmen and it is so sad how she tried to gain some notoriety this way.....TRY AGAIN CARMEN!!!!!!
Carmen basically told her side of an on-again-off-again relationship with Nas. Blah, Blah, Blah. There was not enough meat to the story and honestly it was BORING as hell. Nobody cares about Carmen and it is so sad how she tried to gain some notoriety this way.....TRY AGAIN CARMEN!!!!!!
April 27, 2008
She deserves to get slapped for coming out with this book
June 16, 2009
I feel like she was going for the Superhead/Karrine Stephans novel. However, her life wasn't all that interesting and neither was the book.
August 26, 2009
Briskly readable trash. Spectacularly unedifying.
July 21, 2019
This was a poorly written book. I felt that it promised much more but it failed to deliver.
July 2, 2020
I rolled my eyes so much reading this book, they almost got stuck.
*insert Stanley from The Office making faces here*
2.5 stars
*insert Stanley from The Office making faces here*
2.5 stars
May 30, 2023
This book gave the readers an inside look into the lives of Queensbridge’s finest…Nasty Nas, his baby mama Carmen and their daughter Destiny.I was floored to find out how many times Nas gained notoriety, fame and money…only to lose it all again. The author gave explicit details about her involvement in his marriage to Kelis.
I highly recommend this series.?
I highly recommend this series.?
December 31, 2015
There are plenty of people who feel the need to expose the hip hop industry for what it is and who can be mad at that? However, after reading this book, I don't believe for a single second that was Carmen's intention. I came into this book with an open mind, despite seeing some of the Twitter rants I've seen this woman go on. I figured there was a reason behind her anger and maybe this book would shed some light on that. That's not what I got.
The title of this book is laughable. Hip Hop Helen of Troy? You really think too much of yourself. This story is less of how her activities sparked one of hip-hop's greatest rap beefs and more of an attempted assignation of the character and reputation of her child's father. The dedication was to single mothers and as a single mother, I'm offended by the sheer audacity to dedicate this badly written tale of basically greed and revenge to us.
After reading this book, with all of its inconsistencies and verifiable untruths, I feel like it should have one of those "based on a true story" disclaimers because clearly this is a work of fiction based on true events. Which true events are the question.
Carmen wrote this story about her life but her words don't uplift or encourage or even make her seem like a decent person. Is her dedication an indication that all single mothers should solely depend on their child's father as their sole provider? I don't doubt that she and Nas had a dysfunctional relationship. I can't imagine that being with someone like him would be easy. However, she comes across as jealous, vindictive and outright disrespectful. In her attempt to change the public perception of Nas, she fails to acknowledge her own lack of good judgement, morals, and responsibility. Instead, from her teenage years up until the end of the book, Carmen has no problem proudly depicting herself as an opportunist constantly on the prowl for her next big "score."
Reading her depiction of the Jones brothers' actions while their mother was dying was especially jarring, considering that her daughter lost her grandmother and could one day read this book.
Bitter and mean does not make a great storyteller. This is the worst kind of tell-all because it was pointless, heartless, and turned out to be just words on paper with a catchy bait and switch title. In the third or fourth chapter, Carmen states that being taught how to fight turned her and her friend into bullies. This book, as vindictive as it is, confirms that statement.
December 30, 2017
This book was not what I expected it to be at all. I choose this book because I wanted to learn more about Nas and Jay-Z in the music industry from Carmen's perspective, which I did a little. Carmen dedicates this book to single mothers and their struggles but that's clearly not the focus point. It was more about her past sexual relationships with men throughout her life. The book was a little weird for me when it came to the physical activity she was involved in; but maybe if I was a female I would have liked it more, who knows?
May 4, 2011
Now this book was good! Gave it five stars. And Carmen tells it all in this book. Her life with Nas, her life after Nas, etc. Like Faith Evans, she really goes into her background and life, and I felt she was very honest and genuine. She didn't lead a perfect life, and then again, who the heck does? I really enjoyed this book and was quite shocked at some things she revealed.
The glam life is not all it's cracked up to be, that's for sure!
The glam life is not all it's cracked up to be, that's for sure!
March 16, 2014
I know I shouldn't like this book much but it was a bit of a guilty pleasure. I don't have much respect for carmen after reading this and I do wonder how much is true. Being a big nas fan it changed my view on him slightly but then I think that was her main aim in writing it really.
I enjoy reading about hiphop and New York in general so I stayed interested throughout and found it a nice easy read.
I enjoy reading about hiphop and New York in general so I stayed interested throughout and found it a nice easy read.
August 21, 2023
The entire book is about her relationship with Nas (boring) and her 5 year affair with Jay Z. I quickly grew tired of her calling Jay Z “SC” (her pet name for him) every other sentence. The book has no real substance and it’s not really a tell all because outside of being Nas’s baby’s mother she has no identity. The book also ended abruptly and left a lot of unanswered questions. Overall, it was a 2.5. I like celebrity memoirs and that’s the only reason it was mildly enjoyable. I’m glad I only paid like $3 for it. Can’t say I would recommend it to anyone. It’s pretty dull.
January 27, 2019
This is exactly the kind of book I like to read. I have been trying to read a historical fiction novel that takes place curing the Revolutionary War. I read like two pages and fall asleep. 'It's No Secret', I finished in about a day. Any gossip, but especially celebrity gossip is all I care about and I'm not ashamed.
January 16, 2018
This was A very Good Book. It gave me a perspective from Carmen and her Relationship with Jay-z and Nas . It also gave me a perspective on the infamous Beef that went on for years ! I absoloutley Loved this book !
January 19, 2019
This was a fun and tea spilling read!
January 21, 2020
This book was really good, she didn't hold anything back. The reader was great also.
November 1, 2020
Cool book. I'm huge Nas fan so only right I read it
November 10, 2020
She did a pretty good job.
February 4, 2021
Scandalous
Great quick read. I enjoyed the brutal honesty .The rap life is something folks get into knowing the outcome but still chose to go along the ride.
Great quick read. I enjoyed the brutal honesty .The rap life is something folks get into knowing the outcome but still chose to go along the ride.
January 15, 2022
Easy read that was filled with a lot of tea. There were many times where the book just kind of jumped to another subject rather quickly making something’s a little difficult to follow.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews