A one-of-a kind survey of rap and hip hop history from 1973 to today by Chuck D, arguably the most influential rapper in the world.
In the more than 40 years since the days of DJ Kool Herc and Rapper's Delight, hip hop and rap have become a billion-dollar worldwide phenomenon. Yet there is no definitive history of the genre-until now.
Based on Chuck's long-running show on Rapstation.com, this massive compendium details the most iconic moments and influential songs in the genre's recorded history, from Kurtis Blow's Christmas Rappin' toThe Miseducation of Lauryn Hillto Kendrick Lamar's ground-breaking verse on Control. Also included are key events in hip hop history, from Grandmaster Flash's first scratch through Tupac's holographic appearance at Coachella.
Throughout, Chuck offers his insider's perspective on the chart toppers and show stoppers as he lived it. Illustrating the pages are more than 100 portraits from the talented artists specializing in hip hop.
Chuck Dis considered one of the most influential lyricists in contemporary music. Both as a solo artist and as the leader of the ground-breaking hip hop group Public Enemy (which was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2013), he helped pave the way for political, social, and culturally conscious hip hop. Public Enemy's albums remain among the most critically acclaimed works in the genre, including
It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Backand
Fear of a Black Planet.A visionary in digital entertainment, Chuck D helped lead the filesharing movement, launched one of the first online entertainment websites,
Rapstation.com, and digital-only record labels, the
SpitSlam Record Label Groupand Public Enemy were the second act to ever release an album in MP3 format. He is on the road three weeks out of each month touring with Pul"