Excerpt from pages 14-15

By the year 2000, the hip-hop industry was comparable to a male football locker room. Most of the top executives were men, the majority of hip-hop artists were male, as were almost all of the producers, video directors, engineers and DJs. That basically left video model or personal assistant as the most likely career option for a woman. But as a female, if you were successful, and rose to the top of the corporate ladder, your reputation became that much more vulnerable. If you looked halfway decent, then the misconception was that you slept your way to the top. On the contrary, if you were not easy on the eyes, then you must either have been gay or related to someone. As a woman, I knew it would be hard to beat the odds. But because I had put so much time in, I wasn't about to let the odds come between me and what I wanted.

But a woman doesn't only have her resume to worry about, she's also got her reputation, and when it comes to a woman's reputation in the business of hip-hop, it's almost customary to define her by the men she's been linked to. Pick up any hip-hop magazine and compare the stories done on women to those done on men. I guarantee you'll find out more about he woman's past sex life than you will about the man's. That code doesn't just apply to celebrities, it's the same behind the scenes as well. For me, it was no different. The more successful I became in the industry, the harder it became to keep people out of my personal business.

My days and nights revolved around the magazine and around hip-hop, and my social network was composed of people who were just as obsessed with money, power and hip-hop as I was. Therefore, the majority of the men that I met along the way had some sort of function in the music industry. But in this particular sect of the industry, known to us as the hip-hop culture, the usual double standard applied to women is administered in much bigger doses. Once Snoop said "Bitches Ain't Shit," it was a wrap for us...

I know you haven't heard of the sex police, but reading this excerpt reminds me that they are out there. I have a confession to make. I had sex. Sometimes good and sometimes bad. I drank sex on the beach before and I watch A LOT of Sex in the City.

Now, the sex police are looking for me. They have invaded hip-hop and I wanted to warn my fellow women. Be careful who you have sex with. And don't ever EVER talk about it. As a matter of fact, just stop having sex or they will find you. I have identified one of them. Earlier this week, secret agent Toure of the Black Carpet division. I am looking for more, and I will warn you when they reveal themselves.

Ha. Stay tuned, I still got a lot of sh*t to talk before this book drops. Monday, I'll share some outtakes that I cut out of the book....

To get your copy of Straight From The Source: An Expose from the Former Editor in Chief of the Hip-Hop Bible Click here.