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Hiding in Hip Hop: On the Down Low in the Entertainment Industry--from Music to Hollywood
An entertainment industry insider traces his ten-year career in Hollywood and hip-hop, where he witnessed the profound influence of sexual orientation on the careers of celebrities who presented themselves as straight while hiding their homosexuality.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2008
32 people are currently reading
520 people want to read
About the author
Terrance Dean
8 books11 followersFull of startling anecdotes and incredible true stories, Hiding in Hip Hop is not a traditional tell-all. "
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews
January 28, 2011
I tore through this book, but more to get it off of my shelf than anything else.
I don't really understand why a man who spends an entire book talking about how secretive his lifestyle is and how coming out would disrupt everything he and his 'down low brothers' are doing would then write a trashy expose slyly outing homosexuals in the entertainment industry.
The only aspect of the book that I found interesting was the (shallow) analysis of the black community's ways of addressing sexual topics like homosexuality and AIDS.
The book is poorly written, though this could just be a way to read authentically to a hiphop audience. Sex scenes and descriptions of men and women are endlessly repetitive, and I got sick of hearing about how completely desirable Terrance is to every man he meets. Please learn some adjectives other than fine, golden-skinned, and bodacious.
Not really worth the read unless you're up on the hiphop community and can actually identify all the folks who were awkwardly half-outed by the book. I'm not, and so couldn't even get that much out of it.
I don't really understand why a man who spends an entire book talking about how secretive his lifestyle is and how coming out would disrupt everything he and his 'down low brothers' are doing would then write a trashy expose slyly outing homosexuals in the entertainment industry.
The only aspect of the book that I found interesting was the (shallow) analysis of the black community's ways of addressing sexual topics like homosexuality and AIDS.
The book is poorly written, though this could just be a way to read authentically to a hiphop audience. Sex scenes and descriptions of men and women are endlessly repetitive, and I got sick of hearing about how completely desirable Terrance is to every man he meets. Please learn some adjectives other than fine, golden-skinned, and bodacious.
Not really worth the read unless you're up on the hiphop community and can actually identify all the folks who were awkwardly half-outed by the book. I'm not, and so couldn't even get that much out of it.
February 20, 2015
If you want to write a memoir, write a memoir. If you want to write a salacious tell-all book, then do it. However, do not try to mix the two, because when you do it fails miserably.
The blind item parts were an absolute mess. His life story was interesting, but I did not like how homosexuality was equated with molestation. Little gay boys and gay girls unfortunately are raped every day. The last thing that needs to happen is that when they find their voices and come of age is for some uninformed adult to say that a rape formed their sexuality.
The blind item parts were an absolute mess. His life story was interesting, but I did not like how homosexuality was equated with molestation. Little gay boys and gay girls unfortunately are raped every day. The last thing that needs to happen is that when they find their voices and come of age is for some uninformed adult to say that a rape formed their sexuality.
November 25, 2008
Yikes. I know reading it concurrently with James Baldwin was going to doom it anyhow, but this is abysmally written. Nonetheless, I kept reading because I wanted to see how the story ends -- I wanted to see how he unshackled himself from this self-hatred, and got on the path to acceptance. When the book ended, I did a serious "What the f***?!" SPOILER ALERT, I guess, but he doesn't even end up 100% accepting himself. He admits that he's gay, but he is still mostly closeted (out to a few family members and may admit it if you ask him directly). I found myself wondering how and why he wrote this book. You see, writing a book where you completely expose yourself should be cathartic. At the end, there should be some relief. There was none, just another down-low hook-up. Goodness, and the writing was so bad, the sex scenes weren't even hot. I really wanted to like this book, but I seriously did not.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 14, 2015
I wasn't really sure how to feel about this book. For starters, I don't feel as though I learned anything new that I didn't already know, however, having said that, I think the biggest disappointment for me was that I found the title of this book to be a bit misleading. Of course, one reading the title would think this is a book about men on the down low in the hip hop industry--and indeed that's what Terrance wrote about, but it was just surface speaking about the matter, and not really talking about hip hop music as a whole. Just because you name drop a few powerful rappers and their contribution to the hip hop genre, to me, doesn't classify this book as being a tell-all on the down low brothers in the industry.
