100 Best Hip-Hop Books of All Time

We've ranked the best hip-hop books using expert recommendations, sales data, and millions of reader ratings. At Shortform, we know books. Our book guides are the best in the world. Learn why.

Can't Stop Won't Stop: A History of the Hip-Hop Generation book cover1

Can't Stop Won't Stop: A History of the Hip-Hop Generation

Jeff Chang, D.J. Kool Herc

5.0
Can't Stop Won't Stop is a powerful cultural and social history of the end of the American century, and a provocative look into the new world that the hip-hop generation created.

Forged in the fires of the Bronx and Kingston, Jamaica, hip-hop became the Esperanto of youth rebellion and a generation-defining movement. In a post-civil rights era defined by deindustrialization and globalization, hip-h
Dorian Lynskey portraitDoug Rossinow portrait Recommended by Dorian Lynskey and Doug Rossinow.
Dorian Lynskey portrait
Dorian Lynskey

This is not the biography of a single activist. It is a kind of sociopolitical history of hip-hop. It goes back a long way. Chang spends a lot of time describing the rise of gangs from the late 1960s. He tells you a lot about 1970s New York. Hip-hop really started as an artform long before most people outside the Bronx were aware of it. And I loved this social background because it shows that if people had a curiosity about the music you could show them all this other stuff. [source]

Doug Rossinow portrait
Doug Rossinow

Hip-hop culture was the authentic cultural expression of young people of color in America at a time when they saw fairly bleak prospects for themselves. [source]

The Rap Year Book: The Most Important Rap Song From Every Year Since 1979, Discussed, Debated, and Deconstructed book cover2

The Rap Year Book: The Most Important Rap Song From Every Year Since 1979, Discussed, Debated, and Deconstructed

Shea Serrano

5.0
The Rap Year Book takes readers on a journey that begins in 1979, widely regarded as the moment rap became recognized as part of the cultural and musical landscape, and comes right up to the present. Shea Serrano deftly pays homage to the most important song of each year. Serrano also examines the most important moments that surround the history and culture of rap music—from artists’ backgrounds t
Balaji S. Srinivasan portrait Recommended by Balaji S. Srinivasan.
The Tao of Wu book cover3

The Tao of Wu

The RZA

4.8
From the founder of the Wu-Tang Clan--celebrating their 25th anniversary this year--an inspirational book for the hip hop fan.

The RZA, founder of the Wu-Tang Clan, imparts the lessons he's learned on his journey from the Staten Island projects to international superstardom. A devout student of knowledge in every form in which he's found it, he distills here the wisdom he's acquired into seven "pil
The Rose That Grew From Concrete book cover4

The Rose That Grew From Concrete

Tupac Shakur

4.8
Tupac Shakur's most intimate and honest thoughts were uncovered only after his death with the instant classic The Rose That Grew from Concrete.

His talent was unbounded -- a raw force that commanded attention and respect.
His death was tragic -- a violent homage to the power of his voice.
His legacy is indomitable -- as vibrant and alive today as it has ever been.

For the first time in paperback, t
The 50th Law book cover5

The 50th Law

50 Cent

4.7
Preview Summary
The ultimate hustle is to move freely between the street and corporate worlds, to find your flow and never stay locked in the same position. This is a manifesto for how to operate in the twenty-first century, where everything has been turned on its head. Building on the runaway success of Robert Greene's The 48 Laws of Power (almost five million copies sold), the 'modern Machiavelli' teams up with
Charlamagne Tha God portraitRyan Holiday portrait Recommended by Charlamagne Tha God and Ryan Holiday.
Ryan Holiday portrait
Ryan Holiday

Author

I also recommend The 50th Law, which while not technically a biography tells the stories of many such individuals and will stick with you just as long. [source]

Decoded book cover6

Decoded

Jay-Z

4.6
Decoded is a book like no other: a collection of lyrics and their meanings that together tell the story of a culture, an art form, a moment in history, and one of the most provocative and successful artists of our time.

“Hip-hop’s renaissance man drops a classic. . . . Heartfelt, passionate and slick.”— Kirkus, starred review
The Autobiography of Gucci Mane book cover7

The Autobiography of Gucci Mane

Gucci Mane

4.6
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

“As wild, unpredictable, and fascinating as the man himself. ” —Complex
“A cautionary tale that ends in triumph.” —GQ
“A revelation and a welcome addition to hip-hop’s literary legacy.” —All Hip Hop

The highly anticipated memoir from Gucci Mane, “one of hip-hop’s most prolific and admired artists” (The New York Times).

For the first time Gucci Mane tells his story in his own
8

Hip Hop Family Tree, Vol. 1: 1970s-1981

Ed Piskor

4.5
The lore of the early days of hip hop has become the stuff of myth, so what better way to document this fascinating, epic true story than in another great American mythological medium -- the comic book? From exciting young talent and self-proclaimed hip hop nerd Ed Piskor, acclaimed for his hacker graphic novel Wizzywig, comes this explosively entertaining, encyclopedic history of the formative ye
9

Mo' Meta Blues: The World According to Questlove

Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson, Ben Greenman

4.5
MO' META BLUES
The World According to Questlove

Mo' Meta Blues is a punch-drunk memoir in which Everyone's Favorite Questlove tells his own story while tackling some of the lates, the greats, the fakes, the philosophers, the heavyweights, and the true originals of the music world. He digs deep into the album cuts of his life and unearths some pivotal moments in black art, hip hop, and pop culture.

