The Concise Guide to Hip-Hop Music

“Don't mistake concise for basic. I've studied hip-hop for decades and I learned things from this book! Paul Edwards goes straight to rappers to expose the myths and seek out the truth. The Concise Guide to Hip-Hop Music is an entertaining and insightful read for everyone from seasoned hip-hop listeners to the casual fan.”—Mickey Hess, author of The Dirty Version, Is Hip Hop Dead? and editor of Icons of Hip Hop and Hip Hop in America

“Paul Edwards has done it again. Having long toiled in the mines of hip-hop knowledge, he has collected the wisdom of the greatest representatives of the art to present us with another fact-filled, eye-opening, myth-busting resource. Everyone from fans and artists to students and scholars will have much to learn from The Concise Guide to Hip-Hop Music.”—Mark Katz, author of Groove Music: The Art and Culture of the Hip-Hop DJ

“Combining Edwards's critical insight with stories from the people who lived it, The Concise Guide to Hip-Hop Music not only informs, it challenges a number of popular notions about this thing called rap, including some of my own. As KRS-One said, 'You must learn.'”—Jordan Ferguson, author of J Dilla's Donuts

“Part oral history, part investigative nitty-gritty, Paul Edwards' The Concise Guide to Hip-Hop Music answers the questions left obscured by the large and growing literature on the genre. From the very origins of the word to its worldwide word-up, this is the essential guide for both the hip-hop buff and the hopelessly baffled.”—Roy Christopher, author of The Medium Picture