Page 29 - ARUBA TODAY

A29
PEOPLE & ARTS Friday 9 March 2018
Book Review: Fox invites viewers 'inside'

'Raw' tells classic the mind of O.J. Simpson

rags-to-riches tale By MARK KENNEDY

AP Entertainment Writer
By TRACEE M. HERBAUGH ing and sexist language NEW YORK (AP) — Fox TV is
Another celebrity memoir — to the point that some offering viewers a chance
has graced the genre, and readers might be turned to go "inside" O.J. Simpson's
this time it's from a lesser- off. But as the title suggests, head when it airs a previ-
known member of the mul- the book aims to give a ously unseen 2006 interview
tiplatinum rap group Wu- in which he theorizes about
Tang Clan. what happened the night
"Raw: My Journey into the his ex-wife was murdered.
Wu-Tang" by Lamont "U- Airing Sunday, "O.J. Simp-
God" Hawkins tells a clas- son: The Lost Confession?"
sic rags-to-riches tale, from will include the ex-football
drug dealing on the streets star's fictionalized "confes-
of New York City during sion" to the 1992 murder of
the crack epidemic in the ex-wife Nicole Brown Simp-
1980s to fame and fortune. son and her friend, Ronald
It's a nostalgic look back Goldman.
on hip-hop music and the "This is him in his own words
wild times in New York City giving you a window into
before it became a play- his psychology," said Ter-
ground for the rich. ence Wrong, the special's
Like many rappers, U-God's executive producer. "He's
rough childhood influ- This book cover image re- actually going to put you
enced and shaped him. leased by Picador shows inside his head — his very
U-God was born to a single "Raw: My Journey into the complicated head — at In this July 20, 2017 file photo, former NFL football star O.J. Simp-
son attends his parole hearing at the Lovelock Correctional
mom, and the pair lived in Wu-Tang," by Lamont U-God various points." Center in Lovelock, Nev.
public housing in Browns- Hawkins. At the heart of the two-hour Associated Press
ville, Brooklyn, the same Associated Press special is an on-camera in-
neighborhood Mike Tyson terview Simpson gave to Nicole Brown Simpson; anti- around," he said. Regan
comes from. During his raw account of Hawkins' publisher Judith Regan 12 domestic violence advo- asks what he means and
childhood, U-God moved experience. years ago as part of a pro- cate Rita Smith; and retired Simpson replies: "Blood and
with his mother to the Park Hip-hop fans will appreci- motional push for Simpson's FBI profiler Jim Clemente. stuff around." He said he
Hill projects on Staten Is- ate plenty of behind-the- book "If I Did It." Soledad O'Brien is the host. and Charlie then fled and
land. Still, it's in the projects scenes looks at the lifestyle The airing of the interview The special will examine tossed bloody clothes.
where he met some of his of a rich and famous rap- was quickly scrapped after the first time Simpson met Simpson was acquitted of
future Wu-Tang clansmen. per. Once Wu-Tang be- an outcry and the footage Nicole, trace their tem- criminal charges by jurors in
"Death was always a part came known worldwide, languished for years. "This pestuous relationship, take one of the most high profile
of my life," Hawkins writes. there was ever-present was literally misplaced," viewers into the murders, cases in years but found re-
"I remember the first time I booze, women and party- Wrong said on Thursday the white Bronco chase, sponsible in a subsequent
saw somebody die. I was ing with other celebrities. before screening 45 min- the trial and verdict and af- civil trial.
only about four or five Yet, the book isn't an entire utes of the interview for termath, plus how he pro- Wrong said that Darden
years old." recount of years spent trav- journalists. cesses his wife's death and speculates during the TV
For children like U-God in eling the globe and party- Wrong, who previously pro- his relationship with his kids. special that Charlie is Simp-
the Park Hill projects, op- ing in mansions. There are duced the shows "NY Med" In the interview with Regan, son's way of creating an al-
portunities other than sell- rivalries among bandmates and "Boston Med," was Simpson talked about how ter ego to give himself cov-
ing drugs were scant. He over money and recording asked in mid-January to put he would have commit- er in his mind for the crime.
learned to sell crack, man- time. U-God also discusses together the Fox special by ted the murders "if he were Regan had originally in-
age others underneath him some personal trials like the Rob Wade, president of the one responsible." He terviewed Simpson for a
in the chain of command shooting of his son and the alternative entertainment describes going to Nicole book to be published by
and the beginning of rap. overdose of clansmen Rus- and specials at Fox. Brown Simpson's home her HarperCollins imprint,
In a refreshing departure sell Tyrone Jones, known as "He said, 'I've got this box with an accomplice, a so- ReganBooks. But "If I Did It"
from the typical ghost- Ol' Dirty Bastard. of tapes here. It's incred- called friend named Char- was dropped in response
written celebrity memoir, So, if you like hip-hop mu- ible. We don't really know lie, who brought along a to widespread outrage.
it seems much of U-God's sic, memoirs or even mod- what's on it. Can you look knife. Simpson said he had She was fired in 2006, about
own voice was retained. ern history, it's worth giving through it?'" Wrong said. words with Goldman and a month after News Corp.
There's ample slang, curs- "Raw" a read.q He said he was stunned by his ex-wife that escalated. canceled the project. She
the footage but felt that "As things got heated, Ni- sued and settled for an un-
the original questioning of cole fell and hurt herself," disclosed sum.
Simpson was too light and he said on the tape. Fox, which like HarperCol-
decided to balance his ac- In Simpson's telling, Gold- lins was owned by News
count with analysts. man assumed a martial Corp., planned to air a
Wrong assembled a panel arts pose and Simpson says two-part special before
that includes Regan; at- he recalls grabbing the the book's planned 2006
torney Christopher Darden, knife. "To be honest, after release.
part of the team that pros- that, I don't remember ex- But the network reversed
ecuted Simpson; a repre- cept I'm standing there course after some Fox affili-
linda.reijnders@cspnv.com sentative from the family of and there's all kind of stuff ates balked.q