With the exception of two individuals mentioned, everyone was given made up names to protect those brothers who want to remain on the down low and to protect their secret society, if you will. One thing that did open my eyes a great deal is that I'm beginning to wonder if not one out of every five brothers is a down low one. My God, there were so many he mentioned my jaw dropped. I'm like geez is every brother got a hint of this in him? Ummm, that was pretty raw and gritty. The sex scenes were pretty provocative and sexy, as I would definitely advise reader discretion due to some of the content written.
This wasn't a bad book by any means, I just felt the story was a bit redundant and I didn't feel as though Terrance gave the reader much, other than the obvious. I suppose had he truly "name dropped," he'd have to be under security 24/7. As it was, I'm sure many of them held their breath when they learned he was writing this novel. I didn't find the book that exciting, but I did learn a few things. One thing in particular I do wonder is when certain traumatic things happens to children, does that bear a huge responsibility as to their sexual preference later on in life? I was always of the mindset from what my gay friends have shared with me that they knew they were gay from the onset. However, if someone commits a heinous sexual act on a small impressionable child, could that possibly alter how they feel about sexuality? Or was it something that was always there?
Again, not a bad book, but I find the title misleading. There wasn't much talk about hip hop the way the title suggests. Not a bad read, but not my favorite. It's engaging enough that you'll continue to turn the pages, but I'm not so sure how the reader will comprehend what is being said?
With the exception of two individuals mentioned, everyone was given made up names to protect those brothers who want to remain on the down low and to protect their secret society, if you will. One thing that did open my eyes a great deal is that I'm beginning to wonder if not one out of every five brothers is a down low one. My God, there were so many he mentioned my jaw dropped. I'm like geez is every brother got a hint of this in him? Ummm, that was pretty raw and gritty. The sex scenes were pretty provocative and sexy, as I would definitely advise reader discretion due to some of the content written.
This wasn't a bad book by any means, I just felt the story was a bit redundant and I didn't feel as though Terrance gave the reader much, other than the obvious. I suppose had he truly "name dropped," he'd have to be under security 24/7. As it was, I'm sure many of them held their breath when they learned he was writing this novel. I didn't find the book that exciting, but I did learn a few things. One thing in particular I do wonder is when certain traumatic things happens to children, does that bear a huge responsibility as to their sexual preference later on in life? I was always of the mindset from what my gay friends have shared with me that they knew they were gay from the onset. However, if someone commits a heinous sexual act on a small impressionable child, could that possibly alter how they feel about sexuality? Or was it something that was always there?
Again, not a bad book, but I find the title misleading. There wasn't much talk about hip hop the way the title suggests. Not a bad read, but not my favorite. It's engaging enough that you'll continue to turn the pages, but I'm not so sure how the reader will comprehend what is being said?
November 26, 2008
If you hope, by reading this, you will find out
the "scoop", on who is and is not SGL, in the
entertainment industry, you might be slightly
disappointed. What he reveals is so cryptic,
that it may puzzle you further, than confirm
those you may already suspect. Even when
he speaks about someone, and you go, "Aha!",
he later says something else about the person,
that makes you think, "Well, ok, that couldn't
have been Missy Elliott then...". Also, I might
add, I sort of doubt all these already established
superstars were just jumping to get off in his
drawz. Terrance, you're an attractive Brotha, but
c'mon now! LOL! In my opinion, what makes this
a good read, is how he tells of his beginnings,
his interpersonal relationships inside his family,
and out, and how he got started in the industry,
and the resulting experiences he had. I enjoyed
this book because of that. If any celebs, Hip Hop
or not, were worried about being outed, their fears
were unfounded. Still, this book is worthy.
the "scoop", on who is and is not SGL, in the
entertainment industry, you might be slightly
disappointed. What he reveals is so cryptic,
that it may puzzle you further, than confirm
those you may already suspect. Even when
he speaks about someone, and you go, "Aha!",
he later says something else about the person,
that makes you think, "Well, ok, that couldn't
have been Missy Elliott then...". Also, I might
add, I sort of doubt all these already established
superstars were just jumping to get off in his
drawz. Terrance, you're an attractive Brotha, but
c'mon now! LOL! In my opinion, what makes this
a good read, is how he tells of his beginnings,
his interpersonal relationships inside his family,
and out, and how he got started in the industry,
and the resulting experiences he had. I enjoyed
this book because of that. If any celebs, Hip Hop
or not, were worried about being outed, their fears
were unfounded. Still, this book is worthy.
