5 comments about Check the Technique: Liner Notes for Hip-Hop Junkies.

1. If you really love hip hop you'll buy this book... You already own all of the records covered, right? Right.



2. This book is essential for any fan of hip hop. It goes through classic albums track by track, and the forwards at the beginning of each chapter, describing where the artist, the music, and america was at the time of the albums creation, are very interesting themselves. The writing is competent, which is all we need since it is mostly interview style writing and the words are coming directly from the artist (and in some cases, industry execs) involved. Of course the choice of albums could have been different, some were unecessary (the Marley Marl record which only made it because of the track "The Symphony") and some just werent classic (Poor Righteous Teachers? huh?) but most are undeniable classics and have so much lore and mystery surrounding them it is nothing less than a blessing that Brain Coleman uncovered the story behind these records. Of course there are crucial records he left out, but i assume that he's saving those for the sequel.



3. This was a Christmas gift for my fiance! He absloutely loved it and was very surprised!!! :-)



4. Huge, ludicrously detailed accounts of the creation of pretty much all the most important albums in my life circa seventh grade. Warning: read near your stereo so you can put these back on as you read about them. You'll want to.



5. For all of us who grew up in the Golden Age of rap, the 80's and early 90's, Check The Technique is a must read. When these ground breaking albums broke, I was starved for information on how these artists began and found their inspiration. This book enlightens the reader to the rap scene of the time period, and truly provides an insight into what drove these artists to produce the best rap ever, and consequently inspire other artists around them. Though not all of the major artists and infuences from the time period are covered, the albums that are are the foundations of rap that many of today's artists would be well served in reading this book and getting back to the roots of the most important genre of music in the past 50 years.

2 comments about Born in the Bronx: A Visual Record of the Early Days of Hip Hop.

1. This book is very similar in content as " Yes Yes Y'all" especially the pictures within the book. The next best thing to time travel to the Boogie Down Bronx to see hip hop's genesis.



2. The best part of this book is the way is was edited. The flyers are cool and the text is ok. The photos are so-so--more valued because they are a record of--not a collection of great images. If you're a fan of hip-hop--this is it.

5 comments about Gotta Get Signed: How To Become A Hip-Hop Producer.

1. I think it was worth my money i got it along with a manual I purchased from Musicbrains.net on producing and selling beats.



2. I read this book and realized I was going about my career the wrong way. In order to be successful in a cut throat business such as this it is easier to learn things on your own and push your way into the door in stead of waiting and ringing the bell. This book also gave me great ideas on how to set up my studio without completely draining my pockets but still manage to make high quality mixes. I also saw the author at a seminar earlier this year, he keeps it real while still being informative unlike many others in this industry who can't tell you how to plug in a light let alone qualified enough to speak on a panel. If I could only read one this for the rest of my life it would be this because by the time I'd finished reading it over and over I'd be paid from all the tips given inside.



3. This book answer all question I had about beginning in the industry on how to become a producer.



4. i bought this for my boyfriend because he's going to Production school. He loves reading it becuase the arthur is down to earth and breaks everything down as far as what goes on in the production world & his past experiences.



5. I found this an excellent book written by a pro. First I like the cover design, the clarity of the text print, and the neat content organization. Next, the book provide you with a lot of useful information, practical advices on all the aspect relevant to a producer: talents, attitude, beats making toolz, record deals, finance, managing artists, gettin' paid, how to deal with R&A .. etc, and the book also have a very good resources section which the author gives us the list of songs for a samples library, address of record label and company.
   
   Overall, Gotta Get Signed is worth the money for me, because it helps me understand much more bout the producerz job.

1 comments about Race Music: Black Cultures from Bebop to Hip-Hop (Music of the African Diaspora).

1. Race Music is a wonderful example of music scholarship. Ramsey's work provides a rigourous, fresh, and inciteful look into African American Music. Unlike many music scholars who unsuccessfully negotiate the academic and popualar terrains simultaneously, Ramsey presents an unflinchingly academic book in a way that allows the lay public access into his wonderful world of idas. A must read!!!!

