OK

by Victor "Kool AD" Vazquez

‘I’m the best rapper,’ I whispered into the void of the night and the void howled back: ‘No doubt, no doubt.’

KOOL A.D. aka Victor Vazquez’s debut novel "O.K." Written in as many languages as drugs it lists consumed (we’re counting idiolects, and music as a drug), "O.K." is a book of changes, as in flow, the Way, a contemporary perennial philosophy, starring Sun Ra, Bill Burroughs, 2Pac, you name It (knowing literary spirits)

Genres: Fiction

254 pages, Paperback

Published November 17, 2016

Reviews

[Downward · Rating 5 out of 5]

OK is a postmodern book about consuming art and drugs and expanding thought, tied into the rythms of hip hop and beat literature, dialectal in a way few contemporary novels dare to be but without ever feeling inaccessible. the novel has transgressive politics even within its pop metaphysics and religious sampling. the narrator, mohammed x, takes us on a largely plotless journey through his marriage and children, low stakes taking drugs and listening to music as he goes on cosmic travels in machines his infant daughter built. there's a lowkey metaphor here for our daughters being the key to infinite knowledge and wisdom, but kool ad never presses the point, so it seems another absurdist tract in a novel that is equal parts kerouac and jim starlin.

[Medley · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's ok.

[Mike Kleine · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a bit more than just OK.

[Ryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely some good parts but if you follow Kool AD on twitter you're probably getting enough of what you need from that.

[B-luc · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Postmodern Pastiche. It's kinda a Moveable Feast mixed with Hunter S. Thompson.
Its got it all: Old English epic poems, Beyonce lyrics, and a gang of music and literary references. Try to get through all those books and records, then you good.
Attained total enlightenment while reading.

[Richard Chiem · Rating 5 out of 5]

better than any novel by Bob Dylan

[M. Pierce Joyce · Rating 3 out of 5]

Both comic and cosmic this book will be rewarding to you if you
a) are familiar with the work of Kool AD or Das Racist already and listen to the mixtape as you’re reading it
b) dig plotless psychedelic stream of conscious postmodern poetry/prose/lists about hip hop, jazz, drugs, Los Angeles, spirituality, cars, eagles, mantras, art, philosophers, food, dolphins, Mexico, travel, metaficticious reviews of the book within the book as well as breaks in the fourth wall and fifth dimension
c) wished Kanye’s “break the simulation” was a real book and not just some half-assed tweets.
Pretty ok book. My personal favorite part is how his daughters are always building increasingly more complex inventions, that subplot was real endearing imo. But yeah it was pretty good, pretty funny, hella informal, definitely not a novel; on some Italo Calvino shit tho. Makes me want to read some Calvino then some Nabokov then some Checkov and then infinite jest. Then move on to some other authors I haven’t read as much work from. Ok

[Vuk Trifkovic · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best rapper-novelist in the world - no doubt! Lovely book, Vazquez just knows words. It just flows. I love his monthly horoscope in Paper mag. This is like, 100 installments in a book. Wavy.

It has some lovely lines - like "It was powered by the sun and the human emotion of wonderment".

I'm surprised it has not caught on in a bigger way...

[Cameron Mitchell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I literally don't know what to say about this book.

OK is either the smartest book I've ever read, or one of the stupidest. How cleverly it navigates the line between surreal and genius. Or maybe Victor Vazquez was just very up on acid.

Can someone please explain which it is?

[Jerome Spencer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a cool book. Entertaining, funny, kind of enlightening if you want it to be. You've gotta be willing to accept that it has no plot yet still has plot holes, but that's kinda tight, right? Yeah, I'd recommend it, especially if you're already a kool a.d. fan.

[Hailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

might be the best novel of all time

wait, yeah, best novel of all time

[Andy Huff · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kind of a one trick book -- at first I thought everything was written as a sort of allegory but never did a moment come that lended to this thought.

[Russell Sorbello · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty groovy.

[Grey Hues · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is probably the most unique novel I've ever picked up. It reads autobiographical but is steeped heavily in magical realism. There is also a 100 song album that pairs with each chapter.

[Darren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Too bad this won't get the exposure it deserves.

[Warren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like if Joyce was a Afro Cuban dude, but I guess he is in the INFINITE universes. Swag. Shout out The Creator for life.

[claire · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading this book is like taking a trip inside a mind more interesting and hilarious than my own. KOOL AD's voice is as singular in prose as it is in his lyrics. And it's just hella fun to read. RECOMMEND!

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

At times this reminded me of the modern rap version of A Clockwork Orange. Other times like a strange diary. Definitely recommend listening along to the music while reading it.

[H K · Rating 2 out of 5]

I guess this book was... OK.

[Jonathan Endicott · Rating 5 out of 5]

many good ideas many laughs some beautiful passages many different levels of consciousness various recommendations lots of inspiration definite encouragement

[Noah Porter · Rating 5 out of 5]

The whole experience was fire flames.

[Joseph Santos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading The Brothers Karamazov is boring, unlike reading OK.

[Chris · Rating 2 out of 5]

SHOUT TO THE DETROIT LIONS
IM LISTENING TO KOIT CRYING

[Justin Groot · Rating 5 out of 5]

jah