Hiding in Hip Hop
| Company type | Memoir |
|---|---|
| Industry | Publishing |
| Founded | 2008 |
| Founder | Terrance Dean |
| Products | Memoir book |
| Parent | Atria Books (imprint of Simon & Schuster) |
Hiding in Hip Hop: On the Down Low in the Entertainment Industry—from Music to Hollywood is a 2008 memoir authored by former MTV executive Terrance Dean.
Summary
The memoir begins by detailing Dean’s difficult upbringing, characterized by financial hardship and parents struggling with addiction and abuse, factors that shaped his path into the entertainment sector.
Dean delves into his participation in a covert gay hip-hop community, recounting gatherings and intimate encounters, some purportedly involving prominent rappers and figures from Hollywood. He consistently identifies himself and others as "down-low"—men who engage in same-sex relations but neither label themselves as gay nor come out publicly.
He contrasts the hip-hop world’s emphasis on a "macho," "gangster" persona with prevailing perceptions of the gay community as "weak," proposing that his openness about his sexuality might promote greater acceptance and transformation within both hip-hop and Hollywood circles.
Publication
In 2007, Simon & Schuster announced Dean’s upcoming work revealing the presence of gay men in the entertainment industry. Released in 2008 by Atria Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, Hiding in Hip Hop employs pseudonyms for the rappers mentioned rather than disclosing real names.
Reception
Critic Wesley Morris characterized the writing style as informal and observed that the anonymous references lacked significant sensational value from a pop culture standpoint. Despite this, Hiding in Hip Hop was recognized as one of the best-selling non-fiction titles by Essence in November 2008, based on sales data from African-American bookstores across the United States.