Trick Baby

The Story of a White Negro

By: Iceberg Slim

Narrated by: Cary Hite

Length: 10 hrs and 9 mins

Publisher's Summary

This is the gritty truth, the life of a hustler in South Side Chicago, where the only characters are those who con and those who get conned.

Trick Baby tells the story of White Folks, a blue-eyed, light-haired con artist whose pale skin allows him to pass in the streets as a white man. Folks is tormented early in life, rejected by other children and branded a "trick baby", a child conceived between a hooker and her trick. Refusing to abandon his life in the ghetto and a chance at revenge, Folks is taken under the wing of an older mentor, Blue. What happens next is unbelievable.

Only Slim could bring us the story of a hustler forced to learn the game and rise to the top. It's Slim's story, and he tells it the only way he knows how: in the language of the streets.

©2011 the Robert Beck Estate (P)2014 Blackstone Publishing, and Urban Audiobooks

This was the wrong narrator for the book.

I like this narrator and LOVE THIS BOOK, but they don't sute each other. The protagonist " White Folks" is a smooth taking con man. "Iceburg Slim" is a chill pimp. For some reason the hole story is read with a hard and angry edge.

The heavy edge isn't compatible with the characters or storyline. It's a huge distraction from this great story.

Not really my cup of tea

What I liked about the book was the suspense and the story line. What I didn't care too much about was the length of the book. I gave this book a try to find something new and it just wasn't my favorite. Although this wasn't the best book I have listened to I know my fiancee would like this book. If you like books about scheeming, con artists and trickery this book would intrigue you.

The Ins and Outs of the Con Game

Would you listen to Trick Baby again? Why?

Gary Hite has an excellent voice. It's like hearing the whole story in an old barbershop. In fact this was kind of the story you would hear in a barbershop.

Who was your favorite character and why?

I liked Blue because he wanted to be the protector. He was the senior man, but like "Folks" he had weaknesses that ultimately foiled his character.

Which scene was your favorite?

When folks was chasing after the poisonous woman and never found her. It was a nightmare scenario that few people will admit to.

Who was the most memorable character of Trick Baby and why?

All the characters were memorable.

Any additional comments?

This was a lot better than Pimp. Robert Beck aka Iceberg was one of the best writers of any kind of fiction.

Mr. White Folks

Now I see where the white pimp from the HBO documentary Pimps Up Hoes Down got his name from.

A gritty story

What a story told about a life while sharing a cell. White folks life as told by him and captured forever by Iceberg Slim.

Awesome

I truly enjoyed this story. it paints a vivid picture of the protagonist, and leaves you wanting for more.

I really enjoyed this book

I wasn't really expecting the way it ended but then again how could it have been any other way. I guess I was really enjoying the characters as they were. I was riveted by the goddess's abrupt climax even though it couldn't have gone any other way given her attitude and his real life.
Iceberg Slim did a wonderful job keeping one chapter connected to the next.

Intriguing

A great read. Kept me wondering. The ending had me happy & sad,happy that he made it in spite of it all

THE Instructions

Just as 2pac's lyrics are classic royalty within the rap game, Iceburg’s words are a goal of all writers to attain the language that anyone has been able to attain as of yet. As rappers continue to fail to be the next 2pac, I look forward to the urban fiction writers to continue to reach for the unattainable glory that will always be out of reach. Iceburg really captures all levels of being black, he describes how "light skin" blacks are treated and how we really don’t belong within the white community or the black community. He captures the pain that I felt in my generation and somehow encompassed EVERY generation from the time we got off the ships to the instagram models of today. These are the kinds of books that you can read over and over throughout your life and still pick new things up as you mature Oh how I wish he would have lived to teach psychology, sociology and African American studies department of a college describes the fear and hatred from whites towards blacks then and how they really feel about us right now. All of this in this book written so far before I was even born but is still so very relevant... in chapter 18 and 19 to be exact.

It was ok

I think they could have went more into detail with his character instead of introducing useless characters