Bookz

One of the perks of being out of school is that I actually get to enjoy reading again. It's not something I need to do for hours a day, and I get to pick the books I read. I just finished Nuthin' but a 'G' Thang: The Culture and Commerce of Gangsta Rap. It's by Eithne Quinn, and it was lent to me by Tyler.

This book rules. I'm pretty sure no one reads this blog, but if anyone does, try to locate a copy of this. Hip hop as a movement and as a culture has often been discussed; however, gangsta rap seems too often tossed aside by serious cultural observers as either "just fun and benign" or "crude and vulgar." Quinn does an amazing job of breaking down Gangsta rap (primarily West Coast based rap between the years 1988-1996). She breaks down the following aspects of gangsta: its massive cultural significance, its role in African American culture, its reflection of 1980s capitalistic individualism, its candid discussion of sex and gender, its positive AND negative impact on the black community, and its reflection of a culture ambiguously fixated on authenticity. 

It's a pretty academic book, unlike other pop-culture savants like Chuck Klosterman, and considering the subject matter, that really helps the book's potency. Quinn demands that we take gangsta seriously, that we consider Snoop Dogg to be a vital pop cultural figure, that we not dismiss certain genres as simply mysoginistic or silly. This book expresses everything I wish I was eloquent and intelligent enough to say about my obsession with hip hop.When I am derided by people for not listening to more "conscious" or "indie" hip-hop, I sometimes struggle to defend myself. This book clears it all up for me. If you love commercial rap, read this book. If you hate commercial rap, read this book.

It's hot as hell, I'm gonna go look for a kiddy pool.

AMAZON LINK TO THE BOOK:

http://www.amazon.com/Nuthin-but-Thang-Commerce-Cultures/dp/0231124090