November 14, 2014
Journey to accpeting oneself hidden within gossip on the film and music industries Terrance Dean is a black man seeking to find himself. Coming from a broken home where his mother was a drug addict and prostitute and never knowing his father, Dean wants to escape. Most of the book is about his time in Los Angeles and New York, making his mark in Hollywood, the media and music industries.
After being sexually molested by a male babysitter and reluctantly engaging in sex with an older female teenager, Dean questions his sexuality. He would pray to God to will away his feelings towards men. Compounding this is what appears to be a lack of open discussion in his family about sex, relationships and the molestation he dealt with as a teen.
And so after college Dean moves out to Los Angeles. The book essentially becomes a long list of parties, "fine" men Dean sees, his sexual encounters, etc. It was really interesting to see Dean (who is black) navigate the entertainment industry in the 80's and 90's while keeping the fact that he was not straight (for a time Dean thinks he is bisexual and has emotional and sexual relationships with women) on the "down low."
Eventually, he moves to New York and from there begins to see his life a little differently. He comes to terms with things, after seeing friends, acquaintances and even his own brothers and mother die from AIDS. Dean eventually moves into forgiveness and has open and frank discussions with his family about his sexual orientation. Not all people are so accepting, but he has come to terms with the fact that he is gay and might as well have it in the open.
At the end of the book we see he has left the world of Hollywood and music behind and is trying to empower men of color. Dean notes it's not easy to leave that world behind since many of his network contacts, lovers, friends, etc. all want to participate in some way.
Although the world Dean inhabits is so very different from my own, I couldn't help but be bored with the gossip. There's not a lot to go on for me to make educated guesses, although by now the book has been out for several years and one can easily Google who they think is named by the pseudonyms in the book. I wouldn't really read it for the gossip, although if you follow that world closely it might be fun. I found his overall journey much more interesting, and I wish his publisher had been more willing to have Dean write about that than his many hookups. Bought as a bargain book. Kinda wish I had borrowed it from the library instead.
After being sexually molested by a male babysitter and reluctantly engaging in sex with an older female teenager, Dean questions his sexuality. He would pray to God to will away his feelings towards men. Compounding this is what appears to be a lack of open discussion in his family about sex, relationships and the molestation he dealt with as a teen.
And so after college Dean moves out to Los Angeles. The book essentially becomes a long list of parties, "fine" men Dean sees, his sexual encounters, etc. It was really interesting to see Dean (who is black) navigate the entertainment industry in the 80's and 90's while keeping the fact that he was not straight (for a time Dean thinks he is bisexual and has emotional and sexual relationships with women) on the "down low."
Eventually, he moves to New York and from there begins to see his life a little differently. He comes to terms with things, after seeing friends, acquaintances and even his own brothers and mother die from AIDS. Dean eventually moves into forgiveness and has open and frank discussions with his family about his sexual orientation. Not all people are so accepting, but he has come to terms with the fact that he is gay and might as well have it in the open.
At the end of the book we see he has left the world of Hollywood and music behind and is trying to empower men of color. Dean notes it's not easy to leave that world behind since many of his network contacts, lovers, friends, etc. all want to participate in some way.
Although the world Dean inhabits is so very different from my own, I couldn't help but be bored with the gossip. There's not a lot to go on for me to make educated guesses, although by now the book has been out for several years and one can easily Google who they think is named by the pseudonyms in the book. I wouldn't really read it for the gossip, although if you follow that world closely it might be fun. I found his overall journey much more interesting, and I wish his publisher had been more willing to have Dean write about that than his many hookups. Bought as a bargain book. Kinda wish I had borrowed it from the library instead.
July 1, 2011
It is terry first book and i chat with him on fb and i told him i love it but i wish he would gave names
February 20, 2022
1. Repetitive : He said the same thing over and over, this book could have been much shorter.
2. Poor writing: I felt like a high school or perhaps a middle school student wrote it. Same words, same adjectives used throughout the entire book.
