Hip-Hop Is History

(Paperback)

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In Hip-Hop is History, Questlove, one of the major and most revolutionary figures of that genre, unpicks one hip-hop song from each of the years since the sound of breakbeat drums first burst out of a house party in the Bronx on 11 August 1973. Clive Campbell, a Jamaican-born teenager threw the party. Questlove wants to talk about the present.

In this book he analyses the conditions of each song's creation, its lyrical and musical content, and its role in pushing the genre forward and shining a light on Black American History.

Questlove was there at the beginning. He's still creating and influencing in the present. He is the perfect companion on this journey through the music, the context and the lasting impact.

Author Bio

Ahmir K. Thompson (born January 20, 1971), known professionally as Questlove is the drummer and joint frontman for the seminal American hip-hop band The Roots. His career spans working as a musician, record producer, disc jockey, filmmaker, music journalist, and actor. He is the co-founder of the websites Okayplayer and OkayAfrica. He is also an adjunct professor at the Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music at New York University. Questlove has produced recordings for artists including Elvis Costello, Common, D'Angelo, Jill Scott, Erykah Badu, Bilal, Jay-Z, Nikka Costa, and more recently, Booker T. Jones, Al Green, Amy Winehouse, and John Legend. He is a member of the production teams the Soulquarians, the Randy Watson Experience, the Soultronics, the Grand Negaz and the Grand Wizzards. As an author, he has written four books. Questlove is the recipient of many accolades, including an Academy Award, six Grammy Awards and a BAFTA. The Roots have been serving as the in-house band for The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon since 2014, having previously fulfilled the same role on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. Questlove is also one of the producers of the cast album of the Broadway musical Hamilton.