Queens Reigns Supreme: Fat Cat, 50 Cent and the Rise of the Hip Hop Hustler, the critically-acclaimed debut novel by New York Magazine contributing writer Ethan Brown, is coming to the small screen.
The Mottola Company has optioned film and television rights to the book, which takes a look at how the streets and housing projects of southeast Queens, New York took over the rap industry during the 1980s and '90s.
The book also examines the infamous southeast Queens crews and their connections to gangster culture in hip hop today.
Thomas D. Mottola, founder of The Mottola Company, will serve as executive producer for the project, along with producing partner Jeb Brien.
The duo will develop the novel for television.
"While it's obviously an honor to work with a music industry icon like Tommy Mottola what makes this project such a thrill for me is that Mr. Mottola truly grasps what 'Queens Reigns Supreme' is all about," Brown told AllHipHop.com. "I can't imagine a better team to bring 'Queens Reigns Supreme' to television than the folks at the Mottola Company."
The book, based on police wiretaps and exclusive interviews with drug kingpins and hip-hop insiders, offers insight into the rise and fall of reputed hustlers like Lorenzo "Fat Cat" Nichols, Gerald "Prince" Miller, Kenneth "Supreme" McGriff, and Thomas "Tony Montana" Mickens.
"This is by far one of the most visual stunning and engrossing stories to debut in a very long time," Mottola added. "Immediately after reading it, I contacted Ethan and we decided that it was a natural for television. We were very fortunate in that Ethan saw eye-to-eye with us on exactly how to take this from the printed page to the screen, without sacrificing its visceral account of an American-born subculture that’s at once colorful, exceptionally influential and, given the violence, tragic."
The novel chronicles a 25-year period, from the violence of the crack era to Run DMC to the infamous murder of NYPD rookie Edward Byrne, to the feuds between Ja Rule and 50 Cent.
Brown, who resides in New York, writes about pop music, crime, and drug policy for publications such as Wired, New York, Rolling Stone, The Village Voice, and GQ.
The Mottola Company has optioned film and television rights to the book, which takes a look at how the streets and housing projects of southeast Queens, New York took over the rap industry during the 1980s and '90s.
The book also examines the infamous southeast Queens crews and their connections to gangster culture in hip hop today.
Thomas D. Mottola, founder of The Mottola Company, will serve as executive producer for the project, along with producing partner Jeb Brien.
The duo will develop the novel for television.
"While it's obviously an honor to work with a music industry icon like Tommy Mottola what makes this project such a thrill for me is that Mr. Mottola truly grasps what 'Queens Reigns Supreme' is all about," Brown told AllHipHop.com. "I can't imagine a better team to bring 'Queens Reigns Supreme' to television than the folks at the Mottola Company."
The book, based on police wiretaps and exclusive interviews with drug kingpins and hip-hop insiders, offers insight into the rise and fall of reputed hustlers like Lorenzo "Fat Cat" Nichols, Gerald "Prince" Miller, Kenneth "Supreme" McGriff, and Thomas "Tony Montana" Mickens.
"This is by far one of the most visual stunning and engrossing stories to debut in a very long time," Mottola added. "Immediately after reading it, I contacted Ethan and we decided that it was a natural for television. We were very fortunate in that Ethan saw eye-to-eye with us on exactly how to take this from the printed page to the screen, without sacrificing its visceral account of an American-born subculture that’s at once colorful, exceptionally influential and, given the violence, tragic."
The novel chronicles a 25-year period, from the violence of the crack era to Run DMC to the infamous murder of NYPD rookie Edward Byrne, to the feuds between Ja Rule and 50 Cent.
Brown, who resides in New York, writes about pop music, crime, and drug policy for publications such as Wired, New York, Rolling Stone, The Village Voice, and GQ.
