Why White Kids Love Hip Hop: Wankstas, Wiggers, Wannabes, and the New Reality of Race in America (Paperback)

~ Bakari Kitwana (Author) "A little over a year ago, Bill O' Reilly, the conservative talk show host who does more than anyone else to keep hip-hop in the..." (more)
Key Phrases: old racial politics, new racial politics, black youth culture, Black American, Democratic Party, African Americans (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A well-researched, thought provoking and ultimately convincing narrative that explores why hip-hop has had such a lasting impact on youth culture." Time Out New York"

Product Description

"A well researched, thought provoking and ultimately convincing narrative that explores why hip-hop has had such a lasting impact on youth culture."(Time Out New York)

"Bakari Kitwana has provided a myth-busting, stereotype-shattering, paradigm-shifting examination of the complex relationship between white youth and black popular culture. Eschewing tired clichŽs, refusing racial pieties, and resisting old habits of thought, Kitwana clears a brilliant path to fresh insight." (Michael Eric Dyson, author of Is Bill Cosby Right?)

Our national conversation about race is ludicrously out of date. Hip hop is the key to understanding how things are changing. In a provocative book that will appeal to hip-hoppers both black and white and their parents, Bakari Kitwana deftly teases apart the culture of hip hop to illuminate how race is being lived by young Americans. Why White Kids Love Hip Hop addresses uncomfortable truths about America's level of comfort with black people, challenging preconceived notions of race. With this brave tour de force, Bakari Kitwana takes his place alongside the greatest African-American intellectuals of the past decades.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Basic Civitas Books (May 29, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 046503747X
• ISBN-13: 978-0465037476
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #363,349 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Primer on Hip Hop--Race Relations, February 5, 2008

By	J. Aragon "Feminist Educator" - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book offers a non-academic analysis of hip hop and why white kids love all aspects of hip hop culture. The book also uses hip hop as a lens to examine race relations in the US.

This is not a dry, academic read, and it is well-researched without listing the litany of facts. The book is written for a lay audience. Parents might find this useful to get a "handle" on their kids' fascination w/ hip hop culture. The audience for this book is a wide lay audience. It's an engaging read and most will read it quickly.

The author's section on Wiggas/Wanstas was the most compelling to me. The author did a great job of exploring how people (whites) might feel powerless in their own lives based on issues of class or just being angry about their situation and how hip hop music might speak to them, might take them to a different place.

I appreciated the tone and the writing style. This a book worth reading.