Ah
The Big Payback: The History of the Business of Hip-Hop book cover10

The Big Payback: The History of the Business of Hip-Hop

Dan Charnas

4.5
The Big Payback takes readers from the first $15 made by a "rapping DJ" in 1970s New York to the multi-million-dollar sales of the Phat Farm and Roc-a-Wear clothing companies in 2004 and 2007. On this four-decade-long journey from the studios where the first rap records were made to the boardrooms where the big deals were inked, The Big Payback tallies the list of who lost and who won. Read the se
Beastie Boys Book book cover11

Beastie Boys Book

Michael Diamond

4.5
A panoramic experience that tells the story of Beastie Boys, a book as unique as the band itself--by band members ADROCK and Mike D, with contributions from Amy Poehler, Colson Whitehead, Spike Jonze, Wes Anderson, Luc Sante, and more.

Formed as a New York City hardcore band in 1981, Beastie Boys struck an unlikely path to global hip hop superstardom. Here is their story, told for the first time in
12

On the Come Up

Angie Thomas

4.4
Sixteen-year-old Bri wants to be one of the greatest rappers of all time. Or at least make it out of her neighborhood one day. As the daughter of an underground rap legend who died before he hit big, Bri’s got big shoes to fill. But now that her mom has unexpectedly lost her job, food banks and shutoff notices are as much a part of Bri’s life as beats and rhymes. With bills piling up and homelessn
Mary Burkey portrait Recommended by Mary Burkey.
13

Book of Rhymes: The Poetics of Hip Hop

Adam Bradley

4.4
The definitive account of rap and hip hop as forms of American poetry

"Bradley is a visionary critic, skillful and wise.... Book of Rhymes is a tour de force, brilliantly renovating hip hop criticism as [lit] rescues the forgotten vanguard of American poetry." --Henry Louis Gates, Jr.


Rap may be the most revolutionary development in poetry over the past forty years, yet its originality is hidden in
14

The Hip Hop Wars: What We Talk About When We Talk About Hip Hop--and Why It Matters

Tricia Rose

4.4
How hip hop shapes our conversations about race--and how race influences our consideration of hip hop
Hip hop is a distinctive form of black art in America-from Tupac to the Pulitzer Prize-winning Kendrick Lamar, hip hop has long given voice to the African American experience. As scholar and cultural critic Tricia Rose argues, hip hop, in fact, has become one of the primary ways we talk about race
15

Check the Technique: Liner Notes for Hip-Hop Junkies

Brian Coleman, Questlove

4.3
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, beca
Hamilton: The Revolution book cover16

Hamilton: The Revolution

Lin-Manuel Miranda, Jeremy McCarter

4.3
Lin-Manuel Miranda's groundbreaking musical Hamilton is as revolutionary as its subject, the poor kid from the Caribbean who fought the British, defended the Constitution, and helped to found the United States. Fusing hip-hop, pop, R&B, and the best traditions of theater, this once-in-a-generation show broadens the sound of Broadway, reveals the storytelling power of rap, and claims our country's
André Rupp portrait Recommended by André Rupp.
Go Ahead in the Rain: Notes to a Tribe Called Quest book cover17

Go Ahead in the Rain: Notes to a Tribe Called Quest

Hanif Abdurraqib

4.3
How does one pay homage to A Tribe Called Quest? The seminal rap group brought jazz into the genre, resurrecting timeless rhythms to create masterpieces such as The Low End Theory and Midnight Marauders. Seventeen years after their last album, they resurrected themselves with an intense, socially conscious record, We Got It from Here . . . Thank You 4 Your Service, which arrived when fans needed i
18

Hip Hop Family Tree, Vol. 2: 1981-1983

Ed Piskor

4.3
Covering the early years of 1981-1983, Hip Hop has made a big transition from the parks and rec rooms to downtown clubs and vinyl records. The performers make moves to separate themselves from the paying customers by dressing more and more flamboyant until a young group called RUN-DMC comes on the scene to take things back to the streets. This volume covers hits like Afrika Bambaataa s Planet Rock
The Wu-Tang Manual book cover19

The Wu-Tang Manual

The RZA

4.3
Long awaited and much anticipated, The Wu-Tang Manual is The RZA’s first written introduction to the philosophy and history of Hip-Hop’s original Dynasty, the Wu-Tang Clan.Since the release of the revolutionary Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) — over the course of four seminal group albums and a multitude of ambitious side projects — the Wu-Tang Clan has constantly redefined what hip-hop can do and
E.A.R.L.: The Autobiography of DMX book cover20

E.A.R.L.: The Autobiography of DMX

DMX and Smokey D Fontaine

4.3
The dark journey of a boy who became a man, the man who became an artist, and the artist who became an icon. A talent for rhyme saved his life, but the demons and sins of his past continue to haunt him.

This is the story of Earl Simmons.
21

Black Noise: Rap Music and Black Culture in Contemporary America

Tricia Rose

4.3
From its beginnings in hip hop culture, the dense rhythms and aggressive lyrics of rap music have made it a provocative fixture on the American cultural landscape. In Black Noise: Rap Music and Black Culture in Contemporary America, Tricia Rose, described by the New York Times as a "hip hop theorist," takes a comprehensive look at the lyrics, music, cultures, themes, and styles of this highly rhyt
Dapper Dan: Made in Harlem book cover22

Dapper Dan: Made in Harlem

Daniel R. Day

4.3
The story of a legendary designer who pioneered high-end streetwear, from a storefront in Harlem to the red carpet in Hollywood, dressing everyone from Salt-N-Pepa and Eric B. & Rakim to Beyoncé and Jay-Z along the way.

