First published 2017
Angie Martinez tells the story of her rise to become an internationally celebrated hip hop radio icon. Known as the "Voice of New York," Martinez built one of the country's highest rated radio shows during nearly two decades at Hot 97 and her current position at Power 105.1. She started as an intern and broke through as a young female DJ whose "Battle of the Beats" segment shattered records and launched emerging artists like Jay Z. Martinez became famous for intimate interviews with major figures, mediating artist feuds, and tackling hip hop's most explosive controversies. At twenty-five, during the peak of the East Coast/West Coast rap conflict, Tupac Shakur called her for his final comprehensive interview, which has never fully aired until now. Martinez reveals behind-the-scenes moments from conversations with Barack Obama, Mary J. Blige, and Chris Brown. She describes her painful departure from Hot 97 and her widely covered transition to Power 105.1, while sharing personal stories from her Washington Heights origins and Brooklyn upbringing with a single mother.
Genres: african-american, autobiography, biography-memoir, music, 21st-century, hip-hop
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: rags-to-riches, rise-to-fame
Setting: Brooklyn, Hot 97, New York, Power 105.1, Washington Heights
Period: East Coast/West Coast Rap Conflict
288 pages · Paperback · Celebra