Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Music manager Chang, who's worked with the Wu-Tang Clan and A Tribe Called Quest, shares life stories in a candid memoir about hip-hop, kung fu, and being a "hustler." Chang moved from Vancouver to New York in the 1980s after college and became immersed in the music scene. A charmer with "titanium confidence," she got a job as an assistant to Paul Simon and parlayed that into several positions in the music business over the course of an eclectic career, including head of marketing in the alternative department at Atlantic Records and an A&R job at Jive Records. The book's most engaging sections concern her friendships with musicians, like GZA and RZA of the Wu-Tang Clan, who treated her like family and employed her as a manager (RZA is also godfather to her two kids). A long time practitioner of kung-fu, Chang writes with humor of first having sex with monk and Shaolin kung-fu teacher, Yan Ming, with whom she became involved and had her two kids; of leaving him after he cheated on her; and of struggling as a single mother. There's a self-empowerment vibe throughout: "I am defining myself and telling the world who I am." This impassioned memoir is filled with energy and will appeal to fans of early rap and the Wu-Tang Clan. (Sept.)
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Review by Library Journal Review
A unique figure in the music business, particularly in the insular, male-dominated world of hip-hop, Chang chronicles her quest to become the woman she always knew she could be. The author grew up in the suburbs of Vancouver, BC, the daughter of Korean immigrants. Traveling to New York after college graduation, Chang became an assistant to singer-songwriter Paul Simon and worked her way up from personal assistant to A&R executive at various record companies. Through her ingenuity and hard drive, she discovered up-and-coming acts, such as the Wu-Tang Clan, which won her credibility and respect from the hip-hop community. Here, Chang has written a solid memoir, though there are times when readers may be overwhelmed by the abundant name-dropping. However, Chang's intimate details make these well-known figures feel more real (who knew of Paul Simon's Scrabble skills?). VERDICT An enlightening memoir about self-discovery, embracing one's heritage, and finding success.--Leah Huey, Dekalb P.L., IL
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
A blend of music industry 101, hip-hop history, and memoir from the Wu-Tang Clan's muse. For decades as a manager, marketer, and A & R rep, Chang helped talented men tell their stories through hip-hop and R & B. Now it's her turn to tell her story: How did a "Korean Canadian French lit major" end up working with a who's who of heavy hitters in the music industry--and getting relationship advice from Method Man? From a chance meeting with Joey Ramone as a college student in the late 1980s to working with the Wu-Tang Clan, one of the greatest rap groups of all time, Chang has a storied history in the industry. Her love for hip-hop--the music and the artists--comes through loud and clear in this deeply personal memoir. Now in her 50s, she reflects on her experiences, including her stint as head of a marketing department at Atlantic Records just two years out of college and working with artists like A Tribe Called Quest, KRS-One, Too Short, and Raphael Saadiq. It's clear why Chang gained a reputation for being hard and no-nonsense, and that comes across in the narrative. But she also shows her more vulnerable side: enduring the highs and lows of love and loss, reclaiming her sexual confidence after the end of a 12-year relationship, and learning to embrace her Asian heritage. The author writes wisely about erasure and fighting to be seen professionally as a woman of color. Unfortunately, aside from a vague mention of a black woman friend calling her out on her privilege, she doesn't address being embraced and respected as a nonblack woman within a music culture that often objectifies and denigrates black women. This is a disappointing omission in an otherwise thoughtful and revealing story. An intimate, entertaining, and engrossing read for hip-hop fans. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