3. Is this a memoir or tell all; I think he should have selected which direction he wanted to go into, then focus on writing that. Considering the book was copyrighted in 2008 , he could have went on and provided us with names because we more than likely already know, it has more than likely been revealed.
4. Ego: he has a ego. I can tell by the writing, though he claims to be humble .
5. It does have me looking and thinking at every man now,lol. Like you on the DL sir. It has been statically proven due to the increase of women with HIV/AIDS that are large population of men living this lifestyle.
6. I gave the book 3 stars simply because he did provide some details of his life prior to his DL lifestyle. I truly believe what happened to him and not having the support like so many males lead him to the lifestyle decision.
2. Poor writing: I felt like a high school or perhaps a middle school student wrote it. Same words, same adjectives used throughout the entire book.
3. Is this a memoir or tell all; I think he should have selected which direction he wanted to go into, then focus on writing that. Considering the book was copyrighted in 2008 , he could have went on and provided us with names because we more than likely already know, it has more than likely been revealed.
4. Ego: he has a ego. I can tell by the writing, though he claims to be humble .
5. It does have me looking and thinking at every man now,lol. Like you on the DL sir. It has been statically proven due to the increase of women with HIV/AIDS that are large population of men living this lifestyle.
6. I gave the book 3 stars simply because he did provide some details of his life prior to his DL lifestyle. I truly believe what happened to him and not having the support like so many males lead him to the lifestyle decision.
January 1, 2024
I started reading this book shortly after Diddy’s allegations came out. I had exhausted the Diddy rabbit hole via YouTube and other bloggers and got the name of this book as something to read as I thought some people and pertinent things would be mentioned.
Although I appreciate the author writing his experience, I have to be honest and say I was rather disappointed. My disappointment steams from the made up names…I mean, I know these ppl are powerful and you do have to protect yourself but personally, I didn’t want to read clues pertaining to identities and have to play Super Sloth to figure out who is being discussed.
Overall, the book is good if you’re reading to understand how the author grew up but if you’re looking for entertainment by way of someone spilling real tea…this ain’t it.
Although I appreciate the author writing his experience, I have to be honest and say I was rather disappointed. My disappointment steams from the made up names…I mean, I know these ppl are powerful and you do have to protect yourself but personally, I didn’t want to read clues pertaining to identities and have to play Super Sloth to figure out who is being discussed.
Overall, the book is good if you’re reading to understand how the author grew up but if you’re looking for entertainment by way of someone spilling real tea…this ain’t it.
December 19, 2025
RIP to the author. I liked the memoir part of the book more than the exposé, if you can call it that. I love reading about people’s lives so his recollection of how he grew up was interesting though painful to read. The exposé was very repetitive and not that entertaining to read. I understand he had to protect the identity of the celebrities to avoid lawsuits and personal harm to him. But most of the clues were a little too veiled. An R&B singer/songwriter from New York could apply to half of the music industry. So could a male R&B singer from a group who gyrates on stage. Wendy Williams gave better clues than that! 17 years after the release of this book and we now have many more openly gay black celebrities in music and Hollywood. I wish a follow up to this book was written.
August 16, 2023
This book was an entertaining read because it reminded me of the mid 2000's celebrity gossip forums. All in all, this book was mid! The clues in this book were pointless because he could have been talking about more than one celebrity! The ending was boring, I have an idea of who he was talking about though. This book was a scary version of Confessions of a Video Vixen. I wonder what would have happened if he outed the men directly in this book. I did some digging and found out that so many celebrities reached out to him in fear of being mentioned by name. The title makes it seem as if this book was going to be juicy and it is not!
June 3, 2018
He's not the best writer, but I really like/appreciate his voice. You really get a sense of his experience, as he processed it, and I found that really compelling and educational.
January 1, 2020
Not a tell all book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 15, 2020
Learned about a new world in entertainment, moving, deep
February 23, 2024
Interesting! I wished he would of named names of the actual down low entertainers. I had fun trying to guess them.
July 5, 2018
I was all set to give this book a higher rating, but it got really repetitive about 200 pages in. This should have been cut down by about 50 pages. It's fascinating to read as Terrance explains his mental gymnastics that allowed him to be super critical of gay people while being gay as well as the inner turmoil he was dealing with.
