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lovelykd's review against another edition
3.0
As a longtime consumer of hip-hop, and hip-hop culture, I knew of Dapper Dan long before I equate him with his signature brand of fashion.
It was only recently that I was able to connect the dots between the signature designs--which graced the bodies of some of my favorite artists--with the man behind their creation.
That said, this book--with its amazing cover--immediately appealed to me as one who tries to devour as much hip-hop history as she can; especially with the evolution its gone through over the last two decades.
The most interesting parts of the book discuss how Daniel Day's having grown up in Harlem--witnessing the ingenuity and ambition displayed by those with the "hustler's mentality"--would eventually be pivotal in his decision to form "Dapper Dan".
It's clear he was seeking a way to meld his fashion sensibility, with his desire to make money, while also continuing to challenge himself.
He wanted to create and innovate, yes, but he also wanted to make a respectable name for himself in a field where few Black men (or women) had ever dared to tread; he had aspirations far beyond a simple storefront and he found an untapped market.
The parts of the book that focus on that single-mindedness were the most intriguing because you really caught a glimpse of how hard a true entrepreneur has to work to find even a small measure of financial solvency.
There was no denying how hard Daniel Day worked to go from drug dealer to dice hustler to fashion mogul.
Even more, for him to do so on the strength of an idea which seems simple now, but had zero interest back then, was a huge risk; to simply create something original was a risk but Day had the foresight to find that niche, carve it out, and leave a mark.
The fact he was able to do so, as a Black man, with no college education, no clue about how fashion is created and made, using what amounted to street capital (money he earned playing dice), and nothing but word of mouth as advertisement, is nothing short of amazing!
Those parts, again, were a treasure to read.
However, on the flip side, I was turned off by his treatment of women.
Despite his consistent protestations of growth and maturity, he still came off as a man with little in the way of remorse for the despicable way he treated the women in his life; that was a major turnoff.
Yes, he took care of his children, financially, but his dealings with women--including the one he eventually married because she hung in there long enough for him to stop being a f-boy--was abhorrent.
Also, if you know anything about the Civil Rights Era, Malcolm X, or the climate of New York post-Vietnam, through the Reagan era, some of the history offered by Dan will feel repetitive.
If not, it'll further explain the climate Dan lived in and how the laws and lack of restrictions offered, in some cases, allowed him to thrive the way he did in the fashion world.
Overall, this is a good book and, again, that cover alone makes it worthy to be displayed on your coffee table.
It was only recently that I was able to connect the dots between the signature designs--which graced the bodies of some of my favorite artists--with the man behind their creation.
That said, this book--with its amazing cover--immediately appealed to me as one who tries to devour as much hip-hop history as she can; especially with the evolution its gone through over the last two decades.
The most interesting parts of the book discuss how Daniel Day's having grown up in Harlem--witnessing the ingenuity and ambition displayed by those with the "hustler's mentality"--would eventually be pivotal in his decision to form "Dapper Dan".
It's clear he was seeking a way to meld his fashion sensibility, with his desire to make money, while also continuing to challenge himself.
He wanted to create and innovate, yes, but he also wanted to make a respectable name for himself in a field where few Black men (or women) had ever dared to tread; he had aspirations far beyond a simple storefront and he found an untapped market.
The parts of the book that focus on that single-mindedness were the most intriguing because you really caught a glimpse of how hard a true entrepreneur has to work to find even a small measure of financial solvency.
There was no denying how hard Daniel Day worked to go from drug dealer to dice hustler to fashion mogul.
Even more, for him to do so on the strength of an idea which seems simple now, but had zero interest back then, was a huge risk; to simply create something original was a risk but Day had the foresight to find that niche, carve it out, and leave a mark.
The fact he was able to do so, as a Black man, with no college education, no clue about how fashion is created and made, using what amounted to street capital (money he earned playing dice), and nothing but word of mouth as advertisement, is nothing short of amazing!
Those parts, again, were a treasure to read.
However, on the flip side, I was turned off by his treatment of women.
Despite his consistent protestations of growth and maturity, he still came off as a man with little in the way of remorse for the despicable way he treated the women in his life; that was a major turnoff.
Yes, he took care of his children, financially, but his dealings with women--including the one he eventually married because she hung in there long enough for him to stop being a f-boy--was abhorrent.
Also, if you know anything about the Civil Rights Era, Malcolm X, or the climate of New York post-Vietnam, through the Reagan era, some of the history offered by Dan will feel repetitive.
If not, it'll further explain the climate Dan lived in and how the laws and lack of restrictions offered, in some cases, allowed him to thrive the way he did in the fashion world.
Overall, this is a good book and, again, that cover alone makes it worthy to be displayed on your coffee table.
prettypious's review against another edition
5.0
Amazing memoir! This book did what it came to do! It was so good and informative in terms of his life but also the history of Harlem during a specific moment in time. Highly recommend the book, Omari Hardwick does the narration for the audiobook and he did his thing! Grade A reading experience
thechanelmuse's review against another edition
5.0
Dapper Dan is visionary. I've been familiar with his work in Hip-Hop culture for years, but I never knew his come up story. I finished this book in one sitting. The way it's written makes you feel like you’re almost watching a movie. He’s gonna have a hell of a biopic.
nickscoby's review against another edition
4.0
I am an 80s/90s hip hop head, so I was very aware of Dapper Dan and his iconic looks. But I mistakenly believed that the cultural movement shaped his work and I see now that it was the other way around.
I was loathe to part ways with Uncle Dan when I got to the end of the journey. I felt like I got to know him, hip hop, and Harlem even better. To be clear: this is a book about being black in America, but specifically being black in Harlem. 75 year old Dap witnessed the neighborhood's high and low periods and was shaped by the area just as much as he influenced the streets. I don't want to give away any spoilers but it is safe to say that Dapper Dan has lived an interesting life and I am thrilled to see that his career has been revived. Again.
I was loathe to part ways with Uncle Dan when I got to the end of the journey. I felt like I got to know him, hip hop, and Harlem even better. To be clear: this is a book about being black in America, but specifically being black in Harlem. 75 year old Dap witnessed the neighborhood's high and low periods and was shaped by the area just as much as he influenced the streets. I don't want to give away any spoilers but it is safe to say that Dapper Dan has lived an interesting life and I am thrilled to see that his career has been revived. Again.
tophat8855's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this one. I started it on Sunday and read half of it riding buses around Oakland. It's a quick read and really interesting. Dapper Dan's story is full of "two steps forward, one step back", but he keeps going. He's honest about his relationship with drugs as a young person and his gambling.
On thing I wish he'd had expounded on is his relationships. He says in the book that he didn't want to tell the stories of the women he'd been with because that's not his story, but I think it's possible to tell your story without encroaching on others'.
But this was a fast, easy read. My coworkers are going to listen to the audio book for our office book club, but I recommend having the actual book because it includes pictures of his designs, but also things like the Mike Tyson/Mitch Green fight outside his store. You'll want the pictures.
On thing I wish he'd had expounded on is his relationships. He says in the book that he didn't want to tell the stories of the women he'd been with because that's not his story, but I think it's possible to tell your story without encroaching on others'.
But this was a fast, easy read. My coworkers are going to listen to the audio book for our office book club, but I recommend having the actual book because it includes pictures of his designs, but also things like the Mike Tyson/Mitch Green fight outside his store. You'll want the pictures.
theonebeajones's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
tense
medium-paced
5.0
readingissosexy's review against another edition
3.0
Oh to have a hustler brain like Dan's, this 9 to 5 is killing me fr fr