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Check the Technique: Liner Notes for Hip-Hop Junkies Paperback – June 12, 2007

4.7 out of 5 stars 161

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A Tribe Called Quest • Beastie Boys • De La Soul • Eric B. & Rakim • The Fugees • KRS-One • Pete Rock & CL Smooth • Public Enemy • The Roots • Run-DMC • Wu-Tang Clan • and twenty-five more hip-hop immortals

It’s a sad fact: hip-hop album liners have always been reduced to a list of producer and sample credits, a publicity photo or two, and some hastily composed shout-outs. That’s a damn shame, because few outside the game know about the true creative forces behind influential masterpieces like PE’s It Takes a Nation of Millions. . ., De La’s 3 Feet High and Rising, and Wu-Tang’s Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers). A longtime scribe for the hip-hop nation, Brian Coleman fills this void, and delivers a thrilling, knockout oral history of the albums that define this dynamic and iconoclastic art form.

The format: One chapter, one artist, one album, blow-by-blow and track-by-track, delivered straight from the original sources. Performers, producers, DJs, and b-boys–including Big Daddy Kane, Muggs and B-Real, Biz Markie, RZA, Ice-T, and Wyclef–step to the mic to talk about the influences, environment, equipment, samples, beats, beefs, and surprises that went into making each classic record. Studio craft and street smarts, sonic inspiration and skate ramps, triumph, tragedy, and take-out food–all played their part in creating these essential albums of the hip-hop canon.

Insightful, raucous, and addictive,
Check the Technique transports you back to hip-hop’s golden age with the greatest artists of the ’80s and ’90s. This is the book that belongs on the stacks next to your wax.

“Brian Coleman’s writing is a lot like the albums he covers: direct, uproarious, and more than six-fifths genius.”
–Jeff Chang, author of
Can’t Stop Won’t Stop

“All producers and hip-hop fans must read this book. It really shows how these albums were made and touches the music fiend in everyone.”
–DJ Evil Dee of Black Moon and Da Beatminerz

“A rarity in mainstream publishing: a truly essential rap history.”
–Ronin Ro, author of
Have Gun Will Travel

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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In his introduction to Coleman's new volume, recording artist Ahmir "?uestlove" Thompson laments the lack of liner notes in hip-hop recordings, and it's this void that Coleman seeks to fill in this significantly expanded and updated version of his 2005 title Rakim Told Me. Each of Coleman's 36 "liner notes" cover one album by a particular artist, beginning with a thorough background essay from Coleman and continuing with comments on individual tracks by the artists, which range in length from a single line to page-spanning dialogue. Covering the period between 1986 (Schoolly D's Saturday Night! The Album) and 1996 (Fugees's The Score) sometimes described as the "golden age" of rap, Coleman's introductory essays are easy to read and informative, but the artists' comments are the more enlightening read. The artists focus largely on lyrics and their origins, but make many references to budgets, studio techniques, drum machines and sample sources (and the occasional lawsuit they engender). Though words like "genius," "masterwork," "legend" and "immortal" are tossed around too liberally, Coleman's volume, covering 400 tracks and 75 artists all told, is a valuable, entertaining inside look at the creative processes behind some of the best-selling albums of their (or any) time. (52 b/w photos)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

About the Author

Brian Coleman has been mesmerized and energized by hip-hop since he first heard Run-DMC's "Rock Box" in 1984. Over the past decade, he has written hundreds of reviews and features for a wide variety of publications including Scratch, XXL, Wax Poetics, Complex, CMJWeekly and CMJ Monthly, URB, the Boston Herald, the Miami New Times, the Boston Phoenix, and NY Press. Brian was a nationally recognized jazz publicist with Braithwaite & Katz Communications in Boston.

Questlove, cofounder of hip-hop superstars the Roots and bandleader for Jimmy Fallon’s The Tonight Show, is one of our great cultural commentators—a wide-ranging mind whose interests span from music to politics to race to design to food. He is the author of Somethingtofoodabout: Exploring Creativity with Innovative Chefs. To learn more, visit questlove.com.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Villard (June 12, 2007)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 528 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0812977750
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0812977752
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.74 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.3 x 1 x 9 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 out of 5 stars 161

About the authors

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Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
4.7 out of 5
161 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Reviewed in the United States on August 28, 2016
Being a hip hop fan, I knew I had to read this book. This is probably the most comprehensive and detailed book ever written about hip hop in general. While Check the Technique doesn't necessarily go into the history of hip hop, but rather goes into detail about a handful or so of important albums made in the genre.

