Customer Reviews

Hip Hoptionary TM: The Dictionary of Hip Hop Terminology

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

 

 

Disregarding word type (you know -- noun, verb, adjective, and whatnot), full of errors, misspellings, and antiquated expressions, this book is easily the worst hip-hop cash-in I've ever seen. Herein you will find many superfluous definitions of pre-hip-hop parlance such as 'boob tube,' 'nips,' ('Asians: offensive') and 'ticked off.' Absent are such basic expressions as 'acting the fool,' 'be-be kids,' and 'big up.' In just one of many appalling errors, the book defines 'baby daddy' as 'the mother of a man's child.' Avoid!

There are numerous problems with this book.
To start, it is DEFINITELY outdated.
There are many terms which are missapplied. For example, "coconut" is a term that applies to people of West Indian descent who "act white." In the book, it simply says "hispanic." Another problem with this one is that it is not labeled as being an offensive term, which it most definitely is.
This is not an isolated incident. There are words all throughout this book that have definitions very different from what is written.
There are words which are related to each other in definition and/or derivation, but are not noted as such.
The problems go on.
Do I, a 20 year old white girl (I will not say caucasion because my descent is not from the Caucus Mountains), know more about the origins of words and phrases in hip hop culture than the writer of this book? Probably not, but I've still been correcting my own copy with what limited knowledge I have.
Oh, and guess what? My black friends are pissed off that I even payed for it. After reading it, I am too.

I have a 14 year old white daughter who is into hip hop, and quite frankly I can't relate to her. (Ok, maybe when i grew up in e 70's with Wayne Newton and the Carpenters, being "phat" was being a bit on the pudgy side!) At any rate, I can't understand anything that my angel says, so I figured...."What the heck", I'll purchase this lexicon and ultimately get back into the good graces of my first born. Well, did I ever!!!!! We're starting our own hip hop band called "Allison and the fat, bald father", and let me tell you, I won't be the only "phat" part of this equation. We're already counting the dead presidents!!!! Thanks Alonzo for bringing my little girl back to me.

Like most "slang" dictionaries, this one was out-of-date before it hit the presses. Hip-hop terminology evolves quickly, so many of the newer definitions for terms like "tripping" and "fronted" are not included. So unfortunately, this is more of a historical document.

All you have to do is read the good reviews on this book. Notice what the pattern is??? People who have no concept of what Hip Hop is, let alone the terms used in Hip Hop Culture. I should write a book called "Rock and Roll's Killer Dictionary" and get it published immedietly. If the money is on the table, why not grab it?

Perched atop every person's bookshelves should rest Joyce's "Ulysses", Doestoevsky's "The Brothers Karamazov", and Alonzo Westbrook's "Hip Hoptionary". It provides an excellent introduction to hip hop terms and expressions since the genre's inception, along with brief capsules of influential artists and a (quite handy) English to Hip Hop reverse lookup.

I do have two minor complaints (or suggestions for the 2nd edition). First point: Westbrook should try delving more into the etymological aspects of hip hop. Sometimes the origins of expressions are many times more interesting than the words themselves. For example, I did not realize that the word "nino", meaning "crime boss", hails from "New Jack City" - all this time, I figured it had only to do with weather phenomena. Second point: an extra section of conversational hip hop (outside of sample sentences, which merely show context) would be great! These additions would easily make the book twice as thick; help preserve older, more obscure terminology; and make Hip Hoptionary feel less like it had been almost produced in a cultural vacuum (which presently belies the tremendous amount of research Westbrook has done.) 4 stars

This book is excellent and I enjoyed reading it from front to back. A book for all cultures and races. I look forward to more books by this author.

Hi AW, Its been a long time. Your quote is located on the back cover of my book (TAG 18.3)thanks for your permission. Oh yeah, I enjoyed your book. grafcop@optonline.net

While this Street Language text does have some off quotes and definitions, its core is dedicated to the Hiphop Spirit and has some real knowledge in it.
Recommended by the Temple of Hiphop-

Peace-

I bought this Book, as I heard KRS1 gave an advise on it.
As I holded it in my Hands I promply thought thats too small for all tha Words. When I opened it first I was first totaly irritated. 9-10 words for the Letter "W" ?
And some of the Words don't lead to another ?
And that less Words ?

I guess most of the 1 Star raters did'nt got what the author wanted to show, anyhow if the Words can be interpretated in another spell or sense, it gives rich and vital Information about some of tha most important Words in the whole Worldwide HipHop-Culture.

Could you complete it ?
part won digga.

My Mention : I'm a German and I should need it. And tha short delivery Time was greatly.