1 comments about Why White Kids Love Hip Hop: Wankstas, Wiggers, Wannabes, and the New Reality of Race in America.

1. This book offers a non-academic analysis of hip hop and why white kids love all aspects of hip hop culture. The book also uses hip hop as a lens to examine race relations in the US.
   
   This is not a dry, academic read, and it is well-researched without listing the litany of facts. The book is written for a lay audience. Parents might find this useful to get a "handle" on their kids' fascination w/ hip hop culture. The audience for this book is a wide lay audience. It's an engaging read and most will read it quickly.
   
   The author's section on Wiggas/Wanstas was the most compelling to me. The author did a great job of exploring how people (whites) might feel powerless in their own lives based on issues of class or just being angry about their situation and how hip hop music might speak to them, might take them to a different place.
   
   I appreciated the tone and the writing style. This a book worth reading.

5 comments about The Beastie Boys' Paul's Boutique (33 1/3).

1. I am not much of a Beasties fan. Like some of their music but their voices can drive me nuts at times, truth be told. I don't even own Paul's Boutique. I only bought this book on a lark as I knew the recording techniques forged within this record was a turning point of sorts in music. When I received the text in the post, I picked it up then could not put it down until I finished the entire thing. After that I went directly back to page one and started again from the top.
   
   The book begins in the late 80s and goes until '92 or so. Everyone the author discusses gets treated fairly, whether they deserve it or not. Delicious Vinyl is seen as a sort of west coast magnet for all things creative, though in truth they were a controversial label to say the least. Def Jam is somehow given a pass for not paying The Beasties over a million dollars in royalties after the author finds relevant quotes to show that Russell Simmons was just looking out for the group by stiffing them. The crazy thing is that everything seems so vivid, understandable and believable. It makes you long for those halcyon days when Joe Smith was CEO of Capitol Records but seemed more concerned with Magic Johnson's rebound average than any of his own recording acts. Of course, none of this makes any logical sense at all, but within the context of the book it is proven that some good things actually came out of this upside-down era in music.
   
   Rather than blow the book by revealing some of the sorrid details within it, I will simply say that whether you dig the Beasties or not, Pauls Boutique is worth a read. It is a fascinating story. Perhaps even the great Bob Mack himself could not have told this story any better.



2. ... and then I came here and read the unanimous 5-star reviews and agree with all of them.
   
   There's not much I can add that wouldn't be redundant.
   
   Except to say that "Paul's Boutique" -- one of my favorite albums -- has always kind of been shrouded in mystery. The album may be dense with information, but there's not a lot of background that I could find.
   
   This book changes all that. It is as filled with names and details as the album is full of samples.
   
   From Leroy's very well-reported account, we learn the backstory of the Dust Brothers and the mysterious Matt Dike (long rumored to be the main mastermind behind "Boutique") plus, a sampling of the late 80s L.A. scene from which this album emerged; we meet a host of side players like Mario C and Money Mark, and also the ill-fated exec Tim Carr (whose heart and mind, I'm convinced, where in the right place all along); there's the promotional wrangling that went on at Capitol before the release and after the record flopped; and also what was going on with the three main charcaters -- MCA, Ad Rock and Mike D -- who wanted to derail the locomotive of "License to Ill" and almost got crushed under the cattleguard.
   
   The book tells the story of the album, and at first I thought it kind of scrimped on the background of the recording of the individual songs, but it closes with a finely detailed track-by-track examination that reveals a lot (but not nearly all) of the samples that helped make up one of the richest, coolest, bangingest records ever made.



3. LeRoy knocks it out of the park. This book is what all the other books in the series should be. It's packed full of interesting information about before, during and after the making of the album. It's a fun read. Quick and easy. No filler.



4. poured through it in a couple of days, fantastic read during probably the most 'heady' times of the Boys. enjoy!