With his now-legendary store on 125th Street in Harlem, Dapper Dan pioneered high-end streetwear in the early 1980s, remixing classic luxury-brand logos into his own flamboyant desi
Ben Horowitz portrait Recommended by Ben Horowitz.
23

Hip Hop Family Tree Book 3: 1983-1984

Ed Piskor

4.3
Ed Piskor’s acclaimed graphic novel series continues! Book 3 highlights Run DMC’s rise to fame and introduces unassailable acts like Whodini, The Fat Boys, Slick Rick, and Doug E Fresh. The Beastie Boys become a rap group. Rick Rubin meets Russell Simmons to form Def Jam. The famous TV pilot to the dance show Graffiti Rock and the documentaries Style Wars and Breakin’ and Enterin’ are all highligh
The Coldest Winter Ever book cover24

The Coldest Winter Ever

Sister Souljah

4.3
Nominated as one of America’s best-loved novels by PBS’s The Great American Read.

The stunning national bestseller now features an illuminating discussion with Sister Souljah -- her secret thoughts on creating the story that has sold more than one million copies worldwide and introduced readers everywhere to the real ghetto experience. Here are answers to the questions fans everywhere have been ask
25

Hip Hop Family Tree Book 4: 1984-1985

Ed Piskor

4.3
Book 4 charts the rise of Dr. Dre and Def Jam records, and introduces new branches on the "tree": Will Smith, Salt-N-Pepa, Rakim, and Biz Markie. This volume is also jam-packed with films Hollywood released in an attempt to cash in on the phenomenon, like Breakin’, Breakin’ 2 Electric Boogaloo, Beat Street, Krush Groove and more.
26

Ego Trip's Book of Rap Lists

Sacha Jenkins, Elliott Wilson, Jeff Mao, Gabe Alvarez, Brent Rollins, Gabriel Alvarez

4.3
Ego Trip's Book of Rap Lists is more popular than racism!

Hip hop is huge, and it's time someone wrote it all down. And got it all right. With over 25 aggregate years of interviews, and virtually every hip hop single, remix and album ever recorded at their disposal, the highly respected Ego Trip staff are the ones to do it. The Book of Rap Lists runs the gamut of hip hop information. This is an exh
My Infamous Life: The Autobiography of Mobb Deep's Prodigy book cover27

My Infamous Life: The Autobiography of Mobb Deep's Prodigy

Albert "Prodigy" Johnson

4.3
From one of the greatest rappers of all time, the memoir of a life cut short, a revealing look at the dark side of hip hop’s Golden Era...

In this often violent but always introspective memoir, Mobb Deep’s Prodigy tells his much anticipated story of struggle, survival, and hope down the mean streets of New York City. For the first time, he gives an intimate look at his family background, his battle
28

Back in the Days

Jamel Shabazz, Fab 5 Freddy, Ernie Paniccioli

4.2
Back in the Days documents the emerging Hip Hop scene from 1980-1989--before it became what is today's multi-million-dollar multinational industry. Back in the days, gangs would battle not with guns, but by breakdancing. Back in the days, the streets--not corporate planning--set the standards for style. Back in the days, Jamel Shabazz was on the scene, photographing everyday people hangin' in Harl
Carlton Douglas Ridenhour portrait Recommended by Carlton Douglas Ridenhour.
29

How to Rap: The Art and Science of the Hip-Hop MC

Paul Edwards

4.2
Clipse, Cypress Hill, Nelly, Public Enemy, Remy Ma, Schoolly D, A Tribe Called Quest, will.i.am—these are just some of the acclaimed artists offering tips and advice in this compelling how-to. Delivering countless candid and exclusive first-person insights from interviews with more than one hundred of the most innovative artists, author Paul Edwards examines the dynamics of rap from every region a
30

When Chickenheads Come Home to Roost: A Hip-Hop Feminist Breaks It Down

Joan Morgan

4.2
“Morgan has given an entire generation of black feminists space and language to center their pleasures alongside their politics.” —Janet Mock, New York Times bestselling author of Redefining Realness

“All that and then some, Chickenheads informs and educates, confronts and charms, raises the bar high by getting down low, and, to steal my favorite Joan Morgan phrase, bounced me out of the room.” —Ma
Original Gangstas: Tupac Shakur, Dr. Dre, Eazy-E, Ice Cube, and the Birth of West Coast Rap book cover31

Original Gangstas: Tupac Shakur, Dr. Dre, Eazy-E, Ice Cube, and the Birth of West Coast Rap

Ben Westhoff

4.2
"Raw, authoritative, and unflinching ... An elaborately detailed, darkly surprising, definitive history of the LA gangsta rap era."---Kirkus, starred review

A monumental, revealing narrative history about the legendary group of artists at the forefront of West Coast hip-hop: Eazy-E, Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, Snoop Dogg, and Tupac Shakur.

Amid rising gang violence, the crack epidemic, and police brutality,
32

When the Beat Was Born: DJ Kool Herc and the Creation of Hip Hop

Laban Carrick Hill, Theodore Taylor III

4.2
Before there was hip hop, there was DJ Kool Herc.

On a hot day at the end of summer in 1973 Cindy Campbell threw a back-to-school party at a park in the South Bronx. Her brother, Clive Campbell, spun the records. He had a new way of playing the music to make the breaks—the musical interludes between verses—longer for dancing. He called himself DJ Kool Herc and this is When the Beat Was Born. From h
33

One Day It'll All Make Sense

Common

4.2
From the hip hop icon, Hollywood star, and “a true artist and writer of deep talent” (James McBride, author of The Color of Water)—a candid, New York Times bestselling memoir ranging from his childhood on Chicago’s South side and his emergence as one of rap’s biggest names.

