American Rap Scenes - by Lavar Pope (Hardcover)

About the Book

"Rap in America examines the factors of geography, migration, movements, music, and technology on the origins, persistence, and legacy of rap music in 25 local music scenes. By studying how each of these micro units developed, we can better understand how each scene interacts, collaborates, and engages with the others. Across seven themed chapters, this book explores the evidence of these factors on 25 scenes through both systematic evaluation of themes and data analysis. By providing area-centered analysis of a culture many see as monolithic, Lavar Pope highlights the unique histories of rap and hip-hop music in mid-size and major cities across the country"--

Book Synopsis

American Rap Scenes examines the history and legacy of rap music in 25 American cities through factors of geography, migration, movements, music, and technology.

Providing area-centered analysis of a culture many see as monolithic, Lavar Pope highlights the unique histories of rap music and Hip Hop culture - how and why these scenes developed - in 25 mid-size and major cities across the country. More so than other genres of music, rap offers historical record of a multigenerational Black music that is region- and locale- specific and opens a window into the Black experience in America. Highlighting global stars and key local artists alike, American Rap Scenes features artists contextualized within their city of origin from Andre 3000 (Atlanta), Kendrick Lamar (Compton), and Common (Chicago) to Too Short (Oakland), Freddie Gibbs (Gary), and Akon (Jersey City).

The 25 scenes covered in this book are South Bronx, Manhattan and Harlem, Queens, Brooklyn, Staten Island, Hempstead, Philadelphia, Newark and Jersey City, Boston, Los Angeles and Compton, Oakland and the San Francisco Bay Area, Seattle and Portland, Chicago and Gary, Indiana, St. Louis, Minneapolis, Detroit, Houston, New Orleans, Memphis, Atlanta, Miami, Hampton, Virginia, Washington, D.C. and Baltimore, Honolulu, San Juan, Puerto Rico and Saint Thomas, USVI.

These scenes have been chosen for the documented and longstanding histories of their local music-making communities as well as similarities in the evolution of the local environment and geography, the proximity and timeline of Black, Latinx, and Caribbean migrations, and the impact of the Civil Rights, Racial Justice, and Women's Movements.

Review Quotes

"American Rap Scenes is a unique contribution to the field of Hip Hop studies. This book examines the external conditions that fueled the development of Hip Hop in different areas of America. Pope has provided an insight in the dynamic genre of Hip Hop that includes sociological and political factors impact on the genre. This is a must-have book for all courses on Hip Hop studies and a comprehensive understanding of the growth of the culture in the United States!" --Lakeyta M. Bonnette-Bailey, Professor of Africana Studies, Georgia State University, USA

"Since its inception in the Bronx, rap music has inextricably been tied to locality. In American Rap Scenes, Lavar Pope has ambitiously provided a study of 25 rap scenes which drill down and nuance previous regionally focused studies of 'West Coast' or 'East Coast, ' for example. If this wasn't enough, he provides a cross-disciplinary approach which acknowledges factors such as migration, ethnicity, and technology. The book provides a needed multi-faceted lens which will add to models for studies of music scenes in the future." --Justin A. Williams, Professor of Music, University of Bristol, UK

"Lavar Pope's American Rap Scenes is a rigorous and readable journey through the various landscapes that produce hip hop culture. It is a meaningful read for scholars of music, cultural studies, and geography as well as hip hop fans." --Langston Collin Wilkins, Assistant Professor of Folklore and African American Studies, University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA

"Highly recommended for scholars interested in ethnography and a sociopolitical approach to rap music." --CHOICE

About the Author

Lavar Pope is Clinical Full Professor of Political Science at Loyola University Chicago, USA. He is the author of Rap and Politics: A Case Study of Panther, Gangster, and Hyphy Discourses in Oakland, CA (1965-2010) (2020) and serves as the Associate Editor for the Journal of Hip-Hop Studies.