5. This book is the best source of information anywhere regarding Paul's Boutique.
   
   Highly recommended!

5 comments about Behind the Beat: Hip Hop Home Studios.

1. knocking off one star on this book for the way they packaged the CD
   it's in a little paper sleeve attached the back inside cover of the book
   
   Now, I like my things to stay as fresh and clean as possible and this book was a highly anticipated gift to myself. That's where my troubles started...
   I found it a bit difficult to get the CD out without practically ripping the paper sleeve open. Ever see a record sleeve that hasn't been cut to the right size, seams all busted out and split open. Not nice. Finally found that you gotta wiggle the disk back and forth (wikki-wikki-wikki-scratch-scratch with that fragile digital disc) to get the thing out.
   Just when you think you've got it, the little white gummy strips of industrial strength rubber tape that are supposed to keep the flap closed smear their sticky gummed up gummy gum crap all over the disk. Yum.
   Ruined the CD. Won't play at all now. Would like another one please thank you.
   
   Warning - remove and destroy tape as soon as you buy this book before it destroys you.
   
   I've got a number of books that have CDs packaged in them and this is the first one I've ever come across that was designed this poorly. You don't put the gas can next to the fireplace - don't put sticky snot like tape on a CD flap.



2. this book is awesome, would recommend this book to anyone who is into music, a dj. real nice book



3. I bought this for my boyfriend as a gift a couple years ago (he is a hip hop head) and it is seriously his favorite book. He loves going through the different studios and it seriously inspires him. A lot of the producers in there are not mainstream and he loves that.



4. I recently purchased this book about a month ago, and I was very pleased with the quality of the photographs this book had. I was also surprised that some of the producers featured in the book had a lot smaller set ups than I imagined. So, it's actually good for the up and comers, that are on a budget to see that, just because you don't have million dollar equipment, doesn't mean you can't make million dollar records.
   
   -David Grants.



5. I've never spent so much time analyzing a photo book. Each picture occupies me with about five minutes of psychoanalysis, trying to figure out the motives behind each piece of gear or memorabilia in the pictures. Each studio also confirms my hypothesis: the cleaner the home studio environment/setup, the less that actually gets done.

1 comments about Third Coast: OutKast, Timbaland, and How Hip-Hop Became a Southern Thing.

1. Roni Sarig does an amazing job of flipping the standard hip-hop history, by asserting the primacy of the South in hip-hop, both from a creative, popular, and sales perspective. He illuminates the family and industry links from the funk and soul eras of African-American music up through bounce, crunk, and trap music. He shows that the South has been a powerful presence in hip-hop for decades before it was readily acknowledged by the hip-hop media. The level of detail he includes is exhausting (in an fascinating way), referencing different scenes, rappers, producers, DJs, etc., through the years. Did you know Luther Campbell campaigned heavily for Janet Reno in her run for State Attorney General for Dade County back in the day? This is a tremendous work of invaluable research. Know your history!
   
   IK

3 comments about DJ Shadow's Endtroducing... (33 1/3) (33 1/3).

1. D.J. Shadow's 1996 album Endtroducing created a new sound sonic pop music was to follow for years, influencing electronica and reaching out to other forms. Music critic Eliot Wilder follows this change in ENDTRODUCING, which is basically one long interview with DJ Shadow via telephone during 2004. From DJ's passion for music to his involvement in mixing and interactions with some of the key electronica wizards of modern times, any who would understand the man or his music needs ENDTRODUCING in their collection.
   
   Diane C. Donovan
   California Bookwatch



2. This book is essentially a long interview by Wilder with Josh Davis, and if you've seen Scratch, you know that Shadow can be very articulate. In essence, Wilder guides the story and gives it context, but is basically letting Shadow speak for himself. They go the whole nine yards: delving into Davis' childhood, how he discovered hiphop, how he started making his first mixes and tracks, who he met and when, and how he made the album in question. The focus is one Endtroducing... but you get the arc of his whole career up to Private Press. A very worthwhile read, in my opinion.
   