Common has earned a reputation in the hip-hop world as a conscious artist by embracing themes of love and struggle in his song
Sweat the Technique: Revelations on Creativity from the Lyrical Genius book cover34

Sweat the Technique: Revelations on Creativity from the Lyrical Genius

Rakim

4.2
The musician and Hip Hop legend--hailed as "the greatest MC of all time" and compared to Thelonious Monk--reimagines the writing handbook in this memoir and guide that incorporates the soulful genius, confidence, and creativity of a master artist.

When he exploded on the music scene, musical genius Rakim was hailed for his brilliant artistic style, adding layers, complexity, depth, musicality, and
35

Holler If You Hear Me: Searching for Tupac Shakur

Michael Eric Dyson

4.2
Acclaimed for his writings on Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Jr., as well as his passionate defense of black youth culture, Michael Eric Dyson has emerged as the leading African American intellectual of his generation. Now Dyson turns his attention to one of the most enigmatic figures of the past decade: the slain hip-hop artist Tupac Shakur.Five years after his murder, Tupac remains a widely c
36

They Can't Kill Us Until They Kill Us

Hanif Abdurraqib, Dr. Eve L. Ewing

4.2
In an age of confusion, fear, and loss, Hanif Willis-Abdurraqib's is a voice that matters. Whether he's attending a Bruce Springsteen concert the day after visiting Michael Brown's grave, or discussing public displays of affection at a Carly Rae Jepsen show, he writes with a poignancy and magnetism that resonates profoundly.

In the wake of the nightclub attacks in Paris, he recalls how he sought re
Saadia Muzaffar portrait Recommended by Saadia Muzaffar.
37

Creative Quest

Questlove

4.2
NAMED A MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK OF 2018 BY Esquire • PopSugar • The Huffington Post • Buzzfeed • Publishers Weekly

A unique new guide to creativity from Questlove—inspirations, stories, and lessons on how to live your best creative life

Questlove—musician, bandleader, designer, producer, culinary entrepreneur, professor, and all-around cultural omnivore—shares his wisdom on the topics of inspirati
Jimmy Fallon portraitAnil Dash portrait Recommended by Jimmy Fallon and Anil Dash.
Jimmy Fallon portrait
Jimmy Fallon

TV Host

When Questlove says he’s going to do something, he will find out how to do whatever that is, and become a master at it. I can’t think of a person more suited to write a book about being creative. [source]

Anil Dash portrait
Anil Dash

I love this: @questlove's new book #CreativeQuest is about the creative process, and it inspired the @Glitch team to remix this fun little drum machine as a tribute to the book launch. Make a beat, grab the book, remix the app, share what you create! https://t.co/pATfdb7HwZ [source]

38

Born to Use Mics: Reading Nas's Illmatic

Michael Eric Dyson, Sohail Daulatzai

4.2
The Poet X book cover39

The Poet X

Elizabeth Acevedo and Quill Tree Book

4.2
A young girl in Harlem discovers slam poetry as a way to understand her mother’s religion and her own relationship to the world. Debut novel of renowned slam poet Elizabeth Acevedo.

Xiomara Batista feels unheard and unable to hide in her Harlem neighborhood. Ever since her body grew into curves, she has learned to let her fists and her fierceness do the talking.

But Xiomara has plenty she wants to s
The Tanning of America: How Hip-Hop Created a Culture That Rewrote the Rules of the New Economy book cover40

The Tanning of America: How Hip-Hop Created a Culture That Rewrote the Rules of the New Economy

Steve Stoute and Mim Eichler Rivas

4.2
The business marketing genius at the forefront of today’s entertainment marketing revolution helps corporate America get hip to today’s new consumer—the tan generation.

When Fortune 500 companies need to reenergize or reinvent a lagging brand, they call Steve Stoute. In addition to marrying cultural icons with blue-chip marketers, Stoute has helped identify and activate a new generation of consumer
Black Privilege: Opportunity Comes to Those Who Create It book cover41

Black Privilege: Opportunity Comes to Those Who Create It

Charlamagne Tha God

4.2
Charlamagne Tha God—the self-proclaimed “Prince of Pissing People Off,” co-host of Power 105.1’s The Breakfast Club, and “hip-hop’s Howard Stern”—shares his unlikely success story as well as how embracing one’s truths is a fundamental key to success and happiness.

In his new book, Charlamagne Tha God presents his comic, often controversial, and always brutally honest insights on how living an authe
Ryan Holiday portrait Recommended by Ryan Holiday.
42

Hip Hop Raised Me

DJ Semtex, Marium Raja, et al.

4.2
In 2008, with help from Jay-Z and Puff, Barack Obama got the hip hop vote, and became the first African American to be elected president. For a brief moment, the “Audacity of Hope” seemed attainable. The 2014 Ferguson riots signaled the end of that hope, and in 2016 the hip hop community had to grapple with the election of Donald J. Trump as Obama’s successor. Now more than ever, hip hop artists s
43

It's Bigger Than Hip Hop: The Rise of the Post-Hip-Hop Generation

M.K. Asante Jr.

4.2
In It's Bigger Than Hip Hop, M. K. Asante, Jr. looks at the rise of a generation that sees beyond the smoke and mirrors of corporate-manufactured hip hop and is building a movement that will change not only the face of pop culture, but the world.

Asante, a young firebrand poet, professor, filmmaker, and activist who represents this movement, uses hip hop as a springboard for a larger discussion abo
44

My Voice: A Memoir

Angie Martinez and J. Cole

4.2
Now in paperback--Angie Martinez, the "Voice of New York," candidly recounts the story of her rise to become an internationally celebrated hip hop radio icon.

