The Architects of Rap [Paperback]

Leslie Taha (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 20, 2003

A controversial and politically incorrect look at the hip-hop culture and its negative effects on the African American community comprised of a very potent mixture of satirical cartoons, serious commentary, quotes, and statistics.

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

Throughout the years, African Americans have been portrayed in some pretty negative ways. Just reflect on some of the stereotypical images that were around in the mid- 1800s to 1900s.

And while most of us look back on those old stereotypes with utter disdain, how many of us realize that there are new stereotypes out there that are much worse than the old?

Rap / hip-hop music, videos, magazines and so on, portray African Americans as being violence-prone, criminal, promiscuous and stupid. Not only do they attempt to define us in this image, but, even worse, they blatantly promote, glamorize, and glorify this type of behavior.

But this book isn’t only about the poisonous elements laced into the hip-hop culture; it’s really about the poisonous elements laced into the American culture in general.

It’s about an "entertainment" industry gone mad, out of control, bombarding us all with immorality and decadence from every direction.

What follows is a satirical attack, not necessarily on a style of music that’s being promoted, but rather a style of behavior that’s being promoted.

About the Author

Les Taha is an African American writer, cartoonist, and social activist. His cartoons and commentaries have appeared in newspapers and magazines throughout the U.S. and Canada.

Product Details

• Paperback: 119 pages
• Publisher: Silverstone Press (May 20, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0974071005
• ISBN-13: 978-0974071008
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.6 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.3 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,734,303 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The truth shall set you free, July 15, 2003

By 

R.Salaam (San jose Ca) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Architects of Rap (Paperback)

It has been a while since I have heard from someone who have entered the world were most are afraid to go, HIP HOP. My salutation to brother Taha for being bold enough to tell the truth. We as older A/A men have failed our communities and the disgusting words of rap music are the result our negligence. Our young men who are making grand theft money are really destroying themselves and the young fertile minds that are listening to these sick words due to their lack of knowledge of self. You can't know you self and say the the disrespectful lyrics that come out of their mouths. You can't know yourself and display their bodies in the manner that they do and realyy think they have sense because they make money. Reality with common sense does not exist in the world of Hip Hop. As Brother Taha so eloquently stated the music is what brings us to the table but the vulgar and immorale language is disgusting. Our true make up as humans are really words. We are merely a culmination of words that our minds have heard over the years from birth to now. Every single word that goes into our heads must have a reaction. If we feed negative and immoral words into our KING(dome) what comes out are the same negatives that go in especially if we don't have a good knowledge base.
As the old saying goes you are what you eat that is physically as well as mentally. We must began to war against the powers that be to fight off this destruction of the A/A mind an that war starts at home. Gathering troops will be difficult when you find millions of young women who are still children in their thinking and are bring more young troops into this hip hop battle becasue they don't have a clue. We have very little to fight with except the truth. We as OG's must find a way to attract these gifted young men and women to the table and began to share with them a master plan that we all can support are this battle will be lost and we will continue this immoral downfall. The Architect of this detrimental behavior have also infected other cultures now so they have a powerful Army standing up for what they think is right.
If we are to save our babies and put the forces of wrong on the track to retreat we have some serios times ahead of us that will not reflect a rosy future for any of us.
It is time for the MODERN DAY ACHIEVERS to stand up and lets remake our world with a new way of thinking,speaking and wearing our clothes and let those so called brothers and sisters who take your money and give it right back to the Master. We must began to pool our resources to create food centers, mechanism to buy the housing in our communities so that we will have communities and develop clothing thats demonstrates class and not a thuggish look. We should began to boycott all foolishiness and negative influences and quit letting people with our own color continue to sell us bags of garbage Lets Tell Ebony,Essence,Vibe etc. an any other Magazine to quit promoting these people,quit promoting alcohol/cigarette ads, and showing our beautiful women and men half naked in thier publication and respect our childrens minds for the future. Onces and for all lets quit telling people that sex sales. We have a long way to go to reestablish morality and common sense back into the minds of society. We should create a National Cortisium with a twenty-fifty year plan to change our condition. I am working with brothers on such a program currently.
Let us quit being used by the MASTER ARCHITECT!!!!!! Thank you Bro Taha for letting us all know that the truth shall set us free.
R.A Salaam

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A strident, much-needed "wake-up" call, August 9, 2003

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Architects of Rap (Paperback)

The Architects Of Rap: Poison In Our Culture by Les Taha is a stinging, articulate, timely denouncement of the negative influences that rap and hip-hop culture and lyrics have on African Americans today, ranging from its portrayal of stereotyped violence, to promiscuity, to criminality among black people, to its glorification of despicable and inhumane behavior. Pen-and-ink cartoons add a satirical punch to this strident, much-needed "wake-up" call concerning how prejudice and poisonous values influence our impressionable youth through the guise of rap and hip-hop.