3 comments about Rap Attack 3.

1. "All music has a history, shameful or illustrious, but for a 14-year old chilling out in Playland, white nylon anorak with the hood pulled tight and maybe a pair of Nike kicks with the tongues pulled out, what matters in the mini-phones plugged into the Walkman (or one of its cheaper variants) is the post-NASA - Silicon Valley - Atari - TV Break Out - Taito - Sony - Roland - Linn - Oberheim - Lucas - Speilberg groove." That's David Toop on the "electro" music of the early '80s--just one of many subjects handled with real sensitivity and street smarts in _Rap Attack_, a classic text now in its third edition. A musician as well as a writer, Toop conveys the magnitude of hip hop's revolution in sound--combining the musique concrete of Edgar Varese with the urban frenzy of a Bronx social club at 2:00 a. m.--but also its verbal genius, a lineage extending from the griots of Northern Nigeria to "doin' the dozens" to Kool Keith. With a dry wit and the erudition of a walking pop-music encyclopedia, Toop tells the tale of the amazing homegrown phenomenon that by 1998 "had overtaken country music to become America's biggest-selling format."



2. This is a serious, thorough, warmly written book about a musical genre that until very recently was given short shrift by most music critics. Toop dived head-first into the subject and immersed himself in the history, culture and mythology of hip-hop. His enthusiasm is infectious. One of the best books about music I've read.



3. First published 1984, then with a few extra chapters. This was on publication essential reading and remains so. It combines a good account of hip Hop's formation and antecedents with a look at the contemporary scene..labels, artists and crews. It is particularly good for tracing themes within the culture and cross referencing them to earlier music. Well written, suitable for all ages with classic photos, every Hip Hop fan should own this.

5 comments about From Pieces to Weight: Once Upon a Time in Southside Queens.

1. when I read his book he had some facts that I didn't know about. his book should reach the #1 spot on the book list.



2. I read the book From Pieces to Weights, by 50 cent. This book showed me how the streets are a hard place. There are a lot of people that think the streets are a horrible place and that there dangerous. Well they are dangerous, but there not horrible and many people think that there are horrible people that live in the area. This book showed me that many people on the streets hustling are really trying to find themselves. This book also showed me not to judge the people that are selling the drugs.
   
   This book really touched me with what 50 cent was going though. His mom was killed for selling drugs and then he went and started to sell drugs. I really think he didn't have a choice because it's what he saw everyday. He watched his aunts and uncles and everyone else on the streets, and he probably thought that it was the right thing to do. This book was very well writing and I got hooked to it. I think 50 cent did a great job at telling his story.
   
   I would recommend this book to anyone, I think mostly people who don't really know about the streets because it tells you a lot. I wouldn't recommend this book to people that do not like bad language used a lot. This book was very entertaining. I suggest you read it.



3. I recently purchased this book for my fiance, who, obviously, loves 50 Cent. He read the first 50 pages the day it arrived, and I must tell you, he is NOT the type of person to sit down and read a book. It's about 50's life in Southside Queens and his experiences as a child up until his fame. While my fiance finds this book inspirational and exciting, I find the writing style to be fairly simple with 50 reiterating well-known facts (ex. You can't have life without death) and also presenting himself as an arrogant, almost martyr-type of character. Why do I say that? He talks about himself and his experiences in life (which may or may not be exaggerated) and repeatedly states that what he has gone through should be used as an example to others. He blames the media for his portrayal as a "bullet riddled rapper" but obviously, 50 uses it to his advantage without much complaint. He tries to come off as a mentor and inspiration, but I really did find him irritating at times. I think their are better role models for others to look up to. I'd rather read Sidney Poitier's memoirs than idolize 50 Cent. But that's just my view. For 50 Cent lovers, they'll be inspired and amazed.



4. From Pieces To Weight was a great book and I gave it five stars because of the writer's vivid descriptions of the harsh things that he experienced in his life. 50 Cent had to go through a really rough life. His mom died when he was a kid and he never new who his father was. 50 Cent knew he was going to be a drug dealer because everyone in his family sold drugs. I'm not going to give away the rest of the book but I suggest you read this book, it is really good.



5. This is a great book that shows the life of 50 (Curtis Jackson). It was written in a manner that was easy to read and kept you waiting to see what happened next. I highly recommend this book even if you are not a big fan of his music because it shows the story of how someone can make it big even when the odds are stacked against him.

1 comments about Wax Poetics Anthology.

1. Un libro que responde al espiritu de la revista, impulsando esa visión de la música que no se termina en el marketing, sino comprendiendola como un fenomeno sociologico complejo.

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 Tupac Shakur Legacy.

