It's No Secret: From Nas to Jay-Z, from Seduction to Scandal--a Hip-Hop Helen of Troy Tells All

I hesitated before buying this book because of the things I had heard and I could really care less what Nas and/or Jay-Z do/did. I saw Carmen on Wendy Williams' show and although I respected the way she spoke up for herself when Wendy started bashing her; for some reason I didn't like her. I thought she was a Karrine Steffans copycat.After reading the book I completely changed my mind. I actually respect the way she presented herself in print, I didn't feel like she was trying attack anyone or make anyone look stupid like the other book I read about hollywood "escapades". I also didn't feel like she was trying sleep her way into Hollywood. I thought the book was well written and I respected the way she delt w/ the Kelis situation even though she should have left him alone the first time he started seeing other women.As a mother of two it really broke my heart to read the way she used the many abortions as a means of birth control. I wish she would have learned the first time and took better precautions. I really didn't like Nas before reading the book and after reading the book (considering the things she said were all true), I really don't like him still. Overall I thought the book was pretty good and I was pleasantly surprised at the content.

It was good to see someone keep it real from their perspective. The good, bad and ugly is what life is about. Life lessons. I still have love for Nas as an artist and soul. It’s also great to see how she, Nas, and Destiny have grown over the years. I was surprised to know that Jay Z and her had a connection for so long, then Jay turned on her Bc, I believe, she didn’t choose him. In the end, Carmen went through all of that with these guys and never at least married and secured herself and her child.But, marriage was a trauma that she witnessed in her family.I think the details of all of the many people in her life was long winded. I also didn’t like how dates weren’t included. People who criticized over how grammatically inaccurate or elementary it is, I say, that’s not essential when someone is giving us their memoir. The more simple and clear, the more people that you can convey the message to.

When this book came out, I had major reservations. There had been a number of "tell-all" books that came out (i.e. "Superhead") and I didn't care about people's exploits behind closed doors being exposed. But I read the preface of this book on Amazon, became tuned in and bought the book.The book is a 260 page retrospective on Carmen Bryan's relationship with two of the biggest East rap stars, Nas and Jay-Z. And I will admit, it was a definite page turner if you are into the NY rap scene. She also talks about her life (pre-Nas) and other relationships with men in her life, including Allen Iverson. The book jumps around a lot, but you get the gist of her life and her relationships.I will give Carm points for her honesty about herself. She understands the decisions she made had consequences. She knows what she's done in her life and makes no apologies. But it loses a tons of points because the story just jumps around from one episode to the next. There's not much depth with the story. This book would've been a real read if she had gone more in depths about her relationships - let us know why she made her decisions, what triggered certain behaviors, and what changes (if any) she made in her life. Also, she should've gone into more emotional/intimate details about her relationship with Nas & Jay-Z, whether they were bad or good. And the biggest omission of the book was how her and Iverson stopped seeing each other. What happened? She builds this story about him, but all of a sudden he disappears from the book. What happened? I understand there are some details that she couldn't reveal, her story gets cut off way too many times and the reader is left with a ton of questions.Although I'm left a bit disappointed with the story, the book was a decent read - particularly since I'm a fan of NY hip hop.

This kindlebook that is It’s No Secret From NAS to Jay-Z From Seduction to Scandal A Hip-Hop Helen of Troy Tells All by Carmen Bryan has some colorful details of the author’s personal and professional life both before she met NAS and after she met NAS. It is refreshing how Bryan is no holds barred in being candid with implying ways/certain circumstances that utilized the resource of her beauty. Additionally, she references a moment when she unexpectedly got a hold of Russell Simmons on the phone before she realized who he was, how her life changed after she had her daughter, the roller coaster love life involving her and NAS, the nickname she had for Jay-Z, multiple celebrities referenced (Beyonce, Kelis, Larenz Tate, Allen Iverson etc), the dynamics of her and NAS’s late mother, the relationships that she had with her mother and grandmother, and more.

I loved this book simply because I am a huge Nas fan. His personality and life are such a mystery because he is so quiet and emotionless. I enjoyed the book because it gave me an inside look into his life and background. It also explains how the feud between Jay-Z and Nas began. The stories Carmen tells seems a bit one-sided and far fetched at times, but they are still entertaining. Growing up in the era of Jay-Z, Nas and Allen Iverson, I found this book a return to the times of hustling, basketball and hip-hop. Surprisingly, there were only few editing mistakes and confusing ramblings. The book is believable because at times she makes herself look really foul. Overall, I would recommend this book if you want to learn more about your favorite crushes or industry giants from the 90's.

I enjoyed the read. Good book.

I bought this with an open mind but was really disappointed still. The writer could get the reader on board if she approached it from a different angle but she alienates the reader by coming across as self absorbed, egotistical,delusional,and an embellisher of the truth. The story is essentially dull and very repetitive,and is basically about the fact that her and her two partners are all sleeping with other people and everyone is cheating left right and centre. If you have more than one braincell it will be a slow read with a suspiciously abrupt ending by a boring self important baby mama trying to get her five minutes of fame,as per usual throughout the book,by not actually doing an actual days work!

This book was all that I expected, although I'm not sure that is a good thing, given the content. As with Karrine Steffans' books, Carmen Bryan tends to paint herself more as a victim of circumstances, rather than admit her shortcomings leading to the incidents she details, specifically regarding Nas, Jay-Z, Allen Iverson et all. I did find myself laughing at some of her revelations - oh dear, Beyonce! - but all in all, an enjoyable "no brainer" type read - perfect for days spent relaxing on the beach.

Some juicy gossip and an easy read.I can't say that it was page turner but it was written well.

Love my books and Amazon sell the best condition ones

Wow - I'm a guy and I loved it. What a love triangle!