February 17, 2016
I started this months ago. I borrowed it from the library and, had to keep renewing it. It didn't hold my interest. But I decided I had to just finish it. The way it was written... Disjointed. It's an autobiography. Not a well written autobiography. But an autobiography all the same. Then it turns into a Who Is Gay In Black Hollywood And The Music Industry? If you are going to blend the two, there are ways that I'm sure it could have been done seamlessly.
Terrance had a hard childhood. Him and his siblings have different fathers. His mother was mostly absent. She was using drugs and, later died of AIDS. He was molested.
He is determined though. He goes off to college and ventures to Cali and NYC to work in the entertainment industry.
Trying to hide who you are because of fear of what people will do if they find out is a hard way to live. But, Terrance had to. Because of work and personal reasons.
I really wish I knew who he was talking about when mentioning certain celebrities. But, he somewhat managed to make it sound like EVERYONE in rap music is gay. Everyone.
Terrance had issues that I hoped he dealt with. Him writing this book doesn't necessarily make that so.
Salacious content and all... Not a can't put down read.
Terrance had a hard childhood. Him and his siblings have different fathers. His mother was mostly absent. She was using drugs and, later died of AIDS. He was molested.
He is determined though. He goes off to college and ventures to Cali and NYC to work in the entertainment industry.
Trying to hide who you are because of fear of what people will do if they find out is a hard way to live. But, Terrance had to. Because of work and personal reasons.
I really wish I knew who he was talking about when mentioning certain celebrities. But, he somewhat managed to make it sound like EVERYONE in rap music is gay. Everyone.
Terrance had issues that I hoped he dealt with. Him writing this book doesn't necessarily make that so.
Salacious content and all... Not a can't put down read.
Read
November 19, 2009Ha ha
I figured all the build-up to "exposing" these folks was a bunch of Bulls*** teasing in order to sell books.
All the people who bought this crap were bamboozled.
Who gives a rat's cunt "why" he is gay? I could give a fu** about him getting diddled a little as a youngster and his subsequent "struggles".
Cry me a river....we all have had bad things happen. And often times much worse than someone touching their little wee-wee a couple of times as a kid.
"I'm so confused and traumatized at 30 (and for the rest of my life) because my dick got touched when I was 6. And it's been "Flame on!" ever since!"
Gimme a goddamn break.
Boo f-ing hoo. Get over it, you f-in daisy. Just admit you love penises and man-ass and leave it at that.
Asswipe didn't even have the balls to use his own photo on the cover. He used a model. I guess so people he ripped off with this piece of turd book wouldn't recognize him on the street and kick his ass for wasting their time and money.
He promised exposure and did not deliver. All I think of him now is that he is a gutless faggot crybaby jerkoff. Nothing more.
I figured all the build-up to "exposing" these folks was a bunch of Bulls*** teasing in order to sell books.
All the people who bought this crap were bamboozled.
Who gives a rat's cunt "why" he is gay? I could give a fu** about him getting diddled a little as a youngster and his subsequent "struggles".
Cry me a river....we all have had bad things happen. And often times much worse than someone touching their little wee-wee a couple of times as a kid.
"I'm so confused and traumatized at 30 (and for the rest of my life) because my dick got touched when I was 6. And it's been "Flame on!" ever since!"
Gimme a goddamn break.
Boo f-ing hoo. Get over it, you f-in daisy. Just admit you love penises and man-ass and leave it at that.
Asswipe didn't even have the balls to use his own photo on the cover. He used a model. I guess so people he ripped off with this piece of turd book wouldn't recognize him on the street and kick his ass for wasting their time and money.
He promised exposure and did not deliver. All I think of him now is that he is a gutless faggot crybaby jerkoff. Nothing more.