1. Excellent book. The copies of tupacs writings etc are unbelievably realistic. The CD is fantastic. If you are a Tupac (2Pac) fan this is a must have book



2. I bought this book for my son-in-law who is much interested in Tupac. When I opened it, I was amazed at how beautifully put together the book is. It has an innovative, creative format which combines story, photo, and the primary source materials of his life. I know this is probably a pretty academic review--but really, this is a creative, gorgeous, well- designed auto/biography. Excellent.



3. This book is incredible. The book is full of life with photos, documents, blueprints, and much more. Readers will be pleased with all of the detachable documents and things that somehow make you feel closer to Pac. My mom and I were in tears when we read on of the detachable court documents that a father wrote to a judge regarding Tupac's true character. He stated that his son was deathly ill and had one final wish that Tupac granted. What a tear jerker!! Read and enjoy. You will come away inspired and more in love with a man that helped change the way we perceived thugs and how we felt about hop-hop.



4. I think this book it`s wonderful and really excellent brilliant thing I `ve ever read
   Thank you!



5. THIS BOOK IS SO GREAT,I EXPECTED IT TO BE GREAT, BECAUSE EVERY TUPAC BOOK THAT I HAVE I PICK OUT CAREFULLY TO MAKE SURE, I CHOOSE THE RIGHT CHOICE, BUT THIS IS THE BEST ONE BY FAR, IT EVEN HAS TUPAC'S GROCERY LIST IN IT, NOW, HOW AMAZING IS THAT, IS NOT EVERDAY, THAT YOU GET TO OWN YOUR FAVORITE IDOL'S GROCERY LIST, YOU ACTUALLY GET TO HOLD HIS PRISON CARD, INSTEAD OF LOOKING AT IT IN A BOOK, IT HAS A RARE PICTURE IN THERE TOO, IT HAS HIS RESTURANT MENU IN THERE THAT HE WAS GOING TO OPEN UP, THE POWEKEA CAFE, THAT IS SO GREAT, I HAVE ALWAYS DREAMED OF A BOOK LIKE THIS, AND WHEN THIS BOOK ARRIVED TO ME, MY DREAM TURNED INTO A REALITY, THIS IS A GREAT BOOK, YOU'D BE CRAZY NOT TO GET IT IF YOU ARE A TUPAC FAN, YOU ARENT A OFFICAL TUPAC FAN, UNTIL YOU HAVE OWN THIS BOOK, TRUST ME, YOU WONT REGRET IT ONE BIT,
   
   MUCH LOVE, CASSIE YOUR BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBIGGGGGGGGGGGESSSSSSSSSSSSSST FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
   IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
   TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTHE
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   WHOLE WIDE WWWWWWWWWORLD ,-)

5 comments about Young, Black, Rich, and Famous: The Rise of the NBA, the Hip Hop Invasion, and the Transformation of American Culture.

1. In the book, Young Black Rich and Famous, Dr. Todd Boyd talks about the struggles young African American men and women have in the United States. He uses basketball and the hip-hop nation as a giant metaphor, illustrating their reach for the American Dream. In his attempt to make his analogy, I feel he barely backs up his contention about hip-hop. Boyd does color his content with quotes from rapiers such as Notorious B.I.G. and Jay-Z, but he doesn't go in depth with his ideal synopses. He does talk broadly about basketball though. I fill he over-powers his context with sports facts instead of getting strait to the point. I think he uses a lot of "fluff" to try and fill in his points with basketball. He talks in his book about "Keeping It Real", but my opinion is that he is far from that. I will give him the benefit of the doubt though. Along with the abysmal content, there were many times in the book that he has put some hefty passages that were mind-boggling. In conclusion, this book did change my perspective on things. And that's keeping it real.



2. I dig whenever Todd Boyd is on a Project because He has a way with words.this Book puts alot into Perspective&Bridges many a gap.I was hoping for more Pulling together of Hip-Hop with the NBA a bit more but overall this Book makes for a Pretty Good read.



3. Todd Boyd takes the notion of the hip-hop industry and basketball being synonymous to an entirely new level. With fluid and memorable references to the similarities of how hip-hop came from the streets, to the formation of how basketball is now the newest form of hip-hop, Boyd captures the essence of the sport like no other.

   Using references of how both dominate the streets and how the world of basketball has been changed thereafter, Boyd highlights the game and its glitches, from racism down to the money-making formula that has taken hold today. With no stone unturned, readers are carried through moments of fame, glory and the challenges that former and current NBA players face, including dealings within the drug game and how money-making opportunities being offered today are very similar in nature.

   Although basketball used to be a quiet and unnoticed, it has now emerged as a dominant and lucrative force in the professional sports arena. With unparalleled style, YOUNG BLACK RICH & FAMOUS details the life that almost every young black man dreams of. The NBA, its lucrative deals and opportunities have transformed the way everyone looks at young black males and the actual sport today. Actually, it's quite obvious that basketball has emerged as the new "American" sport. They said it couldn't be done and couldn't happen - next question: Who's Ballin' Now?

