An insider in the world of gangsta rap reveals his experiences, and the dark and violent underbelly of the music world that ultimately killed his charge, Tupac Shakur This dispatch from America's favorite frightening subculture explores that most necessary component of the gangsta-rap-star lifestyle, the body guard. Alexander was Tupac Shakur's bodyguard during the last year of his life. That may not be an ideal professional credential, but it does lend him the authority to present, with the help of a freelance writer, the gangsta life from the perspective of, uh, security. His contribution to the literature of that wastrel lifestyle's excesses is significant for its lucidity and for his informed musings on the thug lifestyle in general and the death of Biggie Smalls in particular. Conjecture about shifting relationships in the big-money, bitter-rivalry gangsta world gains more credence when delivered by an insider, even or especially one who, like Alexander, professes no bitterness toward past or present rivals. In the welter of books about gangsta, Got Your Back stands tall, not to mention its packing slightly more ordnance than the others. Mike Tribby This memoir of the last year in rapper Tupac Shakur's life tries to give the inside story but is hampered by the writers falling into the very trap they set out to disarm. Before entering the world of Death Rowthe name of Shakur's record label, run by the notorious Marion ``Suge'' KnightAlexander had escaped the ghettoes of Chicago by serving in the Marines and later as a prison guard in southern California. Maybe partly because of this, he gives a point of view different from the tabloids of the principal figures in the East Coast/West Coast rivalry largely regarded as responsible for fueling the murders of Shakur and rival ``Biggie'' Smalls. The author genuinely sees Shakur as a human being and wants to separate him from the ``thug life'' aura that he emanated. Ultimately, though, Alexander fails because he devotes too much attention to the thug. For instance, a whole section of the book is dedicated to Shakur's exploits with women, most often termed ``bitches'': Salli is a very pretty girl, a complete package. Her hair and skin were the same color of caramel brown, and she had a fine little body. The disrespect shown for Shakur's principal ``girlfriend'' during this time, Kidada Jones, daughter of music-industry superstar Quincy Jones, is astounding. Alexander makes it quite clear that Shakur used her to get to her father and really didnt care for her (He wasnt all up on that girlfriend shit, after all). The book is too weighed down with guilt over Alexanders inability to prevent Shakurs death, a theme endlessly repeated in the closing pages. Finally, Alexander and coauthor Cuda (who also coauthored Ice Ts The Ice Opinion, not reviewed) will leave some readers wrestling with the idiom of the world they are writing about and in which their narrative is couched. (8 pages b&w photos, not seen) (Author tour) -- Copyright ©1998, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.