July 13, 2008
There were lots of excuses about why Dean had as much sex as he had. He felt like he had never been loved and God had abandoned him. I admit that my heart hurt to read him talk about how his family died of AIDS because God was punishing him for being gay. I hated that no one talked about his childhood molestation. I hated that the church people failed to deliver him and yet he still believed that God hated him. I wish he had worked that out in the book but maybe that's the point. That kind of self-hatred doesn't just get worked out that's why men are hiding. I know that there are MSM all over the entertainment industry but the jump off parties he described were pretty salacious. It is an expose of deceptive black male sexuality but it's also an exploration of how tormented individuals can be when they feel like they have to hide themselves in plain sight. The book was a bit preachy and a bit woe is me-y but it did make me want to help create those spaces where black people can just be whatever type of people they need to be without judgment.
December 5, 2009
Let's face it: books that dish about steamy sexual relationships with celebrities are sordid and trashy but addictive. There's something about reading about famous people and seeing that they have the same issues and weaknesses as us mere mortals that is compelling. That's partly what made Karinne Steffans' franchise so interesting.
But this book? With the possibility of being really good, Terrance Dean just disappoints. He's talking about gay men in an industry that thrives on a homophobic image, yet he never really confronts the issue and the culture surrounding it. I wasn't asking for him to outright out some celebrities, although that would've lent some credibility to it. I think I just wanted to see some humanity in the characters, which I did not. The writing is poor, and the narrative is choppy, but more importantly, the man has a really interesting story- but unfortunately doesn't know how to tell it.
But this book? With the possibility of being really good, Terrance Dean just disappoints. He's talking about gay men in an industry that thrives on a homophobic image, yet he never really confronts the issue and the culture surrounding it. I wasn't asking for him to outright out some celebrities, although that would've lent some credibility to it. I think I just wanted to see some humanity in the characters, which I did not. The writing is poor, and the narrative is choppy, but more importantly, the man has a really interesting story- but unfortunately doesn't know how to tell it.
July 28, 2013
At some points, I was lost. The author kept going back to an earlier slot of time that I lost track where the author was supposed to be... I thought the author was already in New York and yet, another chapter started with him saying that he was in Los Angeles and was asked to go to New York.
It felt like several scenes were repeated, to describe the 'down low' of the gay black community. It was either someone with an altered name to protect the real identity in another gay scene, and another gay scene, and another gay scene. They were all gorgeous. They were all either popular or on the way up or work with someone famous. It was a wasted effort to reveal famous people without their real names and the reasons given were the same. This book felt draggy because of the same scenarios.
That said, it was interesting to see the issues regarding this community. Just that the shallow,-spilled-nothing-more scenes did not have to repeat.
It felt like several scenes were repeated, to describe the 'down low' of the gay black community. It was either someone with an altered name to protect the real identity in another gay scene, and another gay scene, and another gay scene. They were all gorgeous. They were all either popular or on the way up or work with someone famous. It was a wasted effort to reveal famous people without their real names and the reasons given were the same. This book felt draggy because of the same scenarios.
That said, it was interesting to see the issues regarding this community. Just that the shallow,-spilled-nothing-more scenes did not have to repeat.
February 17, 2011
I really wanted to like this book, but I can't get past the first few chapters. It's poorly edited and the prose jumps around without any rhyme or reason. Also, one thing that bothers me is that the author claims to be raised in a very religious family but doesn't bother capitalizing the word God or His/Him/He when referring to his deity of choice.
Anyway like I said, I put the book down after a few chapters and found I really wasn't all that interested in picking it back up. From the beginning very little is said of the author's sexuality and/or feelings about being bisexual, so I wasn't caring about him as the story progressed. People were mentioned at random and disappeared a paragraph or two later, and the plot jumps around without restraint. A good editor might have corralled the book into a decent story, but I lost interest in it as it stands.
Anyway like I said, I put the book down after a few chapters and found I really wasn't all that interested in picking it back up. From the beginning very little is said of the author's sexuality and/or feelings about being bisexual, so I wasn't caring about him as the story progressed. People were mentioned at random and disappeared a paragraph or two later, and the plot jumps around without restraint. A good editor might have corralled the book into a decent story, but I lost interest in it as it stands.
July 18, 2011
(FROM JACKET) Everyone wants to know the truth about their favorite celebrities' heart's desires. Within the masculine culture of Hip Hop and Hollywood, there is a well-known gay subculture that industry insiders are keenly aware of but choose to hide. Terrance Dean worked his way up for more than ten years in the entertainment industry from intern to executive, and has lived the life of glitz and bling along with Hollywood and Hip Hop's most glamourous. With a family full of secrets and working in an industry founded on maleness-where one's job, friendships, and reputation all depend on remaining on the down low and in hiding-Dean writes a revealing account of the journey of coming out from hiding.
