Customer Reviews

Hip Hop America

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I read Hip Hop America. Not because I had ever heard of Nelson George or heard of his credits. Because I saw it, flipped a few pages and decided to read it. I loved it. I have been listening to hip hop music since the first time i spun Schooly D's PSK track. And Nelson George hits the nail on the head. he covers almost everything i could have wanted, although I would have liked more coverage on Tribe Called Quest and De La Sould as opposed to so much NWA material. What I liked best is how George is neither a critic or a fan (excluding PE of course). He's just an inside observer. He doesnt take many bias opinions, he just presents them. And the way he picks on not only hip hop culture, but things that affected hip hop and what hip hop has affected. Examples are Blaxploitation movies and Basketball in the 80's and 90's. If anyone is a smart hip hop fan then I recommend this book. I'm not talking about people who buy whatever is cool now (if you have a puff daddy album or a bel biv devoe album but dont listen to it anymore than i dont recommend this book), I'm talking straight up real hip hop fans. I also dont recommend this book for people who are trying to learn about hip hop. its gonna be like a foreign language. so give this book a try

Of all the Hip Hop related works that I've read (and that's many), none can reach the insightful level of Nelson Georges's "Hip Hop America", which not only covers the history of the culture, but more importantly, delivers the sociological aspects of it, explaining not only "when", but also "how" and "why". It made me an instant fan of Nelson George. It's a very informative, sincere and to some extent analytical book, with plenty of facts and informations and first-hand experiences from the man "who has not only witnessed the evolution of hip-hop, but who. . . has had a hand in shaping it, as well." (The New York Times Book Review).
I could really write a long review for this great book, but I'll probably do that after my second reading, which starts NOW!

I read this book for an African-American Studies class at UNC. At first I did not like it at all. I did not connect with George's choice of language, which seemed outdated and out of touch with current hip hop lingo.

But as I got into the book, I realized that this outdated language was not George's fault. After all, as George himself points out in a section about hip hop movies, trends and lingo in hip hop change too quickly for anyone to keep up without a very detailed scorecard. So if you can get past him using somewhat outdated language, this is a great book.

George manages to discuss a wide array of topics, from graffiti to break dancing to production and distribution of records to hip hop themed movies to hip hop lingo to the proliferation of hip hop around the world. Despite the very diverse topics, George manages to tie everything to a common theme, the impact of hip hop on American culture.

If I had to pick one aspect of the book that was especially good, I would have to choose his discussion of the roots of hip hop and its early days. As a native of New York during hip hop's formative years, George is very well informed on the topic and indeed was a witness to many key events in the early days of hip hop. He also has connections with many key figures, throughout the time period covered in the book, and he is able to recall these connections to tell unique stories you cannot find anywhere else.

I would recommend this book to anyone interested in the history of hip hop. It is a quick, enjoyable, and informative read.

Until I read this book, I was never much on hip-hop. Reason being: I didn't understand it. This book answered all those lingering questions that always kept me from either liking or, failing that, appreciating it as both a genre and a cultural force. From the origins of hip hop to the current state of events, this book covers it all. Would have given it 5, but the book sometimes seems to linger on certain aspects of the genre overmuch, throwing off the balance of the history being told. Nevertheless, this doesn't ruin the book, and it may just be I'm not one for lengthy asides on certain aspects of subject matter. In any event, worth your $, and a great eye-opener in the "what you always wanted to know, but had no idea who to ask" category.

One of America's foremost hip-hop journalists, this book is essential to understanding both the positives and negatives of hip-hop music in both its past and present forms. George displays an excellent knowledge of both street and music industry politics in discussing a musical genre all too commonly lacking enough intellectualism. Understandable for everyone from the button down white collar worker of Wall Street to the average street thug, this book is recommended reading for both those knowledgable with hip-hop and those who are not.

I've listed to hip hop music for 16 years and Nelson George filled in all the blanks of things I wish I understood better. From the internal conflict at the Source magazine, to the story of several hip hop producers including Puff Daddy, Teddy Riley, and Dr. Dre as well as the record execs behind the scenes like Andre Harrell, etc...Nelson George covers it all. I loved this book. It does not describe hip hop as a dance or an artist or a song, but as the cultural phenomenon it has become.

For anyone wondering why hip-hop has outlasted other music genres such as punk rock, one should look no further than "Hip Hop America" I feel that this book is a definitive history of where this music/cultural movement has been, and a small hint of where it's going. Nelson George examines the connections between hip-hop and it's counterparts in "mainstream" culture(as in his previous effort, "Elevating the Game: Black Men and Basketball")from a ardent fan's perspetive. My only criticism is that its that George is so intimate with the subject that it keeps him from adopting the proper balance that is a must for any journalist of his stature. Despite its sometimes aggravating faults, this is a book that I highly reccomend for hip-hop novices and veterans alike.

As an "old-schooler" who's not always crazy about the music (harder stuff anyway) but appreciate the generationality of it all, George has written a no-bs history of a still-evolving music/culture that's here to stay. It's lively with some great behind-the-scene stories and a lot of history. And, it's NOT dry or dull. It's a must read for any "new-schooler" and any one with an open mind, regardless of age. He's respectful, opinionated and thorough... yet objectively critical. That's the way the story of rap/hip-hop SHOULD be told.

I am currently writing an entry about Grandmaster Flash for the forthcoming Icons of Hip-Hop (Greenwood Press). First of all, Nelson George is one of the most experienced, respected and eloquent hip-hop journalists alive, and he maintains his reputation in this book. He grew up in the middle of the birth of this artistic-come-cultural phenomenon, and tells the story as both insider and critic. Though there wasn't much specific material about Flash (which I didn't expect), George paints a genuine, if disarming or infuriating, portrait of the rise and continued influence of hip-hop through elegant and sometimes even poetic language and virtually unsurpassed insight. The latter observation comes, in part, from his willingness to explore the broader picture that this culture informs and is controlled by. He raises political and socioeconomic questions, takes on the task of discussing the record industry and how its desire for hit records over individual talent promotes a homogeneous selection of 'rap artists', and is unafraid to question the roles society has played to transform hip-hop almost completely from what it was in its nascent form. Some people complain, with regard to hip-hop reference books, that the author obviously has no real authority. No one can make that claim about George. After all, he is respected enough to be able to interview GM Flash, Kool Herc and Afrika Bambaataa (considered the 'Holy Trinity'/founding fathers of hip-hop) in the same place at the same time. [For those of you who don't understand the significance here, no one has ever been able to get these three guys together, because of past rivalry among other things, and Kool Herc had not discussed hip-hop publicly for about thirty years prior to this interview.] So, George gives an authoritative, articulate, thoughtful and insightful account of the rise of hip-hop and the consequences of its appearance in mainstream society (which basically transformed it completely, so that the only true-to-its-roots subculture is underground hip-hop). Buy this book - but don't expect an in-depth discussion of the major players because that isn't what the book is supposed to be anyway.

Wow! reading this book and reflecting back on much of the culture brought up from back in the days really had me feelin' this book. Although I didn't agree with all of the authors views in this book, he did bring some insight and depth to some things I really never thought of. As a whole this book was great...everything from graffiti to music buisness to hip hop moguls to politics...for real...read this book.