Mixing It Up

From the MTV trailblazer, stand-up comedian, and actor, a hilariously candid memoir that is an intimate, entertaining, and heartfelt tour through the exclusive, elusive, and eternally iconic world of '90s pop culture. Imagine 50 Cent's Hustle Harder, Hustle Smarter written by a nerdy Black kid from Newark, New Jersey, who made it big despite the skepticism of his family. That's Mixing It Up. Bill Bellamy is Carlton Banks's slightly cooler and comedically inclined alter-ego--a guy who went against the grain and left a promising corporate career path to pursue comedy (much to the dismay of his family). Making the leap paid off--in ways Bill never expected. In Mixing It Up, he looks back at his time at MTV during the '90s, when the cable music channel was at the epicenter of pop culture. He recounts his legendary interviews with the biggest pop stars--Tupac, Biggie, and Kurt Cobain--making friends with Janet Jackson, and even coining the infamous term "booty call" on HBO's Def Comedy Jam. During his time at MTV, Bill broke color and class barriers, appearing four times a week on the network's various programs, including MTV Jamz and MTV Beach House. Mixing It Up is an exclusive, all-access backstage pass to Bill's career and life. It's all in here--memories, music, and unforgettable moments, including conversations with some of the decade's legendary artists, the best of the '90s celebri-tea, nostalgia, and insights on what it meant to be a tastemaker during one of the most exciting and innovative periods in music and American pop culture history. From the MTV trailblazer, stand-up comedian, and actor, a hilariously candid memoir that is an intimate, entertaining, and heartfelt tour through the exclusive, elusive, and eternally iconic world of '90s pop culture. Imagine 50 Cent's Hustle Harder, Hustle Smarter written by a nerdy Black kid from Newark, New Jersey, who made it big despite the skepticism of his family. That's Top Billin'. Bill Bellamy is Carlton Banks's slightly cooler and comedically inclined alter-ego—a guy who went against the grain and left a promising corporate career path to pursue comedy (much to the dismay of his family). Making the leap paid off—in ways Bill never expected. In Top Billin', he looks back at his time at MTV during the '90s, when the cable music channel was at the epicenter of pop culture. He recounts his legendary interviews with the biggest pop stars—Tupac, Biggie, and Kurt Cobain—making friends with Janet Jackson, and even coining the infamous term "booty call" on HBO's Def Comedy Jam. During his time at MTV, Bill broke color and class barriers, appearing four times a week on the network's various programs, including MTV Jamz and MTV Beach House. Top Billin' is an exclusive, all-access backstage pass to Bill's career and life. It's all in here—memories, music, and unforgettable moments, including conversations with some of the decade's legendary artists, the best of the '90s celebri-tea, nostalgia, and insights on what it meant to be a tastemaker during one of the most exciting and innovative periods in music and American pop culture history. "Bill Bellamy went against the grain and left a promising corporate career path to pursue comedy (much to the dismay of his family). In TOP BILLIN', Bill reflects on his time at MTV during the 90s, where the cable music channel was at the epicenter of pop culture. Bellay recounts his legendary interviews with Tupac, Biggie, and Kurt Cobain, to ultimately befriending Janet Jackson, to coining the infamous term "booty call" on HBO's Def Comedy Jam. Bellamy broke color and class barriers during his time as a staple on MTV, appearing on the network four times a week of numerous MTV programs, including MTV Jamz and MTV Beach House. TOP BILLIN' provides an exclusive, all-access backstage pass to conversations with some of the decade's biggest artists, the best of the 90s celebri-tea, nostalgia, and insights on what it meant to be a tastemaker during one of the most exciting and innovative moments in music and American pop cultural history"-- Provided by publisher