   I supplemented my reading with the liner notes from the deluxe edition of Endtroducing... and also listened to the album and Preemptive Strike and all the b-sides. It's a fast read, you could finish in one sitting. Sold!



3. Shadow is one of my musical heros. His Brainfreeze and Product Placement mixes, alongside Entroducing are what I've always thought Hip-Hop should be. The 33 1/3 series is usually guys writing about their favorite LPs -- kinda boring, even if they are on some great stuff like Pink Floyd's "Piper at the Gates of Dawn." Anyway, this particular 33 1/3 diverges from that trend and has about a 80 page interview with Shadow that gives you a glimpse into his creative process on some level -- at least from a historical perspective. Shadow wasn't an instant success story, and you can read about the many mistrials he had at the beginning of his career, which is good for any music-maker who feels he's not quite understood. I didn't realize how close Shadow was to Paris, even to the extent that he purchased Shadow's first MPC.
   
   Good book for Shadow fans, sans the long-winded rock journalist introduction (which is only about 10 pages).

5 comments about The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash: My Life, My Beats.

1. I too bought the book when it came out, and finished it in three days.
   I consider Grandmaster Flash to be the best DJ ever. I was a bit taken by some of the incorrect text, Flash writes about one night in 1975 when Pete Jones was spinning "I will survive" and "Lets Start the Dance" - both songs were released in 1978!. Also, too much on the Sylvia Robinson scenarioes, and absolutely nothing on the Elektra years, thats the reason I bought the book, as some of his finest work was during that period.
   We all know the Sugar Hill story from other books. I wish I could be kinder, but as a b-boy and a music historian, I was left with a void.



2. The Adventures of G.M. Flash is a very quick and easy read. I grew up a huge fan of Flash, but anyone interested in reading a firsthand account of a culture that he helped create and see it evolve, then you must read this book. His personal story is full of more tragedy than triumph so it is remarkable that he survived everything to become a living icon.



3. This book is killer and yes there is some missing data but who cares. What makes me sad is the simple fact that it is NOT gracing the chains of Americas Books stores.
   The clueless idiots wouldn't be able to grasp how profound a character GM Flash is. Sadly they need more shelf space for another yet to be published WHO KILLED TUPAC Book
   
   Freddy Fresh
   Author of Freddy Fresh Presents The Rap Records and DJ/Artist
   Producer of several GM Flash Tracks for Marlborough Music
   [...]



4. It's a good book.
   
   At times when I read this book it made me realize that it really isn't 100% about hip hop, but about a man's struggle. How everyone's life can go zig zag zig... forward, back and hopefully forward again.
   
   It shed light on a few things for me: Like why Flash has such an articulate vernacular (read, nerdy sounding speech), whether all the rumors of him hitting rock bottom were true or not, & how he had an almost obsession w/ bettering Kool Herc, the originator of the Hip Hop style of dj-ing.
   
   The book is made up of very concise chapters that are quick and easy to read. There are a couple of things that I liked about the writing style too. There is an ongoing theme of how Flash relates everything to two records spinning, from the wheels on his bike to watching clothes spin in a laundromat when he is flat out busted and broke. Also at times the end of one chapter would purposely blend into the next chapter. Pretty much like Flash quick mixing at a set. And from a visual perspective, sometimes when there is an ascension or de-escalation of ideas or thoughts in a paragraph, the placement of letters in this paragraph were made to mimic this theme to form a set of steps or the like.
   ..
   
   In narrating his story Flash does skip or neglect to elaborate certain points quite often. I would have wanted to know a lil more of his dealings with Enjoy Records, how much he got from that "Flash Former" gadget, how successful he was after he split with Furious and then recorded w/ Electra, how he felt when he eventually went up against Kool Herc, etc., etc. etc.
   
