Rating:
  Review Date: July 15, 2007
  Websites: Creature, Dax-Devlon Ross
  Publisher: Outside The Box Publishing

Creature “The Underdog’s Manifesto” Book Review
If you turn on the radio or sit down in front of the television, you normally experience a certain perception of hip-hop: Big time rappers and major labels. So it comes as no surprise that most emcees see signing a major deal as the only way to make it as an artist. They don’t want to settle for anything less than being that famous rapper on MTV - nothing less than being a star. But in reality, major deals are few and far between. And in many cases, major label artists are still broke and struggling. (more…)

  Rating: 
  Publish Date: August 15, 2006
  Author Website: S. Craig Watkins
  Publisher: Beacon Press

S. Craig Watkins “Hip Hop Matters: Politics, Pop Culture, and the Struggle for the Soul of a Movement” Book Review
I sat down with some friends last night and, for the first time in months, watched some rap music videos, managing to catch BET’s Rap City and 106 & Park, among others. I looked around as everyone bobbed their heads in enjoyment while checking out the current playlist, myself included. Shoot . just because I write for Hip-Hop Linguistics, a website dedicated to underground, misunderstood and non-commercial hip-hop, that doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy the radio bumps or club bangers like everyone else. (more…)

  Rating:
  Publish Date: October 26, 2005
  Book Website: Hip-Hop & Philosophy
  Publisher: Open Court Press

Darby & Shelby “Hip-Hop & Philosophy: Rhyme 2 Reason” Book Review
I must admit that I’ve started to grow somewhat weary of people talking about the “Four Elements of Hip-Hop.” It seems like every time I read an article about hip-hop, everyone is attempting to define it with the use of these four attributes, which include rapping, DJing, breakdancing and graffiti. This has always confused me, because ever since I was a kid, I was under the impression that there were not four, but five, elements of hip-hop. (more…)

  Rating:
  Publish Date: August 9, 2005
  Author Website: 50 Cent
  Publisher: MTV Books

50 Cent “From Pieces to Weight: Once Upon a Time in Southside Queens” Book Review
No sense in trying to front - I’ve never been a big 50 Cent fan. I guess I’m somewhat required to make that clear off jump in order to keep from losing some of my normal readership that will consider me a sellout for writing this review. It’s not that I dislike 50 Cent or his music, as I refuse to be one of those underground hip-hop head haters, but I’ve never heard one of his albums in its entirety. Rappers who gain a lot of radio airplay are often ignored by the underground, especially when they fit the bill of gangster rappers. (more…)

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  Publish Date: May 31, 2005
  Author Website: Bakari Kitwana
  Publisher: Basic Civitas Books

Bakari Kitwana “Why White Kids Love Hip Hop: Wankstas, Wiggers, Wannabes, and the New Reality of Race in America” Book Review
The problem with reviewing hiphop books is that I also have to review the people reviewing them. See, a lot of those big-time-for-whatever-reason book critics try to jump into the hip-hop scene every once in a while to give their uninformed opinions and poke fun at hip-hop culture. It’s like they’re hiding behind a tree whispering about you at the country club or something. (more…)