In the world of hip-hop, "keeping it real" has always been a
primary goal-and realness takes on special meaning as rappers mold
their images for street cred and increasingly measure authenticity
by ghetto-centric notions of "Who's badder?"
In this groundbreaking book, Jeffrey O. G. Ogbar celebrates
hip-hop and confronts the cult of authenticity that defines its
essential character--that dictates how performers walk, talk, and
express themselves artistically and also influences the consumer
market. "Hip-Hop Revolution" is a balanced cultural history that
looks past negative stereotypes of hip-hop as a monolith of
hedonistic, unthinking noise to reveal its evolving positive role
within American society.
A writer who's personally encountered many of hip-hop's icons,
Ogbar traces hip-hop's rise as a cultural juggernaut, focusing on
how it negotiates its own sense of identity. He especially explores
the lyrical world of rap as artists struggle to define what
realness means in an art where class, race, and gender are central
to expressions of authenticity-and how this realness is articulated
in a society dominated by gendered and racialized stereotypes.
Ogbar also explores problematic black images, including
minstrelsy, hip-hop's social milieu, and the artists' own
historical and political awareness. Ranging across the rap spectrum
from the conscious hip-hop of Mos Def to the gangsta rap of 50 Cent
to the "underground" sounds of Jurassic 5 and the Roots, he tracks
the ongoing quest for a unique and credible voice to show how
complex, contested, and malleable these codes of authenticity are.
Most important, Ogbar persuasively challenges widely held notions
that hip-hop is socially dangerous-to black youths in particular-by
addressing the ways in which rappers critically view the popularity
of crime-focused lyrics, the antisocial messages of their peers,
and the volatile politics of the word "nigga."
"Hip-Hop Revolution" deftly balances an insider's love of the
culture with a scholar's detached critique, exploring popular myths
about black educational attainment, civic engagement, crime, and
sexuality. By cutting to the bone of a lifestyle that many
outsiders find threatening, Ogbar makes hip-hop realer than it's
ever been before.
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