In her current reign at Power 105.1 and for nearly two decades at New York's Hot 97, Angie Martinez has had one of the highest rated radio shows in the country. After working her way up as an intern, she burst on the scene as a young female
45

Groove Music: The Art and Culture of the Hip-Hop DJ

Mark Katz

4.2
It's all about the scratch in Groove Music, award-winning music historian Mark Katz's groundbreaking book about the figure that defined hip-hop: the DJ.

Today hip-hop is a global phenomenon, and the sight and sound of DJs mixing and scratching is familiar in every corner of the world. But hip-hop was born in the streets of New York in the 1970s when a handful of teenagers started experimenting wit
46

Hip Hop Files (Hc)

Martha Cooper, Akim Walta, Zephyr, Charlie Ahearn, FABEL, Patti Astor

4.1
Hip hop culture emerged from an environment of extreme deprivation and decay in the South Bronx, New York City. The concept of pure invention--of creating something from nothing--was in full effect at the end of the 1970s as graffiti ("borrowed" spray paint), breaking (cardboard as dance floor), and outdoor jams (electricity source: the base of street lights) captured the attention of urban youth,
47

Ice: A Memoir of Gangster Life and Redemption-from South Central to Hollywood

Ice-T and Douglas Century

4.1
He’s a hip-hop icon credited with single-handedly creating gangsta rap. Television viewers know him as Detective Odafin “Fin” Tutuola on the top-rated drama Law & Order: SVU. But where the hype and the headlines end, the real story of Ice-T—the one few of his millions of fans have ever heard—truly begins. Ice is Ice-T in his own words—raw, uncensored, and unafraid to speak his mind. About his orph
48

The Hip-Hop Generation: Young Blacks and the Crisis in African-American Culture

Bakari Kitwana

4.1
The Hip Hop Generation is an eloquent testament for black youth culture at the turn of the century. The only in-depth study of the first generation to grow up in post-segregation America, it combines culture and politics into a pivotal work in American studies. Bakari Kitwana, one of black America's sharpest young critics, offers a sobering look at this generation's disproportionate social and pol
Comfortably Numb: The Inside Story of Pink Floyd book cover49

Comfortably Numb: The Inside Story of Pink Floyd

Mark Blake

4.1
In July 2005 in Hyde Park, before a global audience of millions, Pink Floyd performed together on stage for the first time in 24 years. From the moment the metronomic pulse of a heartbeat thudded out to begin "Speak to Me" to the soaring guitar solo that climaxed "Comfortably Numb," these self-effacing men in their late fifties stole the show. Almost a year later, the death of their troubled found
The Way I Am book cover50

The Way I Am

Eminem

4.1
Chart topping-and headline-making-rap artist Eminem shares his private reflections, drawings, handwritten lyrics, and photographs in his New York Times bestseller The Way I Am

Fiercely intelligent, relentlessly provocative, and prodigiously gifted, Eminem is known as much for his enigmatic persona as for being the fastest-selling rap artist and the first rapper to ever win an Oscar. Everyone want
51

Hip Hop America

Nelson George

4.1
Now with a new introduction by the author, Hip Hop America is the definitive account of the society-altering collision between black youth culture and the mass media.
Dilla Time book cover52

Dilla Time

Dan Charnas

4.1
53

Natives: Race and Class in the Ruins of Empire

Akala

4.1
SHORTLISTED FOR THE JAMES TAIT BLACK PRIZE | THE JHALAK PRIZE | THE BREAD AND ROSES AWARD & LONGLISTED FOR THE ORWELL PRIZE FOR POLITICAL WRITING

From the first time he was stopped and searched as a child, to the day he realised his mum was white, to his first encounters with racist teachers - race and class have shaped Akala's life and outlook. In this unique book he takes his own experiences and
54

That's the Joint!: The Hip-Hop Studies Reader

Murray Forman, Mark Anthony Neal

4.1
That's the Joint: The Hip-Hop Studies Reader brings together the best-known and most influential writings on rap and hip-hop from its beginnings to today. Spanning nearly 25 years of scholarship, criticism, and journalism, this unprecedented anthology showcases the evolution and continuing influence of one of the most creative and contested elements of global popular culture since its advent in th
55

Home Girls Make Some Noise!: Hip-Hop Feminism Anthology

Gwendolyn D. Pough, Elaine Richardson, Aisha Durham, Rachel Raimist

4.1
Home Girls Make Some Noise: Hip Hop Feminist Anthology seeks to complicate understandings of Hip-Hop as a male space by including and identifying the women who were always involved with the culture. The anthology explores Hip-Hop as a worldview, as an epistemology grounded in the experiences of communities of color under advanced capitalism, as a cultural site for rearticulating identity and sexua
56

Yes Yes Y'all: The Experience Music Project Oral History Of Hip-hop's First Decade

Jim Fricke, Charlie Ahearn

4.1
57

Broken Crayons Still Color: Based on a True Story

David Weaver

4.1
Multi-platinum rapper Devin has it all. Money, cars, fame, women
Subway Art book cover58

Subway Art

Henry Chalfant and Martha Cooper

4.1
In 1984 the groundbreaking Subway Art brought graffiti to the world, presenting stunning photographic documentation of the burgeoning movement in New York. Thirty years later, this bible of street art has been updated with over seventy photographs not included in the original edition and new insights on an incredibly rich period for urban art and its legacy.


