Droppin Science

Rap and hip hop, the music and culture rooted in African American urban life, bloomed in the late 1970s on the streets and in the playgrounds of New York City. This critical collection serves as a historical guide to rap and hip hop from its beginnings to the evolution of its many forms and frequent controversies, including violence and misogyny.

Preface 1. The Rap Attack: An Introduction - William Eric Perkins Part I: Roots 2. Women Writin' Rappin' Breakin' - Nancy Guevara 3. Rap's Latino Sabor - Mandalit del Barco 4. Puerto Rico Rocks: New York Ricans Stake Their Claim - Juan Flores Part II: Genres 5. Kickin' Reality, Kickin' Ballistics: Gangsta Rap and Postindustrial Los Angeles - Robin D. G. Kelley 6. Making the Strong Survive: The Contours and Contradictions of Message Rap - Ernest Allen, Jr. 7. Who Wants to See Ten Niggers Play Basketball? - Armond White Part III: Flavas 8. Hip Hop 101 - Robert Farris Thompson 9. Dance in Hip Hop Culture - Katrina Hazzard-Donald 10. Hidden Politics: Discursive and Institutional Policing in Rap Music - Tricia Rose 11. Global Village: An Epilogue - William Eric Perkins About the Contributors