I particularly enjoyed the accounts of the recording of albums like the Beastie Boys Check Your Head, Pharcyde's The Bizarre Ride II and Wu-Tang's Enter The Wu-Tang. They were packed with so much dense information that it felt like I was in the studio witnessing the recordings for myself.

Some of the album accounts are too short for their own good. Redman's account of Whut Thee Album is only a few pages long and EPMD's Strictly Business is the same.

The artists and producers themselves go over every track on a particular album, some of the information is very detailed and other times it's bland. Parrish Smith of EPMD literally says on one track, "I got the sample from an Aretha Franklin record from my mom's crib." Really? That's it? Anything else you would like to elaborate on? Ha ha!

I am familiar with most of the albums that are chronicled in this book, but there are a few that I have heard about, but I haven't had the chance to listen to in full.

From start to finish I was very invested in this book. It is well written and it really puts in you in the mindset of the particular artists. I'm glad the author made a second volume because Check the Technique definitely leaves you wanting more.
Reviewed in the United States on July 2, 2013
I just received the book last night and had to tear myself away after 80 pages and get some sleep! This is truly a captivating experience that author Brian Coleman has assembled. It's refreshing to see someone who is passionate about documenting the period of hip hop music that was so essential in the genre's life cycle. As an owner of many of the albums that are covered (sorry, never did like 2 Live Crew) it made me want to go back and listen to these classics (as another reviewer also pointed out). You will learn so many interesting tid bits of information that you had absolutely no idea were occurring when you were buying these LPs back in the day. This is a must read for all hip hop heads and those who need to be educated on the origins of Hip Hopo's Golden Age. If you appreciate hip hop as art then this is for you!
4 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on February 17, 2019
This was like entering a time machine and being a fly on the wall to witness the evolution of these historical and exemplary works of art.

I kept the iPod close by and that enhanced the experience as well.
Reviewed in the United States on June 5, 2023
Interesting but dull and repetitive at times.
Reviewed in the United States on April 17, 2011
A must read for anyone who want's to know about "Classic" hip-hop! Before all this garbage on the radio. Yes i am a "Hater". Stuck in the days of true lyrical hip-hop. From Hip-Hop's "Golden" Era, The Early 90's to Mid-90's, New York's Reign, The West Coast Resurgence & The South's Uprising. Most of it is in this book. A inside look to creation of true hip-hop classics. Would love a sequel.
3 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on January 20, 2017
I've wanted this book for years, finally got it. Wow, it's so interesting. If you don't care about these records, why are you reading this? If you do, then you will love this book as much as I am.
2 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on December 31, 2019
Yet another must own book for Hip Hop culture fanatics & serious Rap fans.
Reviewed in the United States on June 25, 2014
I loved this book. My brother-in-law and I immediately started brainstorming on the albums that should be covered in the second volume of this..........................................................hint hint hint to the author.

Top reviews from other countries

Translate all reviews to English
Diego J. Nicolás
5.0 out of 5 stars Imprescindible
Reviewed in Spain on January 20, 2021
Imprescindible par los amantes del Hip Hop clásico. Textos en inglés.
M T.
5.0 out of 5 stars Yeah, boyyyyyy!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 11, 2018
I grew up in the Golden Age of Hip Hop (mid/late 80s and early 90s)*. Without the access to interviews like these I often wondered how the artists made their beats. Great book not only for nostalgia, but also music production inspiration.

* I expect a flurry of corrections :)
Jason Janarious
5.0 out of 5 stars Essential Behind The Scenes of Golden Era Hiphopl
Reviewed in Canada on March 30, 2014
Whether you were there for the golden era of hiphop or if you wanted to know what you missed, this book is essential.
I was there for all of these albums and find the behind the scenes info like the missing tracks that I always wish I heard. I'll probably re-read this many times. This is hiphop.
JanBP
5.0 out of 5 stars Highly recomended
Reviewed in Spain on September 22, 2019
Amazing lecture
Rishis
5.0 out of 5 stars Hip Hop heads only
Reviewed in Canada on April 3, 2017
Damn. I bought this copy for my sister.

Do I with it included some other heads? Of course, does it draw a pretty good picture of the early Hip Hop era? hell ya