Derrick Parker (with Matt Diehl)
Notorious C.O.P. (2006)
Author: Derrick Parker with Matt Diehl
Genre: Nonfiction (True Crime)
Book Summary:
A lifelong fan of hip-hop music, Derrick Parker followed a family tradition of law enforcement by joining the New York City Police Department in 1982. As he rose through the ranks, from patrol officer to undercover narcotics agent to detective, Parker became aware of the growing connections between local rap artists and criminal elements. Over the course of his investigations, he learned the culture of the streets, the code of silence that can stonewall investigations, and the complicated web of money, status, talent, and illegal activity within the rap industry. Soon, Parker was known throughout the force as the "go-to" man for information on rap-related crime. The high-profile incidents of the late 1990s, including the murders of rap superstars Tupac Shakur and Notorious B.I.G., brought the industry under closer scrutiny in the media and by top police officials. Under pressure from commissioners and the mayor's office, Parker became a core member of a new investigative unit devoted to crime in hip-hop. However, not all cops had the cultural knowledge and training to deal with the rap culture, and for each success there were many missteps. Ultimately, internal politics and an outside scandal caused Parker to retire from the force, but he has not given up believing in justice and the music he loves.
Geographical Setting: New York City, with episodes in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and Miami
Time Period: Mid-1980s to 2006
Appeal Characteristics:
Fans of hip-hop will find this book an interesting history of the relationship between rappers, criminals, and cops since the beginnings of the genre. Readers who prefer the true crime aspects of the book will like the detailed exploration of the birth of a new investigative unit and their methods for dealing with a certain kind of crime. Even fans of celebrity gossip may enjoy the numerous accounts of rap stars' various brushes with the law. Parker presents a very balanced view of the NYPD and its dealings with rappers, and really gives an insight into the "grey areas" of law enforcement. The use of street slang grounds the book in the rough New York neighborhoods Parker patrolled, but it is limited and placed in context so as not to confuse unfamiliar readers.
Read-alikes: Readers who liked the account of an outsider trying to break into the entrenched system of the NYPD may find Kathy Burke and Neal Hirschfeld's Detective (2006) worthwhile. Burke writes of her experiences as one of the rare female cops working undercover in the late 1960s, a mob-related shootout that left her critically injured, and a political environment that left her and her fellow officers not knowing who to trust. Peter Maas' classic story of one cop fighting to expose corruption in the NYPD, Serpico (1973), would be another good choice for readers who like the police procedural themes and gritty New York setting of Notorious C.O.P.. Another true-life account of the complex relations between rap, crime, and the police is LAbyrinth (2002) by Randall Sullivan. This book focuses on the LAPD, the west coast rap scene, and the ties between late 90s gangsta music and actual gang activity. One of the major figures in Parker's story was the great Brooklyn rapper Biggie Smalls, a.k.a. Notorious B.I.G., whose 1997 murder, along with that of Tupac Shakur the previous year, marked a turning point in hip-hop history. Cheo Hodari Coker tells the full story of his rise and fall in the well-researched biography Unbelievable: The Life, Death, and Afterlife of the Notorious B.I.G. (2004). Readers who want to find out more about the cultural significance of rap music and urban youth will find answers in The Hip-Hop Generation (2002) by Bakari Kitwana. Analyzing the issues facing black youth today, from unemployment and incarceration rates to pop-culture values, Kitwana issues a challenge to the "hip-hop generation" to reclaim rap's potential as a force for political and cultural renewal.
Red Flags: References to many kinds of criminal activity, profanity and racial slurs
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