Have Gun Will Travel

Before I start this review, I'd like to defend Ronin Ro for his writing. There was absolutely nothing wrong with the way this book was written: the author carefully weaved in each character who was essential in the Death Row scandal. I saw no editorial mistakes and it was organized sufficiently. If a reader does not like the experiences in the book, that's one thing; but to insult the writer is ridiculous, especially since this was such an interesting and well-researched book. On to the book: I'm not quite sure how the topic of Suge Knight came up between a friend and I, but we were both shaking our heads about the man being shot in the leg. With all the rumored hits out on him, we were thinking "How could the shooter have such bad aim?" She told me about this book and I am so glad she did. I knew Suge Knight was an alleged dangerous man, and from an interview I saw of him challenging a journalist on a Tupac documentary, it was pretty obvious that he liked to intimidate people. But I was not expecting it to be this dramatic. Death Row had everything from gun fights, gangs, rape, holding people out of balconies, locked doors to hear desperate screams, drugs, disgruntled rappers, terrified employees, scared delivery people, Crips, Bloods, women being beaten, boyfriend/girlfriend relationships, boyfriend/boyfriend relationships, East Coast artists being forced into West Coast artists, "thugs" turning into grown men, grown men trying to figure out how to connect to the streets but be peaceful, business conflict, etc. Anything that could possibly go wrong in a business happened at Death Row. I didn't grow up in the safest neighborhood, so about half of this didn't even make me flinch, but when the story got into beating up women; jailhouse rapes; balcony scenes, etc., I was like "Okay, enough is enough." Although it is commendable that Suge Knight gave back to his community with food and money to the homeless/lower income, it does not justify all of the things he DID do. Honestly, I'm extremely surprised he's alive today, and definitely understand why he rolled with such a thick crew. Had he not, he'd have been dead long ago. While I was reading this book, I couldn't stop giggling thinking about the "Gangstalicious" episode of the "Boondocks." So much of what I thought was a mocking of 50 Cent seemed more like it related to Tupac, and the guy chasing Gangstalicous reminded me of Suge. Although there were definitely humorous scenes throughout the story (from my own morbid mind) and it was definitely an entertaining read, it was extremely disturbing to see so many grown men acting like teenagers. When is it time to decide to stand on your own two, fight your own battles ALONE, stop killing your own race, and bullying people every time you don't get your way? It's one thing to want to be a grown man; it's another to be a grown bully. I ponder over whether many of these people actually enjoy the lifestyle; or is it just a matter of surv

When I first heard about this book last year it was much hyped and anticipated. Then when I got the book last christmas I knew why. Once I had started reading I could not put it down. It goes into much detail about Suge Knight and his role at the label, how he ran it and how he always got what he wanted. Also it tells you about the gang lifestyle Suge and his artists, including Tupac Shakur, seemed to be living daily. A brilliant account of a bad lifestyle.

I think if you know Rap history then this book will lift the lid on what you thought you knew. The author does repeat sections and the chronigraphical order of events is confusing, other than that its worth getting. Cant wait for the Film!.

I expected Have Gun Will Travel to be another book which denounces Death Row and Marion "Suge" Knight.I was surprised. Author Ronin Ro made this book an objective look at the label, its roster and its CEO. Author Ro also took me behind the scenes, and showed how, were it not for Suge Knight, Death Row would never have been as successful as it became. According to Ro, Suge Knight was a highly-intelligent, handsome, kind and generous person. Ro also notes that Knight was single-handedly responsible for getting the mainstream media, and Middle America, to accept hard-edged rap music. In this book, Knight is presented as a businessman who is as driven as Trump. Ro also details Suge's remarkable life and career with respect, honesty and admiration. Suge Knight, the book repeatedly points out, is not the villain the mainstream media makes him out to be. To Ro, Suge Knight is a decent man with a dream who was led down the wrong path by advisors, some of his artists and producers and others. Knight, this book points out, was only trying to help people out. In the end, the people he tried to help led to Knight's downfall and imprisonment. For his objectivity, Ro is to be commended.

I have been a fan of Ro's since his days at The Source, when he was the first writer in America to speak with Dre about Death Row, right before Dre formed it. Then he tackled the Death Row issue in his book Gangsta. But nothing he's written compares to this book. It's good to see Ro complete the Death Row story: he goes where no other music writer has gone before, and offers us facts about Death Row no one else in the media could get. Those who speak out against this book must be gangsta rap fans, or upset with Ro's accurate depiction of the life of Tupac Shakur. For anyone interested in the real story, and in reading for the first time anywhere, the secret history of Death Row (when it was called Future Shock Records), this is the book to read. Ro's book Have Gun Will Travel is one you'll never forget. I can't wait to see the movie!