   Reviewed by T. Belinda Williams
   of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers




4. Dr. Boyd hits it on the head with this piece about basketball and hip-hop. The only way a book like this can be written the way it was is if you are a part of the culture yourself, because if not, it will not be easy to understand. I, for one, love it because he uses teams from the 80's, such as the Georgetown Hoyas, the early 90's with the Fab Five of the Michigan Wolverines, and other teams, players, and events in the game which took me back in time. When he speaks about these things, you can see the connection with hip-hop, such as Allen Iverson's influence, and others lack thereof. He uses lyrics from some of the hip-hop's greats, but like I mentioned before, you must be a part of the culture or at least familiar with it to see what he is trying to say. He keeps it real throughout the book and gives credit where it is due while being critical at the same time. 'Ball and hip-hop have a unique bond, and the significance of it cannot be ignored.



5. Using the tools of a critical theorist, Todd Boyd sets out to analyze the quest for freedom of expression and existence, as it is played out on the basketball court and within the Black cultural renaissance of Hip-Hop music. American basketball, as it is played and lived by young African American men and Hip-Hop culture both resist being co-opted by mainstream America. They have both moved from the purlieus of the larger American popular cultural purview to occupy a unique space at the vortex of the American global marketing machine. Within this framework, America and the world, are live witnesses of the creative expression of black culture as it is lived and informed by black rather than white norms and of the global representation of American popular culture, in the face of black rather than white men. Such an analysis requires that one is able to navigate seamlessly between the theoretical constructs of critical theory, the lyrical genius of the Notorious B.I.G. and the choreographic grace of his Airness, Michael Jordan, all the while "keeping it real" as only a Black man can do. Boyd is successful in his methodological approach as he delivers with stunning detail the nuances of what it means to be young, black, rich and famous in America.
   Boyd's expertise as a critical theorist is evident as he lays out the theoretical framework for the book and adeptly situates his theory within the venue of the National Basketball Association where Hip-Hop music has become the new national anthem. In addition, his background as a journalist and sports enthusiast gives him a solid foundation from which he recounts more than thirty years of basketball history. As an African American man and scholar, Boyd brings lived as well as critical experience to the understanding of the emergence of Hip-Hop culture as a counter hegemonic movement on the American landscape.
   Boyd identifies the creative genius of the African American style of basketball at the center of a transformation that has taken place in the NBA. It is basketball, with its low equipment cost, ability to be played in small places, and its capacity to be played alone, that is uniquely suited for the African American urban reality. Basketball provides African American "ballers" the creative canvass on which portraits of individualized representations of freedom may be painted.
   Reminiscent of the aesthetic rhythm of a Magic Johnson assist to James Worthy, Boyd show how the lyrics, the style of dress and the overall attitude of Hip-Hop has informed a new generation "Hip-Hop ballers" in the NBA. Boyd connects the freestyle of play in this new generation of ballers to the freedom of style and expression that is epitomized in Hip-Hop culture.
   The connection between Hip-Hop and how it influences the rise of freestyle play in the NBA, and the uncompromising and unassimilated attitude of the young, black, rich and famous NBA stars is critical to Boyd's central theme. Boyd does an outstanding job in developing his thesis along the lines of the transformation of the NBA through these new school players. However, he fails to do justice to the emergence and the development of Hip-Hop as a cultural phenomenon. The book focuses on the transformation of the NBA and Hip-Hop is used primarily as the background music throughout the process. Boyd also neglects the significance of the WNBA as a creative context for African American woman, or perhaps as a restrictive platform for a black female cultural contribution. Finally, Boyd leaves important questions unanswered: Does the power to maintain one's personal freedom and individual creativity only lend itself to the "rich and famous"? If so, how should we address the simply "young and black"?
   Overall, the work makes a significant contribution to the growing body of literature that concerns itself with the radical reconstruction of race and representation in a global society. Students and academicians of critical theory, critical race theory, and cultural anthropology will find the examination of the NBA and Hip-Hop as fascinating contexts in which to study race representations and the indigenous creation of cultural norms. In addition, the book provides for the sports enthusiast, a tremendous insight into the evolution of the game of basketball as it distinguishes itself from baseball and football, as the only major professional sport in which individual creativity has transformed the sport, and in doing so transformed the culture.
   In the end Boyd makes a shocking revelation that shows that as the NBA gains global popularity as an American cultural commodity, the global spokesperson for American culture is increasingly a black man.

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

No comments about Bismarck (Profiles in Power Series).

5 comments about Queens Reigns Supreme: Fat Cat, 50 Cent, and the Rise of the Hip Hop Hustler.