In new introductions, authors Martha Coo
THE VOICE IN MY HEAD IS GOD book cover59

THE VOICE IN MY HEAD IS GOD

2 Chainz, Derrick Harriell

4.1

INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER! In his most personal work yet, Grammy Award–winning rapper 2 Chainz shares the spiritual journey behind his success, offering a raw, reflective, and deeply motivational meditation on the inner voice that’s guided him his whole life: God. Before he was 2 Chainz, he was Tauheed Epps—an only child growing up in College Park, Georgia, raised by a single mother while

60

Dirty South: OutKast, Lil Wayne, Soulja Boy, and the Southern Rappers Who Reinvented Hip-Hop

Ben Westhoff

4.1
Rap music from New York and Los Angeles once ruled the charts, but nowadays the southern sound thoroughly dominates the radio, Billboard, and MTV. Coastal artists like Wu-Tang Clan, Nas, and Ice-T call southern rap “garbage,” but they’re probably just jealous, as artists like Lil Wayne and T.I. still move millions of copies, and OutKast has the bestselling rap album of all time.

In Dirty South, aut
61

The Roots of Rap: 16 Bars on the 4 Pillars of Hip-Hop

Carole Boston Weatherford, Frank Morrison

4.1
Explore the roots of rap in this stunning, rhyming, triple-timing picture book!

A generation voicing

stories, hopes, and fears

founds a hip-hop nation.

Say holler if you hear.

The roots of rap and the history of hip-hop have origins that precede DJ Kool Herc and Grandmaster Flash. Kids will learn about how it evolved from folktales, spirituals, and poetry, to the showmanship of James Brown, to the cul
Will book cover62

Will

Will Smith

4.1
63

Hip Hop's Inheritance: From the Harlem Renaissance to the Hip Hop Feminist Movement

Reiland Rabaka

4.1
Hip Hop's Inheritance arguably offers the first book-length treatment of what hip hop culture has, literally, 'inherited' from the Harlem Renaissance, the Black Arts movement, the Feminist Art movement, and 1980s and 1990s postmodern aesthetics. By comparing and contrasting the major motifs of the aforementioned cultural aesthetic traditions with those of hip hop culture, all the while critically
64

F*ck, That's Delicious: An Annotated Guide to Eating Well

Action Bronson

4.1
New York Times bestseller
Winner of the IACP Cookbook Design Award

This ain’t no cookbook. This ain’t no memoir. This is Action Bronson’s devotional, a book about the overwhelming power of delicious—no, f*cking amazing—food. Bronson is this era’s Homer, and F*ck, That’s Delicious is a modern-day Odyssey, replete with orgiastic recipes, world travel, siren songs, and weed.

Illustrated, packed with
The Meaning of Mariah Carey book cover65

The Meaning of Mariah Carey

Mariah Carey

4.1
66

Sweet Jones: Pimp C's Trill Life Story

Julia Beverly

4.1
67

Hip hop: the illustrated history of break dancing, rap music, and graffiti

Steven Hage

4.1
This book represents the Holy Grail of early hip hop journalism, written by the only professional journalist to travel to the South Bronx in the early 1980s to document the origins of the culture. For anyone interested in "first generation," this is the most authentic portrait of hip hop before commercialization took over. Sadly, the hard copy book was published before its time and never saw the d
68

Resurrection, 1971-1996

Tupac Shakur

4.1
A stunningly designed, richly illustrated companion to the Academy Award-nominated documentary film, Tupac: Resurrection brings unprecedented clarity and soulful intimacy to the life and work of the late Tupac Shakur.

In many ways the autobiography he never got to write, Tupac: Resurrection features the artist in his own words, letters, and poems. They are showcased here, along with dozens of nev

Only God Can Judge Me: The Many Lives of Tupac Shakur book cover69

Only God Can Judge Me: The Many Lives of Tupac Shakur

Jeff Pearlman

4.1

Spotify Best Audiobooks of the Year Boston Globe Best Books of the Year Guardian Best Music Books of the Year Mother Jones Best Books of the Year Rolling Stone Best Music Books of the Year“Jeff Pearlman breaks down Tupac’s life like a veteran sportswriter examining a dynasty. This detailed look at his life is the work of a writer who understands the ego of greatness.”—Chuck D“Pearlman delivers ric

70

The Gospel of Hip Hop: The First Instrument

KRS-One

4.1
The Gospel of Hip Hop: First Instrument , the first book from the I Am Hip Hop, is the philosophical masterwork of KRS ONE. Set in the format of the Christian Bible, this 800-plus-page opus is a life-guide manual for members of Hip Hop Kulture that combines classic philosophy with faith and practical knowledge for a fascinating, in-depth exploration of Hip Hop as a life path. Known as “The Teacha
IT'S ALL IN YOUR HEAD book cover71

IT'S ALL IN YOUR HEAD

Russ

4.1
Instant National Bestseller! Wall Street Journal bestseller; USA Today bestseller; Publishers Weekly bestseller; international bestseller.

An inspirational book by self-made musical superstar, Russ, reminding you that it starts with YOU, to believe in yourself, and to get out of your own way.

