Hip-hop

In their catchy Oscar award-winning song, crunk rappers Three-6 Mafia claim, “It’s Hard Out Here For A Pimp.” But after meeting Milwaukee’s own Ken Ivey, known to the world as Pimpin’ Ken, I’m not so sure about Three-6’s observation. Pimpin’ Ken’s chunky jewelry, Versace shades, custom-made Italian suit and extravagant gator shoes aren’t the products of hard times.

There were a lot of flashy characters in HBO’s cult-classic “Pimps Up, Hoes Down” (1998), a documentary that explored the world of voluptuous hookers and their slick-talking, Rolls Royce-pushing “managers”. Even among this flamboyant bunch, Pimpin’ Ken stood out; at the end of the film, Ken won the coveted “Mack of the Year” award at the annual Player’s Ball. Now the man who declared that he’s “internationally known, nationally recognized and locally accepted” currently has a how-to guide in the bookstores. Pimpology: The 48 Laws of the Game marks Ken’s foray into the literary world,