1. If your from Queens, or you have listened to 90's rap, then this is a good book for you. It explains the litany of characters(criminals) mentioned in so much gangster rap. It is also gives excellent accounts of the "crack" years of NYC in Queens. There were so many locations in Queens, that I was stunned to find out the history of. Well worth the cheap purchase price!



2. I read this book in its entirety today. It bought back a lot of memories and pain. As a 38YO husband, father of 3 beautiful children, with a wonderful wife and 18 year IT career, I grew up during the 80's crack epidemic. I sold drugs. I was a crack addict. I watched childhood friends involved in the drug game die. I saw beautiful women become crack addicts. Even then, as a teenager, I wondered why something so small could cause so much destruction. This book reveals a lot. How drugs almost destroyed Urban America, in particular NYC. This book should serve as a history lesson to young people who view rappers as gangsters. "Real gangsters move in silence". This book should also serve as a reminder to people who survived the devastating decade that was the 80's. "Never forget where you come from".
   
   It's easy for privileged people to dismiss the urban population; however when you have people that are disenfranchised, suffer abject poverty, and lack educational, creative, and/or financial opportunities; the majority will do whatever necessary to create opportunities for themselves, even if it means hurting their own. It's unfortunate that the crack epidemic was largely ignored until children of White America started dying.
   
   Although the author highlights the exploits of particular South Queens drug gangs, I think the overall context of the book should be reviewed in a larger perspective: From the Civil Rights inequality, to government disenfranchisement, as a result of Vietnam, subsequent escapism via drug abuse, to opportunities via drug sales, to capitalism/exploitation via urban music.
   
   This book should serve as a guide for kids that want to get involved in hip-hop/rap music (STAY TRUE TO YOURSELF. STOP BEING SOMEONE ELSE).
   
   It should serve as a wakeup call to those (Music companies/Law Enforcement/Religious organizations) that want to exploit kids in the music game (STOP EXPLOITING OUR CHILDREN).
   
   It should serve as a warning sign to all Black youth that murder each other for nonsense (STOP KILLING EACH OTHER. THAT'S WHAT THEY WANT US TO DO).
   
   As long as there's a mongoose, there'll be a snake. As long as there's an audience, there'll be a minstrel. It's sad how life chooses you....



3. Excellent Book, I read the entire book in less than 5 days, and I don't read many books. I lived in the south Jamaica Queens in the 80's, so I can relate to the story of the hustlers and gangsters that were roaming around during that time. The book gives you a peep at a underworld few people actually lived to tell. It blends the drug hustlers of that era with what is going on in Hip Hop these days. The book brillantly captures the rise and fall of the drug lords running Queens in the 80's. This book is hard to put down. Hopefully a lesson will be learned for whom ever reads this book.



4. Great book and great body of work documenting the origins of much of what commercial hip hop currently reflects. A must have for any rap music aficionado. Although rap was created in the Bronx the successful blueprint for the business of rap was drafted in Queens. While Bronx artists like Afrika Bambaata and The Furious Five were inspired by Funk and Soul acts of the time such as Parliment Funkadelic the rappers in Queens were heavily influenced by some of NY's most notorious hustlers and gangsters. Men like Lorenzo "Fat Cat" Nichols and Kenneth "Supreme" McGriff who also hail from Queens. Essentially, the legendary criminal figures of Queens influenced an entire generation worldwide through the pop icons who emulated them and also called Queens home. From Fat Cat to 50 Cent... Queens Reigns Supreme!
   
   [...]



5. The book Queens Reigns Supreme: Fat Cat, 50 Cent, and the Rise of the Hip Hop Hustler really depicts the inner circle of the 80's drug culture in South Side Queens. Growing up in Bedstuy,Brooklyn and hanging out in Jamaica, Queens gave me a whole new prospective of the "suburbs". I thought growing up in the projects in Bedstuy was bad enough and it was a condition you could not help. From murders, robberies to stick up kids, you name it, we had it. So when I went to high school in Queens I never thought that kids that grew up in houses, parents with the high paying city jobs could be be so dubious, cut throat and down right murderous all in the name of the almighty dollar from drugs sales. This book slices the cake straight down the middle and lets you taste the filling inside!

3 comments about How to Draw Hip Hop (How to Draw (Watson Guptill)).

1. I got this mainly for the Daimon Scott artwork,and its loaded with it. Some of the subject matter left me me a little distant. But over all a interesting read.



2. The instructions were easy to follow, and the illustrations are awesome. I'm having alot of fun with this book. The dialogue between the two characters keeps readers entertained.



3. this book was a very good find on my part not that i didnt know how to draw urban characters but it's always good to see how someone else does it,this book is a great tool to actually growing in a style of comics thats transcending just hip hop but comics all together,check out work by humberto ramos,skottie young,chris buchelo and many others use very similar styles so it's not just about hip hop...more about urban culture slipping it's way into the mainstream