Twenty-seven-year-old rapper, songwriter, and producer Russ walks his own path, at his own pace. By doing so
72

Prophets of the Hood: Politics and Poetics in Hip Hop

Imani Perry

4.1
At once the most lucrative, popular, and culturally oppositional musical force in the United States, hip hop demands the kind of interpretation Imani Perry provides here: criticism engaged with this vibrant musical form on its own terms. A scholar and a fan, Perry considers the art, politics, and culture of hip hop through an analysis of song lyrics, the words of the prophets of the hood. Recogniz
73

Paul's Boutique

Dan LeRoy

4.1
Not only did "Paul's Boutique" transform the Beastie Boys from frat-boy
novelty to critically lauded hip-hop giants, its groundbreaking collage
of rhythm and recycled soundbites made it one of those rare releases
that forever alters the course of popular music. Through interviews with
Mike D, the Dust Brothers, and legendarily reclusive producer Matt Dike,
among others, Dan LeRoy uncovers the story of
Contact High: A Visual History of Hip-Hop book cover74

Contact High: A Visual History of Hip-Hop

Vikki Tobak

4.0
ONE OF AMAZON'S BEST ART & PHOTOGRAPHY BOOKS 0F 2018
AN NPR AND PITCHFORK BEST MUSIC BOOK OF 2018 PICK
ONE OF TIME'S 25 BEST PHOTOBOOKS OF 2018
NEW YORK TIMES, ASSOCIATED PRESS, WALLSTREET JOURNA L, ROLLING STONE, AND CHICAGO SUN HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE PICK

The perfect gift for music and photography fans, an inside look at the work of hip-hop photographers told through their most intimate diaries--their
75

Bun B's Rapper Coloring and Activity Book

Shea Serrano

4.0
Rapper Bun B lends his street cred and occasionally his face to the creative, hilarious, and just flat-out fun imaginings of Shea Serrano in Bun B’s Rap Coloring and Activity Book. Described by the Washington Post as “what every hip-hop head wishes they had as a child,” this imaginative work started as a series of printable rap-related coloring and activity images. The 48-page, fully interactive b
Unashamed book cover76

Unashamed

Lecrae Moore

4.0
If you live for people's acceptance, you'll die from their rejection.

Two-time Grammy winning rap artist, Lecrae, learned this lesson through more than his share of adversity—childhood abuse, drugs and alcoholism, a stint in rehab, an abortion, and an unsuccessful suicide attempt.

Along the way, Lecrae attained an unwavering faith in Jesus and began looking to God for affirmation. Now as a chart-top
77

Total Chaos: The Art and Aesthetics of Hip-Hop

Jeff Chang

4.0
78

It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back

Christopher R. Weingarten

4.0
Christopher R. Weingarten provides a thrilling account of how the Bomb Squad produced such a singular-sounding record: engineering, sampling, scratching, constructing, deconstructing, reconstructing - even occasionally stomping on vinyl that sounded too clean. Using production techniques that have never been duplicated, the Bomb Squad plundered and reconfigured their own compositions to make frene
79

Broken Crayons Still Color 2: Based on a True Story

David Weaver

4.0
When you squeeze a water balloon, as long as you don't burst it, the water simply goes to a different part of the balloon. Addictive personalities are similar. If a person breaks an addiction, they then have to find something else to transfer their energy towards. With Ashlon's help, Devin has made major strides to change his life in order to be a better man. He gives up alcohol and drug addiction
80

Check the Technique Volume 2: More Liner Notes for Hip-Hop Junkies

Brian Coleman, Adam Mansbach

4.0
25 classic albums from the '80s and '90s are lovingly and extensively profiled by acclaimed rap journalist Brian Coleman in this impressive volume, making it mandatory reading for all Hip-Hop junkies.
81

The Art of Pixar

Amid Amidi

4.0
Over the past 25 years, Pixar's team of artists, writers, and directors have shaped the world of contemporary animation with their feature films and shorts. From classics such as Toy Story and A Bug's Life to recent masterpieces such as Up, Toy Story 3, and Cars 2, this comprehensive collection offers a behind-the-scenes tour of every Pixar film to date. Featuring a foreword by Chief Creative Offi
Let Love Have the Last Word book cover82

Let Love Have the Last Word

Common

4.0
Common—the Grammy Award, Academy Award, and Golden Globe–winning musician, actor, and activist—follows up his New York Times bestselling memoir One Day It’ll All Make Sense with this inspiring exploration of how love and mindfulness can build communities and allow you to take better control of your life through actions and words.

Common believes that the phrase "let love have the last word" is not
Robin Roberts portraitWendy Kopp portrait Recommended by Robin Roberts and Wendy Kopp.
Robin Roberts portrait
Robin Roberts

It was great sitting down with @common to talk about his new book #LetLoveHaveTheLastWord. Coming up @GMA he opens up about family...the power of love and moments from his childhood. Wait until you hear the multi-talented award winning artist do what he loves best...freestyling. https://t.co/ECxS34vbLn [source]

Wendy Kopp portrait
Wendy Kopp

Here @aspenideas. Incredibly moved by Common’s vulnerability and honesty and the love he projects — cannot wait to read his new book Let Love Have the Last Word. https://t.co/A7To998QtD [source]

83

Know What I Mean? Reflections On Hip Hop

Michael Eric Dyson, Jay-Z, Nas

4.0
Adversity for Sale: Ya Gotta Believe book cover84

Adversity for Sale: Ya Gotta Believe

Jeezy

4.0
The Chronicles of DOOM: Unraveling Rap's Masked Iconoclast book cover85

The Chronicles of DOOM: Unraveling Rap's Masked Iconoclast

S.H. Fernando Jr.

4.0
Meet Me in the Bathroom: Rebirth and Rock and Roll in New York City 2001-2011 book cover86

Meet Me in the Bathroom: Rebirth and Rock and Roll in New York City 2001-2011

Lizzy Goodman

4.0
Joining the ranks of the classics Please Kill Me, Our Band Could Be Your Life, and Can’t Stop Won’t Stop, an intriguing oral history of the post-9/11 decline of the old-guard music industry and rebirth of the New York rock scene, led by a group of iconoclastic rock bands.

