About this title: America's foremost 'hip-hop intellectual' and acclaimed biographer of Marvin Gaye and Tupac Shakur weighs in on the past, present and future of hip-hop music. Whether along race, class or generational lines, hip-hop music has been a source of controversy since the beats got too big and the voices too loud for the block parties that spawned them. ...
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Note: This is a general synopsis. Each listing is described below.
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Basic Civitas Books
Date Published: 2007
ISBN-13:9780465017164ISBN:0465017169
Description: New. 0465017169 Pub date: 2007. Condition: BRAND NEW / BRAND NEW. We are a tested and proven company with over 400, 000 satisfied customers since 1997. Choose expedited shipping for much faster delivery. Delivery confirmation on all US orders. read more
Binding: Hardback
Publisher: Perseus Books Group
Date Published: 2007
ISBN-13:9780465017164ISBN:0465017169
Description: New. Dubbed "the Hip-Hop Intellectual" by critics and fans for his pioneering explorations of rap music in the academy and beyond, Dyson probes the most compelling and controversial dimensions of hip-hop culture. read more
Description: Like New. Book appears unread, but may have a publisher's mark or minor shelf wear. We are the Twin Cities' largest independent book store. read more
"This book is good...not great. I would rather listen to Michael Eric Dyson than read his books - something is lost in his written work for me. The chapter, "It's Trendy to be a Conscious Mc" is probably the best and most worthy of reading."
"Like many other Dyson books, this one is a series of remarkable essays that touch on everything from hip-hop beef to Don Imus' slander of the Rutgers basketball team. He creatively organizes the book like an album, with an "intro" by Jay-Z and an "outro" by Nas.
I enjoyed 99% of the book, and would highly recommend it to anyone interested in the study of hip-hop as an intellectual pursuit, but can't help but admit that I found myself a little annoyed with his insistence at starting each chapter with some quote of praise of himself by a prominent rap artist. I'm sure that this was a tip of the hat to the way hip-hop artists constantly brag about their own merits, but in print format it came off as cheesy and a little sad. We get it , Mr. Dyson - famous people like you because you defend hip-hop with your intellect while others just take aim because it's an easy target. Ignore the quotes and you're in for a great read."
"This is a really important study of hip hop, formatted creatively and well thought out. Added to that, it reads very quickly because it's in interview format. Dyson is brilliant and makes an immense contribution to the world of history, sociology, and hip hop."
"I have a few issues with this book: It can be a little bit self-absorbed at times (Dyson opens each chapter up with a lyric or quote from a rapper singing his, Dyson's, praises) and the rhetoric can seem a little sing-songy ( at times Dyson rhymes and use poetic cadence in his writing, which is an obvious allusion to hip hop music, but it makes him look like he takes himself too seriously). But aside from that, it is very refreshing, as a hip hop fan, to hear someone who takes hip hop culture so seriously, and defends it with undeniably well-crafted logic. I would do injustice to Dyson's theories by trying to re-explain them, but among the issues he tackles are: the misogny in hip hop culture and music and how it relates to the Don Imus and Duke Rape scandels; How patriarchy in hip hop reflects an ancient patriarchy in the black church; the constant emphasis on "reality" and "keeping it real" in hip hop, and if that emphasis holds rappers to a higher standard of artistic integrity, i.e. if a rapper stresses how "real" he is, how can he hide behind the fact that he is simply making art? Anyone interested in hip hop, both advocates and critics alike, should check this out."
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