Encyclopedia of Rap and Hip Hop Culture - by Yvonne Bynoe

About the Book

Hip Hop music is comprised of several art forms: 1) MC-ing or rapping 2)B-boying or breakdancing 3)Deejaying (music) and 4) Graffiti art (visual art). This encyclopedia examines all four elements of Hip Hop Culture, providing students, scholars, and music fans with a complete history of the thirty-year music genre. Tracing its early roots from black DJs talking over music in the 1960s, the B-boy dancers in the 1970s, and the scratching and sampling techniques of the '80s to the founding of Def Jam productions, the current East Cost-West Coast rivalry, and superstars such as Eminem and 50 Cent, hip hop fans will find this an indispensable resource.

This encyclopedia includes approximately 100 photographs, discographies after each entry, and a for further listening list at the end of the volume. Also included is the Hip Hop Declaration of Peace.

Book Synopsis

Hip Hop music is comprised of several art forms: 1) MC-ing or rapping 2)B-boying or breakdancing 3)Deejaying (music) and 4) Graffiti art (visual art). This encyclopedia examines all four elements of Hip Hop Culture, providing students, scholars, and music fans with a complete history of the thirty-year music genre. Tracing its early roots from black DJs talking over music in the 1960s, the B-boy dancers in the 1970s, and the scratching and sampling techniques of the '80s to the founding of Def Jam productions, the current East Cost-West Coast rivalry, and superstars such as Eminem and 50 Cent, hip hop fans will find this an indispensable resource.

This encyclopedia includes approximately 100 photographs, discographies after each entry, and a for further listening list at the end of the volume. Also included is the Hip Hop Declaration of Peace.

Review Quotes

"Hip-hop is a genre of music and cultural expression long on popularity but short on authoritative reference resources. Hip-hop cultural expert Bynoe's (Stand & Deliver: Political Activism, Leadership, and Hip Hop Culture) encyclopedia should help fill that void by providing a commanding single-volume guide that will be of value to those unfamiliar with hip-hop culture or those who like the culture or music but are unfamiliar with its origins and development. The work examines the four manifestations of hip-hop culture-DJ, MC, B-boy, and graffiti artist-and the 30-year history of the music genre. The more than 500 mostly biographical entries each range in length from a couple of sentences for lesser artists or concepts to several pages for prominent figures like Dr. Dre and Public Enemy. The artists covered run the gamut from true old-schoolers, e.g., Kurtis Blow, to relative newbies, e.g., Lil' Romeo....Bynoe's writing is clear and concise, and her knowledge of the topic is obvious. Her work would make a good addition to public and academic library collections, especially given the current popularity of hip-hop culture and music." --Library Journal

"This is a well-written, informative encyclopedia that would sit well on any bookshelf and will appeal to readers of all ages." --Reference Reviews

"[B]ynoe chronicles the history and influence of hip-hop via approximately 450 entries, mostly biographical, with a good representation of both East Coast and West Coast personalities....Bynoe's guide is an essential acquisition for all music collections....Recommended for all public and academic libraries." --MultiCultural Review

"Bynoe provides a solid overview of the rap and hip hop genre....[t]his work will be a useful resource for students of music and culture at the outset of research. Recommended for undergraduate and public libraries." --College & Research Libraries

"Hip Hop culture encompasses more than just rap music, having been founded on the original four elements of DJing (turntablism), MCing (rapping), B-Boying (dancing), and Aerosol Art (graffiti). Although this encyclopedia recognizes this fact in its choice of material, the bulk of the figures and terms discussed in the entries remain related to rap. Although the size of the encyclopedia limits the comprehensiveness of the treatment, a careful effort has obviously been put into making the entries representative of the genre across the scope of its time period. The author includes commercially successful artists alongside lesser-known but more artistically influential creators." --Reference & Research Book News/Art Book News Annual

"[A] great addition to music and cultural reference collections. The All Music Guide to Hip-Hop includes 20 essays on rap and hip-hop topics but nothing as thorough as this encyclopedia." --Booklist/Reference Books Bulletin

"A comprehensive resource covering the artists as well as various topics relevant to the culture. The insightful historical introduction will help readers understand the separate elements embraced by rap and hip-hop: the verbal (MCing), and the musical (DJing), break dancing, and aerosol painting. The alphabetical entries cover all these elements and include most of the well-known rap artists and groups, along with some less-familiar names....The author's cross-references are especially helpful and the index will lead readers to information about individual artists beyond their main entry. The appendixes contain a selected discography and statements regarding the appreciation and preservation of hip-hop culture, including the Hip Hop Declaration of Peace. This title will be of interest to browsers and report writers." --School Library Journal

"This is the first comprehensive collection in the genre's 30-year-plus history to contain factual information compiled under one cover. Entries chronicle hip-hop's four mainifestations (DJ, MC, B-boy, graffiti artist) and illustrate the differences between rap and hip-hop culture....[p]hotographs, artist biographies and a selected rap discography provide a thorough cross-section of hip-hop history." --Chart

"Yvonne Bynoe's Encyclopedia of Rap and Hip Hop Culture blends music history with an overall survey of hip hop culture, considering over thirty years of a genre which began back in the 1960s with black DJs talking over music and today has spread around the world. Over a hundred photos pepper references which cover music groups, genres, attitude, style, ethics and more." --The Midwest Book Review - California Bookwatch

"This volume provides students, scholars, and music fans with a complete history of the 30-year musical genre. Concise yet comprehensive, the entries range from profiles on legendary performers to topics such as sampling, censorship and tagging." --MetroLA

About the Author

Yvonne Bynoe is an author and lecturer whose work combines the relevant issues of politics, culture, and economics within the context of American popular culture. She is the author of the book Stand and Deliver: Political Activism, Leadership and Hip Hop Culture (2004). Bynoe's writings have appeared in such publications as The Georgetown Journal of International Affairs and the National Urban League's 2001 State of Black America.