In the second half of the twentieth-century New York was the source of new sounds, including the Greenwich Village folk scene, p
Austin Kleon portrait Recommended by Austin Kleon.
87

Bomb the Suburbs: Graffiti, Race, Freight-Hopping and the Search for Hip Hop's Moral Center

William Upski Wimsatt

4.0
In this blockbuster word-of-mouth, underground classic, Bomb the Suburbs: Graffiti, Race, Freight-Hopping and the Search for Hip Hop's Moral Center, William Upski Wimsatt attacks the whole idea of the suburb as "an unfortunate state- of-mind..., founded on fear, conformity, shallowness of character, and dullness of imagination." Upski uses his coming of age in the Chicago break dancing and hip hop
88

Unbelievable: The Life, Death, and Afterlife of the Notorious B.I.G.

Vibe Magazine, Cheo Hodari Coker

4.0
From the same people who brought you Vibe magazine's New York Times bestseller Tupac Shakur comes the other half of the story that rocked the world: Unbelievable, the larger-than-life biography of Christopher Wallace, a.k.a. Biggie Smalls, a.k.a. The Notorious B.I.G.
In this riveting account of Biggie's remarkable life, hip hop journalist Cheo Hodari Coker tells the story you've never heard about t
89

The Anthology of Rap

Adam Bradley, Andrew DuBois, Common, Chuck D, Henry Louis Gates Jr.

4.0
From the school yards of the South Bronx to the tops of the Billboard charts, rap has emerged as one of the most influential musical and cultural forces of our time. In The Anthology of Rap, editors Adam Bradley and Andrew DuBois explore rap as a literary form, demonstrating that rap is also a wide-reaching and vital poetic tradition born of beats and rhymes.

This pioneering anthology brings togeth
The Perfect Day to Boss Up: A Hustler's Guide to Building Your Empire book cover90

The Perfect Day to Boss Up: A Hustler's Guide to Building Your Empire

Rick Ross

4.0
91

Best Damn Hip Hop Writing: The Book of Dart

Dart Adams, Amir Ali Said, et al.

4.0
Best Damn Hip Hop Writing: The Book of Dart encapsulates one of the defining voices in hip hop music criticism today. Each essay in this collection is written by Dart Adams, a writer whose work has been featured in various leading hip hop publications, including Okayplayer, DJBooth, Mass Appeal, and Hip Hop Wired. Dart's writing, which takes a laser sharp focus on history, is engaging and always h
It Was You All Along book cover92

It Was You All Along

Russ

4.0
93

Inside a Thug's Heart

Angela Ardis

4.0
A treat for every hip hop fan, this book presents a rare and indispensable look into the private life of the iconic Tupak Shakur, complete with original letters and poems.
94

From Black Power to Hip Hop: Racism, Nationalism, and Feminism

Patricia Hill Collins

4.0
A provocative analysis of the new contours of Black nationalism and feminism in the context of the changing politics of race in America.
95

Hip-Hop Revolution: The Culture and Politics of Rap

Jeffrey O. G. Ogbar

4.0
In the world of hip-hop, "keeping it real" has always been a primary goal--and realness takes on special meaning as rappers mold their images for street cred and increasingly measure authenticity by ghetto-centric notions of "Who's badder?"

In this groundbreaking book, Jeffrey O. G. Ogbar celebrates hip-hop and confronts the cult of authenticity that defines its essential character--that dictates h
96

The Mark of Criminality: Rhetoric, Race, and Gangsta Rap in the War-on-Crime Era

Bryan J. McCann

4.0
Illustrates the ways that the “war on crime” became conjoined—aesthetically, politically, and rhetorically—with the emergence of gangsta rap as a lucrative and deeply controversial subgenre of hip-hop

In The Mark of Criminality: Rhetoric, Race, and Gangsta Rap in the War-on-Crime Era, Bryan J. McCann argues that gangsta rap should be viewed as more than a damaging reinforcement of an era’s worst
97

Soul Train: The Music, Dance, and Style of a Generation

Questlove

4.0
From Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson of the award-winning hip-hop group the Roots, comes this vibrant book commemorating the legacy of Soul Train—the cultural phenomenon that launched the careers of artists such as Tina Turner, Stevie Wonder, the Jackson 5, Whitney Houston, Lenny Kravitz, LL Cool J, and Aretha Franklin. Questlove reveals the remarkable story of the captivating program, and his text is
98

Tupac Shakur

Vibe Magazine

4.0
"The tragedy of Tupac is that his untimely passing is representative of too many young black men in this country....If we had lost Oprah Winfrey at 25, we would have lost a relatively unknown, local market TV anchorwoman. If we had lost Malcolm X at 25, we would have lost a hustler nicknamed Detroit Red. And if I had left the world at 25, we would have lost a big-band trumpet player and aspiring c
99

The Book of Hip Hop Cover Art

Andrew Emery

4.0
Hip hop is today’s most influential and exciting musical phenomenon—and for the first time, all the greatest examples of hip hop and rap sleeve artwork are brought together to provide a history of this innovative and always- surprising music. Combining diverse artwork with exclusive interviews from major players of the rap world—including Public Enemy frontman Chuck D, designer Jeff Janks, and pho
The Complete Rhyming Dictionary book cover100

The Complete Rhyming Dictionary

Clement Wood

4.0
This simple-to-use, exceptionally complete reference work has been updated, expanded and redesigned to meet the needs of today's most demanding wordsmiths. Included here are over 10,000 new entries--over 60,000 in all, sight, vowel, consonant, and one-, two-, and three-syllable rhymes.