Full of startling anecdotes and incredible true stories. "Hiding in Hip Hop" is not a traditional tell-all....
Full of startling anecdotes and incredible true stories. "Hiding in Hip Hop" is not a traditional tell-all....
December 29, 2015
I at first thought that it was going to be a tell all but after finishing it I realized that I am happy that he didn't out those who weren't ready to face what is going on. Back in October MTV had Out In Hip Hop and I saw a lot of anger and aggression from the men who were out and seeking validation. After reading this book and seeing how wide-spread the down low culture is I really am hesitant to date a Black man due to fear. Fear that he won't tell me the truth about his sexuality, I can deal better with an uncomfortable truth than I can with a bald lie. Fear that he could infect me, I know that messing with other woman can bring about the same results.
This book makes me sad for the fact that he was living in a fantasy world created by his own childish hurt and anger and therefore he missed out on his chance to bond with family.
This book makes me sad for the fact that he was living in a fantasy world created by his own childish hurt and anger and therefore he missed out on his chance to bond with family.
June 24, 2009
A rather lackluster memoir to say the least with the usual "I grew up the poor son of a crack-ho and then a mean guy touched me and then I liked dudes" song and dance. It gives kind of a dark view of the entertainment industry based on who you know who you are will to bang to get ahead. I could sympathize a bit with Terreance as a fellow Queer black but for the most part I just wanted him to stop talking about the various dudes he was banging and drop some names. If you too plan on picking up the book expecting him to reveal the names of gay rappers youare surely mistaken. This book was meh, to say the very least, but made for a trashy enough to read while passing the time drivng to see my Baptist family in South Carolina.
June 19, 2011
"The question is: what function will this book perform in a culture always eager for yet another reason to demonize Black men as dangerously duplicitous? What are the power differentials in the entertainment world where white lesbians like Ellen are more out than Black lesbians or gay men? Does simply being out solve the problems of an industry that makes enormous profits while paying pittances to some? Ellen’s at the height of her popularity and lauded for her outness. But we forget that she was among the first to cross the writer’s strike picket line—that fact should matter more to us than the fact that she’s out."
Read the rest of my review here:
http://www.yasminnair.net/content/ter...
Read the rest of my review here:
http://www.yasminnair.net/content/ter...
June 20, 2011
Very interesting , only if I could have figure out what industry persons he sleep with. Okay yes he was hiding out at MTV, he didn't expose any body. The book wasn't written well at all very repetitive . Terrence had sex with any and everybody. These DL books all have the same back drop they all want love like heterosexual folks , it appears that will never happen. Dean did a good job at revealing the current patterns of these DL brothers. All I have to say these young ladies need to be very careful of their selection of men ,these days it's very scary. The reason for the read is the intriguing subject matter. I hope Terrance next book the Mogul reads like a story because his life was like the boy the next door.
September 13, 2008
This book has the wrong title. It's not really an expose of gay men in hip-hop. It's a memoir of Terrance Dean himself. He's lived a complicated life--came from a broken home, there was AIDS, drugs, a struggle to climb up the corporate ladder, too much casual sex and not enough love. Here and there Dean treats us to blind items of who might be gay in hip-hop. It's hard to guess who he's talking about half the time, though. Some are obvious guesses though. Not always well-written (there are several glaring typos, and just a lack of polish throughout), but still a fascinating glimpse into an underground culture.
July 19, 2012
This book was interesting. Initially, I purchased it thinking that it would be a scathing tell-all book, like Confessions of a Video Vixen, but it was more of a book about this one guy’s life. There were parts where he bounced around in his timeline. For example, in one chapter, he’d be leaving college and dealing with that, but by the next chapter, he was an accomplished producer for MTV. He should have had a different editor or should have referenced the flashbacks before he went to the next chapter. All in all, it was an okay book. The ending was a bit odd because there was no real closing. It was almost like he meant to continue writing but just stopped. Oh well. It was an okay book.
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