''3 Kings: Diddy, Dr. Dre, Jay-Z and Hip-Hop's Multibillion-Dollar Rise'' is a non-fiction book by

Zack O'Malley Greenburg Zack O'Malley Greenburg (born March 8, 1985, New York City) is an American writer, journalist and former child-actor. He is a senior editor at ''Forbes'' magazine, where he covers music, media and entertainment. He is also the author of three books ...

published by

Little, Brown Little, Brown and Company is an American publishing company founded in 1837 by Charles Coffin Little and James Brown in Boston. For close to two centuries it has published fiction and nonfiction by American authors. Early lists featured Emily D ...

in March 2018.

Synopsis

The book examines the careers of Diddy, Dr. Dre, and Jay-Z through reports and interviews from people such as

Swizz Beatz Kasseem Daoud Dean (born September 13, 1978), known professionally as Swizz Beatz, is an American record producer, rapper, disc jockey (DJ) and songwriter. Born and raised in New York City, Dean embarked on his musical career as a DJ. At the ag ...

Kendrick Lamar Kendrick Lamar Duckworth (born June 17, 1987) is an American rapper and songwriter. Known for his Progressive rap, progressive musical styles and Social consciousness, socially conscious songwriting, he is often considered one of the most infl ...

Shaquille O'Neal Shaquille Rashaun O'Neal ( ; born March 6, 1972), known commonly as "Shaq" ( ), is an American former professional basketball player who is a sports analyst on the television program ''Inside the NBA''. O'Neal is regarded as one of the greates ...

Russell Simmons Russell Wendell Simmons (born October 4, 1957) is an American entrepreneur, writer and record executive. He co-founded the hip-hop label Def Jam Recordings, and created the clothing fashion lines Phat Farm, Argyleculture, and Tantris. Simmons' ...

Kevin Liles Kevin Liles (born February 27, 1968) is an American record executive and co-founder and CEO of 300 Entertainment. In 2020, Kevin was recognized by Billboard Magazine as R&B/Hip-Hop Executive of the Year for both his efforts in activism and the c ...

Troy Carter Troy Carter may refer to: * Troy Carter (physicist) (born 1973), American plasma physicist *Troy Carter (politician) (born 1963), American politician * Troy Carter (talent manager) (born 1972), American music talent manager Fictional characters *2 ...

, Grandwizzard Theodore and

Lovebug Starski Kevin Smith (May 16, 1960 – February 8, 2018), best known by his stage name Lovebug Starski, was an American MC, musician, and record producer. He began his career as a record boy in 1971 as hip-hop first appeared in the Bronx, and he event ...

. There is consideration of the nature of characteristics that made the figures most successful, the general economic nature of hip-hop and a potential "4th King",

50 Cent Curtis James Jackson III (born July 6, 1975), known professionally as 50 Cent, is an American rapper, actor, and businessman. Born in the South Jamaica neighborhood of Queens, Jackson began pursuing a musical career in 2000, when he produced ...

Reception

''3 Kings'' has been reviewed in multiple outlets such as the ''

Wall Street Journal ''The Wall Street Journal'' is an American business-focused, international daily newspaper based in New York City, with international editions also available in Chinese and Japanese. The ''Journal'', along with its Asian editions, is published ...

'' and ''

USA Today ''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgini ...

''. ''

Exclaim! ''Exclaim!'' is a Canadian music and entertainment publisher based in Toronto, which features in-depth coverage of new music across all genres with a special focus on Canadian and emerging artists. The monthly Exclaim! print magazine publishes 7 ...

'' reviewed the book, writing "Greenburg's ability to weave the facts and figures of his subjects into hip-hop's cultural lineage makes ''3 Kings'' an engaging read for fans of the beats or business". ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...

'' also reviewed ''3 Kings'', stating that "The number of hundred-million–dollar deals Greenburg chronicles is staggering. But he's also aware that hip-hop's mega-mogul phase is fading, as artists like Kanye West and A$AP Rocky reduce their pursuit of pure payments in a search for prestige ("a currency that's becoming perhaps more valuable than the dollar")." The Kirkus review considered the attempts to link the success factors of the three "a bit ham-fisted" but praised the book as "a pleasingly broad perspective of hip-hop as economic triumph" and "a wide-ranging survey of the first four decades of hip-hop that vividly brings some of the culture’s biggest success stories into one place."

References

{{reflist Biographies about musicians Jay-Z Dr. Dre Little, Brown and Company books 2018 non-fiction books Hip hop books