Exploring Top Books of Shelfari

Hustle’s personal Harlem was sorely in need of a renaissance. For him, it was the place where a scared kid named Eric Samson had been ditched by druggy parents and dismissed by frustrated teachers. Abandoned to the streets to raise himself, Eric Samson knows life won’t be easy, beginning with the choices he must make. The fast cash of the streets still tempts him, but the threat of getting locked up –... (more)

Gangsta Rap (Teen's Top 10 (Awards))

by Benjamin Zephaniah

Ray has given up school. He sees no point in education and despises authority. And then he has no choice about school as he is excluded. But Ray also has troubles at home, which means he has nowhere to stay and ends up sleeping in the local record shop, owned by his friend Marga Man. Ray and his friends attend a Social Exclusion Project which means they can develop their music skills. Marga Man gets a record deal... (more)

The Rose That Grew From Concrete

by 2Pac, Tupac Shakur

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 -- remaining vibrant and alive. Here now, newly discovered, are Tupac's most honest and intimate thoughts conveyed through the pure art of poetry -- a mirror into his enigmatic life and its many contradictions. Written in his own hand at... (more)

Ego Trip's Book of Rap Lists

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

Ego trip's Book of Rap Lists is more popular than racism! Blacks and whites all agree...

Wu Tang Manual: Enter the 36 Chambers, Volume One

Wu Tang Manual: Enter the 36 Chambers, Volume One

by Chris Norris, RZA

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 where... (more)

Unsigned Hype: A Novel

by Booker T. Mattison

Tory Tyson may only be in high school, but he knows what he wants out of life--a successful music career. And he's not going to learn about all that at school. So when school lets out next month he's not going back. He's finally ready to stop spinning old records at parties and start laying down his own beats--and the Unsigned Hype music contest is the perfect place to launch his career. But will he be able to... (more)

Lil' Wayne

by NMR

From Pieces to Weight: Once Upon a Time in Southside Queens

From Pieces to Weight: Once Upon a Time in Southside Queens

by 50 Cent

This violent and introspective memoir reveals not only 50 Cent's story but also the story of a generation of youth faced with hard choices and very few options. It is a tale of sacrifice, transformation, and redemption, but also one of hope, determination, and the power of self. Told in 50's unique voice, the narrative drips with the raw insight, street wisdom, and his struggle to survive at all costs -- and... (more)

Absurdistan

by Gary Shteyngart

“ Absurdistan is not just a hilarious novel, but a record of a particular peak in the history of human folly. No one is more capable of dealing with the transition from the hell of socialism to the hell of capitalism in Eastern Europe than Shteyngart, the great-great grandson of one Nikolai Gogol and the funniest foreigner alive.” –Aleksandar Hemon From the critically acclaimed, bestselling author of The... (more)

Rolling Stone Magazine, Issue 1076, April 16, 2009, Lil Wayne Cover

Rolling Stone Magazine, Issue 1076, April 16, 2009, Lil Wayne Cover

Lil Wayne Goes Rock: Rap's Genius Changes His Game

Vibe History of Hip Hop

by Vibe Magazine

"A history? No. A story, really. A tale from the dark side. In this book, hip hop is all. It's always there. Like hip hop, this book is about the intense kind of aspiration that comes from having little. About holding and rhyming into a microphone. Mixing and scratching. Guns pain blood. Desire desperation truth true love. Art and mystery and metaphor. The singularity of voice. The magnificence of ingenious... (more)

One Nation Under a Groove: Rap Music and Its Roots

One Nation Under a Groove: Rap Music and Its Roots

by James Haskins

Gr 4-9-While a number of books look at the current popularity of rap music, Haskins focuses on its roots and evolution, giving readers a real sense of how it is part of a long history of social commentary through art. He discusses the place of women in rap, and also how it has transcended its roots in urban African-American culture to become a worldwide phenomenon. This well-researched account goes well beyond the... (more)

