Rap-Up: The Ultimate Guide to Hip-Hop and R&B

By Cameron Lazerine and Devin Lazerine

Book Overview

In this fun, edgy, and essential guide, the editors of today's hottest music magazine give you the ultimate, all-access pass to the exciting world of hip-hop and contemporary R&B. From the megaselling songs to the biggest stars to the most outrageous scandals, Rap-Up gives you a comprehensive behind-the-scenes look at the revolutionary music that's transforming pop culture. Discover: HISTORY LESSON How it all started, from rappers armed with toy keyboards and ambition...to breakout groups like Run-D.M.C. and Public Enemy who brought the 'hood to the suburbs and changed music forever. THE NEW NEW SCHOOL One-of-a-kind profiles of Jay-Z, Beyonc , 50 Cent, Usher, Ciara, and all the hottest artists. And a look at the moguls and producers who shape the hits, including urban-flow stylist Jermaine Dupri, off-center innovators The Neptunes, and techno-beat genius Timbaland. WHERE'S THE BEEF? The inside story on rap's most notorious battles, from the legendary Juice Crew vs. Boogie Down Productions duel over hip-hop bragging rights, to the Jay-Z vs. Nas battle-of-the-giants, to the 50 Cent vs. The Game take-no-prisoners faceoff. FROM HOLLIS TO HOLLYWOOD A comprehensive list of hip-hop on the silver screen-the good, the bad, and the performers (Will Smith, Jamie Foxx, Queen Latifah) who achieved box office gold and Oscar fame. Complete with takes on must-own CDs and tracks, pop quizzes, career highlights, and artist road maps, this unique, definitive book is all you need to get down with everything hip-hop and R&B.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0446178209
• ISBN13: 9780446178204
• Release Date: February 2008
• Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
• Length: 352 Pages
• Weight: 1.66 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 7.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Hip Hop for Dummies

This book is laid out like a "Dummies Guide". It uses well written grammar, and is broken down into clear logical chapters. It provides a brief History of Hip Hop's origins, plus sub chapters focussing on main Hip Hop acts, a bit of RnB and Neo-Soul, plus Hip Hop on TV and in the movies. It is all the stronger for this, as it avoids the over complex dense text associated with so many sociological Hip Hop books that try to be too clever by half. There is decent analysis in this book, and it makes salient points about MCs such as Tupac and Nas, rather than pop culture miscellany. One knows that the authors know what they are writing about. The only criticisms I have are that for a book that bills itself as an "Ultimate Guide", it does not cover much about Beatboxing or Graffiti, instead it concentrates on Hip Hop as a music and film media. There is also scant mention of the wealth of Hip Hop outside of the USA, which is a sadly common yet glaring ommission from many books. Other than that I think it would be a good read for the 12 upwards age group who want to study Hip Hop, or adults who want an up to date introduction.

And It Goes a Lil Something Like This

Do you know why Nas and Jay-Z had beef? Or the meaning of A Tribe Called Quest's rule number 4080? How about taking it back to the basics by learning what is meant by the terms cutting and scratching? Well, Rap-Up by Cameron and Devin Lazerine can tell you all of that and more. Rap-Up discusses various elements that created what we call hip-hop and R & B. It examines artists, including their rise to fame, break dancers, disc jockeys (d.j.'s), territories, etc., that have been instrumental in shaping what appeared to be just music into a lifestyle. From graffiti artists tagging subway trains to heavy, west coast bass lines, the manual looks at these genres from all angles. It also includes passages about movies, i.e. Breakin and Beat Street, and tragedies, i.e. death of rapper Easy E and unauthorized sampling, that show how circumstances continually change the direction of hip-hop and R & B. Rap-Up was a great read. Although I knew all of the artists described in the manual, I was intrigued with their success stories and the impact they made in a genre that was looked at as a passing fad. I found the articles witty, engaging, and thorough. I expected to read biased accounts but was pleasantly surprised when there were none. Rap-Up is a useful guide for people of all ages, with all levels of hip-hop and R & B knowledge. Reviewed by Darnetta Frazier APOOO BookClub