Rakim Told Me: Wax Facts Straight from the Original Artists--The '80s. [Paperback]

Brian Coleman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2005

For years, hip-hop fans have been robbed of context and background when buying and enjoying classic albums from the Golden Age: the 1980s. “Rakim Told Me” brings you these invisible liner notes, one album at a time, with new angles and engaging stories. 21 albums are examined in-depth, and facts are uncovered with the turn of every page. Journalist Brian Coleman has, over the past decade, immersed himself in and written about the hip-hop art form as a columnist for national magazines like XXL, Scratch, CMJ and URB. In this volume, The ‘80s, he digs deep, one-on one, with legendary artists like Rakim, De La Soul, Ice-T, Public Enemy, KRS-One, Run-DMC, Slick Rick, Too $hort and many more. “Rakim Told Me” lets you dive head first into the world of your favorite hip-hop artists and the classic albums they produced. These are pure wax facts straight from the original artists, broughtto the surface again after years of invisibility. So dig out your turntable, clean off your Zulu Nation medallion, crack open a chapter, and relive hip-hop’s most creative and captivating era.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Brian Coleman is 34 years old and has been mesmerized and energized by hip-hop music since Run-DMC, Public Enemy, DJ Red Alert and "Yo! MTV Raps" messed with his teenage mind in the otherwise forgettable 1980s. In the past decade he has written hundreds of reviews and features about the hip-hop artform for national magazines and newspapers such as XXL (“Classic Material” columnist, 1999 – present; “Ill Techniques” columnist 2001 – 2003), Scratch (Editor-At-Large, 2004-present, “Pioneer DJ” and “Indie 500” columnist), Complex, CMJ Weekly (Hip-Hop columnist and editor, 1997 and 2001) and CMJ Monthly (Hip-Hop columnist 1997 – 2001), URB, Boston Herald, Boston Phoenix, Blaze and NY Press.

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Wax Facts Press (April 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0976622505
• ISBN-13: 978-0976622505
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,006,445 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Must Read For The Ol' Skool Hip Hop Music Headz!, October 16, 2005

By 

Daddy Mack Of Rap! "Representin' Real Hip Hop!" (www.mackdaddytv.com) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Rakim Told Me: Wax Facts Straight from the Original Artists--The '80s. (Paperback)

Athough I would have titled the book something else, I must say I totally enjoyed this book. Ol Skool headz as well as new skoolers interested in classic hip hop records will not be dissapointed.

I like the fact that you can bounce around from section to section, reading about the albums you're most interested in first.

Those with in depth knowledge of ol skool hip hop will definetly find out little know facts about some of these classic records as the info comes straight from the artisit themselves.

There are a few artist covered in hee that could have elaborated a little bit more on certian songs, but its obvious that the rappers who had the most to say are the rappers who had the most to say (ie: Chuck D, KRS-ONE etc)

Overall I like the book and I have been recommending it to all my fellow old skool hip hop headz!!

Nuff respect!

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It's good., February 27, 2006

By 

Red Cordero "You're pretty funny, looking." (San Francisco, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Rakim Told Me: Wax Facts Straight from the Original Artists--The '80s. (Paperback)

I just finished this book and I think it does what it sets out to do. It biographs some of the early days of hip hop, the players, the locations, etc.

There is definitely some good info, I think the challenge for the author is that there was so much to get through and it must've been tough to get it all down, decide what to edit, and where to stop.

The other part I grappled with, and this is no fault of the author's, is that there are groups that I like and wanted to see featured in the book that weren't there. No De La, no Digible, for example. He alludes to this in the preface saying that this is by no means a comprehensive list and to wit there were groups he would have liked to have added but had to draw the line some where.

It's a start, and again no fault of the author, but it just leaves you hungering for more. Perhaps this will be the first of a multi-volume set with later era's to come, that would be great to see because while he digs in on some of the early names and their stories there are so many more to be told.

My humble suggestion to the author: Book 2 should jump off with the eponymous Pete Rock and CL Smooth, or maybe better still to end with them since hip hop did.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good history lesson, July 8, 2007

By 

Sean Dorantes (Bristol, CT United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Rakim Told Me: Wax Facts Straight from the Original Artists--The '80s. (Paperback)

A must read for true hip hop heads. It took a two hour flight from NY to Miami to finish this book. Time flew by. Alot of small details that helped me appreciate the Artists even more.