Tha Doggfather: The Times, Trials, And Hardcore Truths Of Snoop Dogg

Tha Doggfather: The Times, Trials, And Hardcore Truths Of Snoop Dogg

by Snoop Dogg, Davin Seay

This is a tale of a young man's struggle against a system that consigned him to a destiny of poverty, crime, and hopelessness from birth. Set against the mean streets of L.A.'s South Bay 'hoods, the book is populated by a cast of vivid characters, including Tupac Shakur, Snoop's one true friend and musical soulmate, cut down at the beginning of a brilliant career, and Suge Knight, whose Death Row Records brought... (more)

East Side Stories: Gang Life in East LA

by Joseph Rodriguez

We've heard about drive-by shootings and territorial battles in the news. "East Side Stories" brings the code, the lives, the words, and the hope of actual gang members to light in this stunning collection of essays, photographs, and an interview of ex-gang member Luis Rodriguez, now the author of five books and the recipient of several major awards. The labyrinthine rules and codes of gang life are... (more)

Who Shot Ya? Three Decades of Hiphop Photography

Who Shot Ya? Three Decades of Hiphop Photography

by Ernie Paniccioli

Nearly thirty years ago, Ernie Paniccioli began photographing the graffiti art throughout New York City as well as the young people creating it. Armed with a 35-millimeter camera, Paniccioli literally recorded the beginning salvos of hip hop, today the most dominant youth culture on the planet. Be it Grandmaster Flash at the Roxy, a summer block party in the Bronx, the fresh faces of Queen Latifah and Will Smith,... (more)

Westsiders

by William Shaw

The phenomenal success of Los Angelinos like N.W.A, Ice-T, Ice Cube, Coolio, Snoop, Dr.Dre and Warren G. means that every block in Southcentral contains at least one boy who wants to be a rapper. "Westsiders" is a book about seven young men, all of whom are trying to make it in the rap business. It follows the changes in their musical and personal lives as they try and get shows, auditions, record demos in an... (more)

Dare

by Abiola Abrams

Meet Maya Hope. Double-dipped in cocoa with brick-house curves, she's a lover of jazz, a political poet, and a sociologist with a broken heart. Her best friend and roommate Athena Wagner is her opposite in every way- a petite ex-cheerleader who's always blaring rap, grinding out rhymes, and ready to take the next man home. When Maya is forced to fill in at one of Athena's auditions, she finds herself on an... (more)

Unrapped: The Myers Brothers Flip from Fame to GloryMelanie Bockmann

Unrapped: The Myers Brothers Flip from Fame to Glory

by Melanie Bockmann

They wanted fame, money, and to make it big in the music industry. And they got it all. Ivor and Sean Myers and their music group the Boogiemonsters shot to fame with their unique mix of rap/hip-hop and dance. They were in Rolling Stone magazine, their music was on MTV, and their house was a nonstop party. They had the latest fashions and expensive jewelry. They were living the dream. But... (more)

Hip Hop Speaks to Children With Audio CD: A Celebration of Poetry with a Beat (A Poetry Speaks Experience)

Hip Hop Speaks to Children With Audio CD: A Celebration of Poetry with a Beat (A Poetry Speaks Experience)

by Tony Medina, Arnold Adoff

NOW A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER AND INCLUDED IN THE BOOKLIST TOP 10 ART BOOKS FOR YOUTH! Our consensus is Hip Hop Speaks to Children is the most essential poetry purchase to make this year. The poetry is enough. The illustrations are enough. The CD is enough. Together, this book is a treasure of which you cannot get enough . We shall accomplish much this year. Children will be encouraged to put... (more)

Sag Harbor: A Novel

by Colson Whitehead

The warm, funny, and supremely original new novel from one of the most acclaimed writers in America The year is 1985. Benji Cooper is one of the only black students at an elite prep school in Manhattan. He spends his falls and winters going to roller-disco bar mitzvahs, playing too much Dungeons and Dragons, and trying to catch glimpses of nudity on late-night cable TV. After a tragic mishap on his first day of... (more)

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Tags: rap

by Janet McDonald