Author: Seth Ferranti

Fat Cat and Pappy Mason are the most infamous and legendary figures out of New York’s crack era. A time that massively influenced rap culture and led to the ghetto icons becoming mythical figures in hip-hop’s lyrical lore. Not only did the street stars inspire rappers like Run DMC, LL Cool J and 50 Cent with their styles, attitudes and swagger, they set the tone for a generation of hustlers, gun thugs and drug barons, who tried to live up to the hype and standard of violence these street legends set, with their vicious and brutal foray into the drug game that transformed the black underworld as Uzi-toting drug thugs in bulletproof vests, Timberlands and BMW’s became the norm. This book details Fat Cat and Pappy Mason’s story chronicling their rise and fall in the annals of gangster lore. Both drug lords are imprisoned for life, due to their crimes and exploits, but their legends live on in hip-hop and popular culture. Written by noted true crime historian, Seth Ferranti, this is the most concise, prolific and detailed account of Fat Cat and Pappy Mason to date. It explores their lives and impact on hip-hop culture and America in general, as their violent and unconscious tactics ushered in the War on Drugs and mandatory minimum legislation that has affected millions, as the United States has become incarceration nation. Read how the street legends of the Southside of Jamaica Queens influenced hip-hop, the streets and the dope game, changing the course of American judicial policy and sentencing practices, with their blatant disregard for law and order.