   I dunno, maybe this just didn't fit into the way the book was set up. Maybe it would have killed that rise-fall-rise human drama theme that the overall book is exhibiting. I dunno. Maybe the authors thought that the average Joe w/ no knowledge of the Boogie Down Bronx wouldn't care or know better anyway?
   
   And yes there isn't really a significant amount of info about the early beginnings of hip hop. Perhaps the thinking is why retread that which can be found over and over again. The book "Yes, Yes, Yall" speaks encyclopedic volumes to that and is suitable for the layman and b-boy alike.
   
   The good thing here is that we get the opportunity to learn about Flash's early early life. He candidly speaks on things I never heard mentioned in previous interviews w/ him, like his parents, sisters and schooling. Not to mention how, although a self admitted nerd, he spins thru females like they are records, sometimes quick cutting, sometimes back spinning, sometimes just riding the groove out. All these things go on to shape him later in life.
   
   We learn about the young dj Flash before he was the Grand Master and how he always had to deal w/ the weight of being really skilled, but chained to a rag tag homemade sound system. One that the literal as well as musical "giant" of the time, Herc, would laugh at.
   ..
   
   I too give Flash dap for admitting that he was flat out afraid of Sylvia Robinson, Queen of Sugar Hill Records. Flat out afraid of losing his crew, having the haunting feeling that he as a dj, and not the now all important mc, would be relegated to the back of the bus.
   
   You feel for Flash when he comes to the realization that his place as a non-rhyming dj, at Sugar Hill Records, Sugar Hill Studios & the Sugar Hill mansion is no place. You feel for him when his very first mc, Cowboy, spits at him "It ain't about you no more Flash". And when childhood friend EZ Mike takes his place in a reinvented lineup, who can't help but see the correlation of Brutus thrusting the final dagger into the chest of Grand Master Caesar.
   ..
   
   Like I mentioned earlier there may have been issues with editing & also trying to cram things into such a concise format. I can see a couple of errors w/ records not correlating with dates. And on the technical side, in one passage he mentions a device he made for himself to aid in mixing records, the peek-a-boo system, as if he had mentioned it earlier in the book when he had not. There are also slight grammatical & spelling errors here & there.
   
   Also, Flash goes a hell of a long way to mention how he developed his mixing technique. He deals at length w/ that and I can only think someone who has never gotten behind 1200's or a pair of Thorens :) might be lulled to sleep by it. But of course this is exactly what defined a "kid named Flash"!
   
   Also I see a lot of books and movies that use devices or techniques to make the style, flow or storyline of the book more cohesive. You yourself can sometimes right off the bat tell hat it has been made up, sometimes not. (Take for instance in the Movie "Malcolm X", The guy that teaches Malcolm the knowledge of self while he is incarcerated. That character was made by Spike Lee to tell the story more smoothly and didn't actually exist in the book or reality.)
   
   Flash relates of a friend who helped him see the light, helped him get on track when he needed it, helped him sort the b.s. out when it was tuff. I really hope that this wasn't just a contrived literary device and someone that was really on the real. Because that is someone or something that we all need in our lives now and then :)
   True dat.
   
   At times when I read this book it made me realize that it really isn't 100% about hip hop, but about a man's struggle. How everyone's life can go zig zag zig... forward, back and hopefully forward again.
   
   It's a good book.



5. Grand Master Flash laid a foundation for Hip-Hop DJ's today. Of course there was Kool Herc and others, but Flash took it to the next level by putting rappers and breakers on the map. I always said a rapper is nothing without a good DJ and in his autobiography Flash actually educates inspiring DJ's unwillingly not just on how to spin records but he tells you what sounds good and what doesn't and how to keep the crowds moving. While I was popping my fingers with nostalgia, I was also filled with emotions from his troubled life. I was glad to be invited into his life and truly understand what DJ's experience both personally and while on the set. I wish him the best on his new path. And while I appreciate how much Hip-Hop has grown today, I respect Flash's mark on its history, in a "grand masterful" way.