Book description
Hip-hop is now a global multi-billion pound industry. It has spawned
superstars all across the world. There have been tie-in clothing
lines, TV stations, film companies, cosmetics lines. It even has its
own sports, its own art style, its own dialect. It is an
all-encompassing lifestyle.
But where did hip-hop culture begin? Who created it? How did hip-hop
become such a phenomenon?
Jeff Chang, an American journalist, has written the most
comprehensive book on hip-hop to date. He introduces the major players
who came up with the ideas that form the basic elements of the
culture. He describes how it all began with social upheavals in
Jamaica, the Bronx, the Black Belt of Long Island and South Central
LA. He not only provides a history of the music, but a fascinating
insight into the social background of young black America.
Stretching from the early 70s through to the present day, this is
the definitive history of hip-hop. It will be essential reading for
all DJs, B-Boys, MCs and anyone with an interest in American history.
Jeff Chang has been a hip-hop journalist for over a decade. He has
written cover stories on Hip-Hop for
The San Francisco Bay Guardian
,
Los Angeles Weekly
,
Spin
and
Vibe
.
